Museums and Art Exhibitions

Lebell's merchant house

The merchant house of the Lebell family situated on Rantakatu, 100 metres from the market square, familiarises visitors with the life of a merchant’s family in Kristiinankaupunki in the 18th and 19th century. The building dates back to 1762 and has been acting as a museum since 1939. The interior of the house is truly authentic: the 18th century baroque hall is the only one of its kind in Finland, with original ceiling paintings and wallpaper, and probably the country’s oldest green tiled stove!

Address: Rantakatu 51–53, 64100 Kristiinankaupunki
Open: 1 June– 1   August, Mon–Fri 11–17, Sat and Sun 11–14, other times by agreement
Contact details: +358 40 508 5251 (Carl-Anders Lundberg), +358 50 560 8108 (Helena Patoranta), lebell@krs.fi 
Entrance fees: adults €5 (in groups over 15 pers. €4/pers.), students €2, children €1

Carlsro museum

Carlsro museum, which is located on the shores of Lake Storträsket, 5 kilometres to the north of the city, acts as the Kristiinankaupunki city museum. The approximately 11,000 artefacts on display in the former three-storey luxury villa comprehensively represent the different historical phases of the region. An additional feature of magnificence is that the artefacts were collected by one man alone—Åke Weckström (1909–89). Guided tours Tue-Sat at 12 and 2 p.m.

Address: Carlsrontie 181, 64100 Kristiinankaupunki
Open: 1 June–31 August 2023, Mon–Sun 11–17, other times by agreement
Contact details: +358 44 915 1191 (Lars Nisula), +358 40 083 0692 (Erkki Kallio), lars.nisula@gmail.com
Entrance fees: adults 5€, students and children 1€, guide + entrance 40€

Facebook: @CarlsroMuseum

Kilen's Old Homestead Museum

Kilen Local Museum, located approximately 30 kilometres to the south of the city centre, consists of several exhibitions, with themes ranging from school to telephone and ship building. The 30 buildings scattered around the museum grounds portray the architecture of the region. In the summer, the site serves as a venue for courses, parties and events. Private boats are welcome at the Kilen visitor mooring.

Address: Kiilintie 90, 64490 Siipyy
Open: please see the museum's website for current opening times
Contact details: +358 40 684 5080 (museum's office), +358 40 066 8788 (inn and café), info@kilen.fi
Entrance fees: adults €5, children (6–17 years) €2
Guided tours: 1h €40, 1h 30min €60, 2h €80

Find us online: kilen.fi

The Maritime Museum
The main exhibition of Maritime Museum is located by the market square, in the attic of an Empire style building, which used to house the sail-making workshop of the Wendelin shipping company. The museum portrays the challenges involved in the navigation of the olden days when ships left Kristinestad for destinations all over the world—and the tragedy of the many shipwrecks.

The museum captures something that used to be a breath of air from the ways and fashions of the big world—in the 19th century, it made Kristinestad the Paris of the western coast!

In the Sea Warehouse, 600 m south along Strandgatan, you will find boats and engines as well as miniature models of the town, the shipyard and the harbour through the ages.

Main exhibition
Address: Salutorget 1, 64100 Kristinestad (entrance from the courtyard)
Open: 15 June–15 August, Tue–Sat 10:00–14:00

Sea Warehouse
Address: Strandgatan 62, 64100 Kristinestad
Open: 15 June–15 August, Tue–Sat 14:30–18:00 
 

Phone: +358 6 221 2859
E-mail: info@kristinestadssjofartsmuseum.fi
Website: kristinestadssjofartsmuseum.fi

Entrance fee (includes both exhibitions): adults €5, students and children (6–17 years)  €1
Guided tours: € 10 per group and exhibition

Fire Brigade Museum

Adress: Närpiöntie 10, 64100 Kristiinankaupunki
Open: by agreement throughout the year
Contact details: +358 40 550 6871 (Paul Mattila), +358 46 661 5416 (Thomas Fröberg)
Entrance fees: adults €3.50 (in groups of over 15 pers. €2/pers.), children (under 12 years) €1

Galleri Gottorp

Art Center Galleri Gottorp

Welcome to an enchanting art gallery in the countryside outside Kristiinankaupunki. Located in a yard surrounded by old log houses, the art gallery offers visitors several exhibitions, not only art works, but also local history. You can, for example, learn about life in 17th century Kristiinankaupunki and the tragic stories of witch persecutions. The artworks are made by the owner of the gallery, Stina Engvall, but every summer there are also works by visiting artists.

Coffee and homemade cakes are served on the sunny terrace. You can also chat with the Shaman or take a peek into Alice's house where she is having tea with her friends. It is even possible to experience a night up in the treetops and lodge in the barn.

For more details, visit the website www.gottorp.fi.

Museum

At Gallery Gottorp, you'll find two interesting exhibitions about local history. In the 17th century cottage, you can experience daily life in Kristiinankaupunki during the time when the town was founded. In the Witch Museum you can learn about the persecution of innocent women accused of witchcraft. This phenomenon spread from Europe through Sweden to Finland and Ostrobothnia had the most death sentences in the whole of Finland. In Kristiinankaupunki four women were executed and burnt on the stake during 1669–77.

Address: Skrattnäsintie 353, 64100 Kristiinankaupunki
Open: in July Tue–Fri 13–18, Sat 12–16, Sun 13–18
Other times by agreement.
Contact details: +358 40 509 4733
Entrance fee: €2 per person

Find us online: gottorp.fi

Galleri Spectra

Galleri Spectra at Koulukatu 10 in Kristiinankaupunki is situated at a few minutes’ walk from the town square. The beautiful restored 19th century house is owned by the local art association Spectra. This is where both local artist and outsiders exhibit their work of art. The gallery can be rented by groups and individual artists. The beautiful rooms with old tiled stoves. wooden floors and log walls  are suitable for all kinds of  art.

If you wish to supervise your exhibition yourself there is also a room to stay overnight. The house provides two well equipped rooms for artists. Since 2018 Spectra has, in cooperation with the Jelema association, welcomed Artists in Residence in June and August. Artists from Japan, Canada, Australia have been very pleased with the working surroundings and found Kristiinankaupunki to be extremely inspiring. Further information about the Residence activities at kristinestadsresidency.org.

Address: Koulukatu 10, 64100 Kristiinankaupunki
Open: please see the Facebook-page for the current opening times and exhibitions
Contact details: +358 40 747 4606 (Tarja Boström), tarja.bostrom@gmail.com