Brighter Perspectives
for Science & Technology Museums
Tampere • Helsinki • Finland
28–31 August 2012
Local Science and Technology Museums
Museum Centre Vapriikki | Tampere
Located on the banks of the Tammerkoski rapids, Vapriikki is a museum centre that offers things to see and do for the whole family. Vapriikki puts up about a dozen exhibitions each year with varied themes including history, technology and natural sciences. It is also home to The Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame, The Shoe Museum, Tampere Natural History Museum and The Doll Museum. Visitors are served by the museum restaurant Valssi and the museum shop which sells a wide selection of literature and gifts.
The Pirkanmaa Provincial Museum is in charge of most of the regional functions of Museum Centre Vapriikki. Specialising particularly in the maintenance of cultural environments, it provides expert assistance in archaeology, architecture, building repairs, local cultural work, civic activities and protection issues.
The oldest parts of Vapriikki were built in the 1880s. The largest exhibition hall, a hundred metres long and sixteen metres high, dates back to the 1910s and 1920s. Factors influencing Vapriikki’s architectural design for museum use included its eventful industrial history and location in the heart of one of the country’s national scenic areas. Vapriikki preserves the basic character of the building, which reflects industrial history.