Skogster Museum

At Skogster Museum, 3 changing exhibitions are presented annually, delving into the region’s history as well as the present day.

Museum Skogster’s temporary exhibitions have covered various topics, such as Finnish ceramics, the role of women in society, childcare, weddings and marriage, 1960s Hämeenlinna, popular culture, and the spiritual world.

In addition, Museum Skogster houses the oldest national savings bank museum in the Nordic countries, established in 1972. The permanent exhibition at the Savings Bank Museum offers an engaging perspective on the history of banking and the development of financial matters.

Palander House

The permanent exhibition at Palander House provides visitors with an opportunity to glimpse into the life of a bourgeois family in the city of Hämeenlinna a hundred years ago. The home museum showcases room ensembles from the grand hall to the kitchen used by the servants. The building was originates to 1860’s. The name of the museum is borrowed from a family that owned the house for quite a long time. Head of the family E.W. Palander served as a Russian language teacher at Hämeenlinna Lyceum from 1884 to 1904.

Birthplace of Jean Sibelius

In the permanent exhibition at Birthplace of Jean Sibelius, you can dive into the life and career of our internationally renowned national composer Jean Sibelius. The building, completed in 1834, has served as a museum since the 1960s and underwent extensive restoration in 2007. The museum offers a unique opportunity to explore Sibelius’s legacy and musical significance.

These exhibitions offer a diverse and fascinating experience, opening a window into the region’s history, art, and traditions.

Upcoming events

Christmas at the Palander House

Christmas returns once again to Palander House, filling the museum’s rooms with the warmth and atmosphere of a bygone home. Palander House’s traditional Christmas celebration has become an increasingly popular way to get into the Christmas spirit year after year.

At the museum, visitors can discover how Christmas was prepared for a hundred years ago. The museum’s seasonal exhibition offers a glimpse into Christmas preparations at Palander House, gift-giving traditions and the stories behind the festive dining table.

The theme for Christmas 2026 is Christmas in Hämeenlinna.

In Hämeenlinna, Christmas in the 19th century was celebrated through long-standing traditions and togetherness. These included tea, traditional Christmas dishes such as lutefisk, grain sausages and Christmas pastries, schoolchildren’s musical performances on Christmas Eve, trips to the countryside and, of course, peaceful time spent at home. Come and discover the local Christmas traditions!

Visitors can experience the atmospheric Christmas celebrations of a well-to-do family in days gone by until Epiphany, 6 January 2027.

Christmas at Palander House takes place from 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027.

Opening hours:

• Tuesday–Friday 12 noon–4 pm
• Saturday–Sunday 11 am–5 pm

The museum is closed on Mondays, New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Christmas Eve (24 December), Christmas Day (25 December) and Boxing Day (26 December).

Admission: €8 / €6. Combined ticket with the Sibelius Birthplace: €14 / €10.

Free admission for visitors under 18, Museum Card holders and holders of the City of Hämeenlinna Museums Annual Pass.

No guided tours are available at Palander House during the Christmas season.

Hämeenlinna City Birthday Celebration

Tuesday, 19 January 2027, at the Skogster Museum, the Sibelius Birthplace and Palander House

All three museums will be open for the birthday celebrations:

• Skogster Museum: 11 am–5 pm
• Palander House: 12 noon–4 pm
• Sibelius Birthplace: 12 noon–4 pm

At the Skogster Museum, the special day will be celebrated with short films showcasing the history of Hämeenlinna. The films include Hämeenlinna ensi kerran (Hämeenlinna for the First Time, 1958) and Aulanko, Hämeen helmi (Aulanko, the Pearl of Häme, 1950).

Admission to all City Museum venues is free throughout the day.

PALANDER HOUSE EASTER ADVENTURE

Saturday, 13 March 2027, 12 noon–4 pm

Winter fun comes to the Linnankatu neighbourhood on Saturday, 13 March, with an Easter-themed celebration at Palander House.

Palander House Easter Adventure invites the whole family to enjoy a fun-filled winter’s day in a cheerful atmosphere. The programme includes outdoor winter activities, animal-themed games and live animals in the museum courtyard.

The event is free and open to everyone.

Welcome to enjoy a fun-filled winter’s day!

FINNISH VISUAL ARTS DAY AT THE SIBELIUS BIRTHPLACE

Friday–Sunday, 9–11 July 2026
In the courtyard of the Sibelius Birthplace, during museum opening hours.

What would your dream surroundings for the Sibelius Birthplace look like? Draw your vision of an ideal city block as seen from the Sibelius Birthplace!

The drawings will be displayed at the museum throughout July.

All the drawing materials you need are available at the museum. The event is free and open to everyone.

Finnish Visual Arts Day is celebrated annually on 10 July, the birthday of Finnish artist Helene Schjerfbeck.

Concerts at the Birthplace of Jean Sibelius

With an audience capacity of only 35 people, each concert offers a wonderfully intimate atmosphere. We recommend reserving your tickets in advance.

Sunday 6 December at 2 pm – Finland: Independence Day Concert
Celebrate Finnish Independence Day with pianist and composer Tuomas Nikkanen. The programme includes music by Mielck, Sibelius, Oskar Merikanto and Nikkanen, offering a musical tribute to Finland.

Tickets at the door:
20 € adults
18 € pensioners and students
10 € under 18s, unemployed visitors and conscripts

Please note that the Museum Card is not valid for these concerts.

Advance booking is recommended, as the audience capacity at Sibelius’s Birthplace is limited to 35 people.

Reservations: sibeliuksensyntymakoti(at)hameenlinna.fi or +358 3 621 2755.

Come and experience live music in the intimate and historic surroundings of Sibelius’s Birthplace.

Would you like to perform in the museum? Contact us: annaliina.granqvist@hameenlinna.fi or sibeliuksensyntymakoti@hameenlinna.fi. Concerts at the Birthplace of Jean Sibelius are generally held on Sundays at 2 pm, although exceptions may be possible by separate arrangement. Our concert season is divided into two periods: winter–spring (1 November–31 May) and summer–autumn (1 June–31 October). Concerts and other events for the winter–spring season are confirmed by 30 September, while those for the summer–autumn season are confirmed by 31 March.