Things to do for the whole family at museums during Jyväskylä’s birthday week

On Sunday 22 March, entry to the Aalto2 Museum Centre, Jyväskylä Art Museum and the Craft Museum of Finland is free throughout the day. During the week, the museums will also offer a wide range of workshops, a guided tour into the Jyväskylä of olden times, and a lecture on silversmiths from Jyväskylä.

At the Craft Museum of Finland, visitors can dive into the captivating world of lace on Wednesday 18 March at 16.30 with a free guided tour of the exhibition Lace, Reinterpreted – Tarmo Thorström. On Children’s Workshop Thursday, 19 March from 14.00 to 18.00, visitors can join a guided workshop included in the admission fee and create decorative wire figures. Entry to the museum and events is free for those under 18. The guided tour is in Finnish, but the workshop is in both Finnish and English

In addition, admission to the Craft Museum of Finland is free on 20 March, when emeritu curator and author Erkki Fredrikson will give a lecture on the silver works of Gustaf Weckman at 14.00. The lecture is in Finnish. 

At Jyväskylä Art Museum on Thursday 19 March, a lecture by Jyväskylä-based visual artist Päivi Hintsanen titled Nine Little Colour Stories explores the colours that have travelled across artists’ palettes in a new way. The lecture is included in the admission fee, and entry is free for those under 24. The lecture is in Finnish. 

On Friday 20 March from 14.00 to 17.00, visitors can take part in the Art Museum’s open art workshop, where they can create art, paint and draw alone, with a friend, or with family, assisted by a peer instructor. Participation in the events is included in the admission fee. Free entry for those under 24. 

At the Craftmens' Houses on Toivola Old Courtyard, visitors can step into historical Jyväskylä during a guided tour on Friday 20 March at 16.30. How did Jyväskylä become a city, and what was life like in the early years of the city founded 189 years ago? The guided tour is in Finnish and includes visits to the Sparvin House, the Coppersmith’s House and the rarely open Carpenter’s House. The tour begins in front of the pink Coppersmith’s House in the lower courtyard of Toivola Old Courtyard. The free guided tour can accommodate 20 participants. Please remember to register in advance by 18 March: https://www.lyyti.in/yleisoopastus

At the Aalto2 Museum Centre, visitors can take part in self-guided workshop activities. The exhibition Exploring Central Finland introduces the fascinating early stages of the City of Jyväskylä, including an inventive comic by Ina Majaniemi. In the Central Finland Museum’s activity space Nappula, visitors can create their own comic about the founding of the city. Do you know why the city of Jyväskylä was originally founded and who its first residents were? This self-guided workshop for all ages is located on the second floor of the museum from Friday to Sunday, 20–22 March, from 11.00 to 18.00.

In the workshop space Kulma at the Alvar Aalto Museum, visitors can independently build a collaborative artwork titled Children’s City. The workshop space provides simple instructions, tools and materials to help you get started. Design and compose your own house within the ready-made landscape. Which colours work well together, and what playful details will emerge from your pencil? Once your house is finished, add it to the hillside city and take a photo of the complete scene.

On Friday and Saturday, the self-guided workshops are included in the admission fee to the Aalto2 Museum Centre. On Sunday 22 March, the birthday of the City of Jyväskylä, entry to the entire museum centre is free.

Craft Museum of Finland
Kauppakatu 25, Jyväskylä
Open Tue–Sun 11.00–18.00
craftmuseum.fi

Jyväskylä Art Museum
Kauppakatu 23, Jyväskylä
Open Tue–Sun 11.00–18.00
jyvaskyla.fi/taidemuseo

Craftsmen’s Museum and Museum Shop Sparvin
Toivola Old Courtyard, Cygnaeuksenkatu 2
Check opening hours on the website. Free admission!
jyvaskyla.fi/keskisuomenmuseo/kasityolaismuseo

Aalto2 Museum Centre
Alvar Aallon katu 7, Jyväskylä
Open Tue–Sun 11.00–18.00
aalto2.museum