Museums and galleries in Oulu

Museums and galleries in Oulu

1. See

   Hupisaaret park, Fountains and salmon stairs

   Hupisaaret, kalatie

   The beautiful park of Hupisaaret (lit. Fun Islands) is a lush area with little paths and bridges crossing beautiful little streams. The longest fish path of Finland, 750-m- and 64-stair-long fish path is on the northern part of Hupisaaret park. Take a picnic or just stroll around the renovated park where you can also find the soon-to-be-mentioned Northern Ostrobothnia Museum. Tietomaa and Oulu Museum of Art are also found near the park.

   24 hr

2. See

   Northern Ostrobothnia Museum

   Pohjois-Pohjanmaan Museo

   Closed for renovation until 2026A great museum on the history of Northern Ostrobothnia, especially the history of Oulu. Exhibitions on four floors.

   Wed-Sun 10:00-17:00·Adults €6, students and seniors €4, children under 18 for free

3. See

   Oulu Automobile Museum

   Oulun Automuseo

   A car museum with 40 cars and 20 motorcycles and some traffic related paraphernalia on display. A couple of really interesting vehicles like the largest car ever built in the Nordic countries (a truck for a dam company), the remains of a Ford "killed in action" during World War II and a "motorcycle" where the rider sits inside a large wheel. The car museum also has a restaurant open for lunch.

   Mon-Sat 09:00-17:00, Sun 09:00-15:00 (summer, closed on Sundays in the winter)·Adults €7, children €5

4. See

   Oulu Castle

   Oulun linna

   The castle was damaged by attack in the 18th century and finally blown to pieces in 1793 when lightning struck the gunpowder magazine. What you see now is the maritime observatory built on the ruins; it's set in a pleasant park, and you can climb the tower for views. There's a café (Tähtitornin kahvila) within. The cellar (same hours) displays info on the castle - mostly in Finnish, but there's more in the Northern Ostrobothnia Museum.

   Café daily May & Sep: 11:00–19:00, Jun & late Aug: 11:00–20:00, Jul & early Aug: 11:00–21:00 21:00·Free

5. See

   Oulu Museum of Art

   Oulun Taidemuseo

   Two-storey museum with a wide variety of modern artwork. Around 8 exhibits a year. Plenty of information in English, except for small, temporary exhibits.

   Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00·€8

6. See

   Pateniemi Sawmill Museum

   Pateniemen sahan museo

   A museum of industrial history in Oulu. The museum is in an old drydock storage building.

   Wed–Sun 11:00–17:00·free entry

7. See

   Sailor's Home Museum

   Merimiehenkotimuseo

   The Sailor’s Home Museum is on the idyllic island of Pikisaari near downtown Oulu. The museum is in the oldest surviving wooden building in Oulu, also known as Matila House, and is the former home of sailor Isak Matilainen.

8. See

   Tietomaa Science Centre

   Tiedekeskus Tietomaa

   Closed for renovation until 2026 The oldest science museum in the country, mostly kinematic and interactive, great for pre-teens but plenty for adults to enjoy. It is partially located in the former Åström leather factory, and you can ride the glass lift up the 19th-century brick water tower.

   Mon-Fri 10:00–17:00, Sat Sun 10:00–18:00·Adult €15, child (6–15) €11

9. See

   Turkansaari Open Air Museum

   Turkansaari is a nice open air museum with pretty old wooden buildings showing glimpses of local history. The museum is located on three islands in the Oulujoki River 12 km upstream from downtown Oulu. The museum is the second-oldest open air museum in Finland. It was established in 1925 when the island's wooden church dating back to 1694 was restored to its original location. The museum islands host a number of old buildings relocated to the museum to save them from demolition. When the weather permits, coming to the outdoor museum by bicycle is recommended. The total distance from the city centre is 16 km.

   Closed · opens 10 am tomorrow·€10 entry, event days +€2

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Oulu (CC BY-SA 4.0).