The Wilderness and
Nature Culture Museum
A brand new international state-of-the-art museum is being built to record and showcase the inseparable relationship between man and nature. The museum will open to public in the coming years.
In accordance with the vision of the Finnish Wilderness and Nature Culture Museum, it is an accessible, holistic experience of Finnish wilderness and nature culture for all.
The background organisation for the new national museum to be established in Imatra is the Wilderness Museum Foundation of Finland.
We are growing meaningful, over-generational relations to nature
Nature has always been a source of well-being for finnish people. We want to increase one’s understanding of biodiversity by presenting nature and wilderness culture. Our goal is to maintain and promote a relationship with nature that supports well-being in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.
We invite everyone to find and create a lifelong relation to nature that carries over generations.
Photo: Marjaana Tasala / Visit Finland
Photo: Imatra.kuvat.fi
The city hall of Imatra gets a new life
In the coming years the current city hall will be transformed for experiential museum use.
The location of the museum by the Vuoksi waters, the Imatra rapids and other significant natural sites provides an opportunity to experience nature of Lakeland Finland independently.
The Imatra rapids is the oldest tourist attraction in Finland. Tourism history of Imatra is said to have begun in the year 1772, when Empress Catherine the Great of Russia visited Imatra to admire the rapids.
Read more: National wonder
Photo: Imatra.kuvat.fi
A sustainable trailblazer
The Wilderness and Nature Culture Museum of Finland will be located in the current Imatra City hall. Reusing an existing building is ecological and carbonneutral. Reuse responds to the objectives of the national architectural policy programme published in spring 2021 related to climate change, societal challenges and international expectations.
The new national museum promotes sustainable development and the circular economy, serving as a guide for responsible museum development also internationally.
The Museum project in a nutshell
The aim is to create an internationally attractive, ambitious and socially impactful centre for experiencing and presenting Finland's wilderness and nature culture.
The museum collects, stores, researches and presents the Finnish people's relationship with nature from the perspective of hunting, fishing, hiking, berry picking, nature photography and other recreational uses of nature.
The new museum will have an important role as a significant cultural destination nationally and internationally.
Photo: Harri Tarvainen / Visit Finland
Planning for the Wilderness and Nature Culture Museum proceeds
Planning is carried out through projects.
Take a closer look on our projects
Impressive, themed-spirited architecture and environment. Photo: City of Imatra
Functional content that enables learning and self-doing. Photo: Harri Tarvainen / Visit Finland
Doing together, sharing experiences, and being social at the core. Photo: Jussi Hellsten / Visit Finland
High-quality food experiences and support functions are a key part of the museum experience. Photo: Natura Viva / City of Helsinki
Accessible and thought-provoking nature experiences both inside and outside the museum. Photo: Jaakko Posti / Visit Finland
Inspiring and multi-channel digital content accessible from anywhere. Photo: Kanta-Hämeen Kuvapankki
Consideration of the whole family and learners of different levels in the visiting experience. Photo: Marjaana Tasala / Visit Finland
Surprising contents and collaborations that combine nature, culture and science, among other things. Photo: City of Imatra