Test which museum is right for you

from Turku Times 1/2022

Turku is looking ahead confidently

Turku is full of interesting museums. But which one or which ones are right for you?

Written by roope Lipasti transLated by oWen F. Witesman iLLustrations by uLriikka Lipasti

1. The most important thing about a museum for me is…

A) To admire contemporary art and challenge myself. B) To get to breathe in history. C) The museum. D) That the tour be as short as possible.

2. The best thing in a museum is…

A) Having experiences with others. B) Being completely surprised (in a good way) by an exhibition

I didn’t know about or expect anything from. C) Getting more information about things you already know. D) The cafe. 3. I would take a first date…

A) Somewhere we could have an intellectual discussion about the art experience. B) To a place where we could walk side by side in dim, narrow corridors or romantic courtyards and alleys. C) Depends on which exhibition he/she hasn’t had time to see yet. D) Isn’t there a bar out in front of the Cathedral somewhere?

4. Before going to a museum, I carefully read what exhibitions there are.

A) Why not, but it’s just as nice to be surprised. B) Huh? No way! Museums are about exploring! C) Of course. That’s the only way to get the most out of your visit. D) Come on, isn’t it enough that I look at the blasted things?

5. Museum Card means...

A) An opportunity to have more experiences. B) An old postcard in the Postcard Museum. C) Significant savings every year—74 euros for as many museums as you want to see! D) A driver’s license for a pensioner.

6. If I run into something in a museum that I don’t understand…

A) I don’t. B) No harm, not everything needs to be understood. I smile and move on to the next thing. C) I sit down and think of different approaches to understanding the piece. D) Wait, you mean people understand this stuff sometimes?

7. From Turku’s oldest museums, I would choose…

A) Aboa Vetus; it also has modern art on the other side. B) The Handicrafts Museum; there’s nothing like it anywhere! C) Turku Castle; you never run out of experiences there. D) Whatever. They all gather dust just as well.

8. What is the best museum day?

A) Wednesday. A little shot of art is a perfect break from the week! B) Friday. It’s nice to wind down for the weekend surrounded by the past! C) Sunday. What could be more wonderful than spending a day off leisurely enjoying some culture and then discussing what we saw and experienced over coffee? D) Definitely Monday.

9. Who will I bring to the museum?

A) A friend to contemplate everything I see and experience with. B) My spouse or children. Adventure is always good to share. C) My Museum Card. D) A friend. In difficult situations, peer support always helps.

10. The best museum city in Finland is…

A) Turku. There’s something for everyone here! B) Åbo: it’s just like going abroad, the history is so present. C) On the banks of the Aura River: 16 great destinations close together! D) Don’t they all have museums? Most A-answers

An omnivorous connoisseur

You love art and new experiences. You are fascinated both by classical paintings and modern art. You are interested in reflecting on what you see and analyzing it by yourself or with a friend. All museums are for you, but you’re most likely to head to the Turku Art Museum, WAM or Ars Nova next. But maybe this time you’ll make an exception and go admire a different kind of painted landscape—dioramas! You can find some at the Biological Museum.

Most B-answers

History adventurer

You are fascinated by centuries past, historical people and their daily lives. An old sword or a child’s toy, a shoe from hundreds of years ago, or a drinking glass are things that bring history to life for you. The Pharmacy Museum, Ett Hem, Forum Marinum, the Sibelius Museum, Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum or even Aboa Vetus are your choices. Not to mention Turku Castle.

Most C-answers

Cultural heavy user

You probably already know Turku’s museums like the back of your hand. Fortunately, there are so many of them that you can always find something new. Or maybe you might tour them in a new way, perhaps in alphabetical order! Aboa Vetus/Ars Nova, Biological Museum, Ett Hem, Forum Marinum, Kylämäki Village in Kurala, Luostarinmäki, Pharmacy Museum, Sibelius Museum, Turku Castle, Turku Art Museum, WAM…

Most D-answers

Antimuseophile

Museums aren’t at the top of everyone’s list, and that’s fine. However, if you head out on the down-low, you might get interested and hang around for a closer look. For example, a coffee in the courtyard outside the Pharmacy Museum is pretty great, and while you’re having lunch at the Forum Marinum, you could sneak a look at some old boats...

Turku City Museums

LUOSTARINMÄKI

The Luostarinmäki museum quarter is the only complete wooden building area that survived the Great Fire of Turku in 1827. The more than 200 year old buildings stand on their original sites, and the alleys, yards, and homes of the Luostarinmäki form a unique environment in the middle of the city.

THE BIOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Located in a beautiful Art Nouveau building dating back to 1907, the Biological Museum presents Finnish flora and fauna all the way from the Turku archipelago in the south to the fells of Lapland in the north. Take a peek at the outer archipelago in spring, or wonder at the diversity of species in the Ruissalo grove.

TURKU CASTLE

The stately Turku Castle has guarded the mouth of the Aura River since the late 13th century. The tall granite walls conceal unique moments from history within them. Over the course of its history, the castle has been defended and besieged, its governors changed, and during Duke John’s era, the castle became a stage for court life. The medieval rooms of the keep and the ballrooms built by Duke John allow visitors to experience the splendour and bleakness of times past.

Guided Tours turku.fi/en/turkucastle Opening Hours Tue–Sun 10am–6pm / 30 May – 28 Aug Mon–Sun 10am–6pm Linnankatu 80 tel. +358 2262 0300, turunlinna@turku.fi Guided Tours turku.fi/en/luostarinmaki Opening Hours 1 June – 28 Aug Mon–Sun 10am–6pm / 28 Aug – 31 Dec Tue–Sun 9am–5pm Vartiovuorenkatu 2 tel. +358 2262 0350, luostarinmaki@turku.fi

Exhibitions

WAM TURKU CITY ART MUSEUM

Exhibitions

• Antti Laitinen 28 May – 18 Sep This summer, the museum’s main galleries will present a solo exhibition by Antti Laitinen. • Tiio Suorsa 18 March – 5 June • Kim Laybourn 10 June – 28 Aug

Opening Hours Tue 9am–17pm / Wed–Thu 11am–19pm / Fri 9am–17pm / Sat–Sun 10am–5pm Itäinen Rantakatu 38 tel. +358 2262 0850, wam@turku.fi, wam.fi/en • Ooh, poo! Turd, dropping, deuce, dung... The exhibition leads visitors on the tracks of poo and provides information on excrement for people of all ages. What does poo tell us, and can it be useful?

Opening Hours Tue–Sun 9am–5pm / Summer season 30 May – 28 Aug Mon–Sun 10am–6pm Neitsytpolku 1, tel. +358 2262 0340, biologinenmuseo@turku.fi, turku.fi/en/biologicalmuseum

PHARMACY MUSEUM AND THE QWENSEL HOUSE

The Qwensel House is the oldest remaining wooden building in Turku, featuring a bourgeois home from the 18th century and a pharmacy from the 19th century under one roof. At the Qwensel House, you can explore the life of the family of the most famous resident of the house, Joseph Pipping, the father of Finnish surgery. The interior is decorated in the Rococo and Gustavian styles of the late 18th century. The Pharmacy Museum’s pharmacy shop houses the oldest remaining pharmacy interior in Finland, dating back to 1858.

Guided Tours turku.fi/en/pharmacymuseum Opening Hours Tue–Sun 10am–6pm / Summer season 30 May – 28 Aug Mon–Sun 10am–6pm Läntinen Rantakatu 13b tel. +358 2262 0280, luostarinmaki@turku.fi

THE KYLÄMÄKI VILLAGE

Kylämäki Village in Kurala is made up of four farms with buildings still standing at their original sites. The village has been inhabited since the 7th century. During summer, baked treats prepared to grandmother’s recipes are warming on the wood-burning stove. The lady of the house shows historical farm chores and gives useful tips on making juice and jam, as well as washing white laundry and pressing clothes.

Opening Hours 4–29 May Wed–Sun 10am–6pm / 30 May – 14 Aug Mon–Sun 10am–18pm / 15–28 Aug Wed–Sun 10am–6pm Jaanintie 45 tel. +358 2262 0420, kylamaki@turku.fi, turku.fi/en/kylamakivillage