Museums

Kemi is considered a pioneer with regard to its museum facilities for many reasons.  

Museums started appearing in Kemi as early as at the end of the 19th century and Lapland’s first art museum was established in Kemi in 1947. The idea for creating a regional art museum was conceived at the beginning of the 1970s. 

Over the years, Kemi’s museums have boldly presented various art and cultural phenomena. The exhibition hall of the town’s Art Museum has held exhibitions on a range of things from UFOs to Picasso’s and Palsa’s works, while the local historical museum has held exhibitions on Elvis and Barbie, as well as the local vicar Rungius, brought to life in virtual reality. 

Kemi Art Museum and Kemi Historical Museum are located in the same building, Kemi Cultural Centre, and both have free entry. The museums are accessible for persons with reduced mobility. 

There is a smoke hut in the Museum Area of Meripuisto in Kemi that is open to the public in the summer. The Hairdressers’ Museum and the Workers’ Museum, located in the Marttala museum area, are open upon request.