Sep 3, 20184 min read

Grand opening of the World's only Moomin Museum

Updated: Sep 28, 2018

Moomin Museum was opened in Tampere on June 17th 2017, and my childhood friend Maria and me attended the grand opening at Tampere Hall. Before 2017 museum was known as Tampere Art Museum Moominvalley (Tampereen taidemuseon Muumilaakso), it had opened for the audience first time in 1987.

At the grand opening of the new Moomin Museum the hustle with all families, children and tourists amazed us who had enjoyed our Moomins when we were little through Japanese-Dutch animation Delightful Moomin Family (I Mumindalen/Muumilaakson tarinoita/Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka), broadcasted during 1990-1992, books and visit or two to the Moomin World in Naantali, which we don´t remember to having that many people. Sorsapuisto park nearby was crowded with families, and the weather was luckily really nice to spend time outside. On the opening day there was also a possibility to see a Moomin puppet show by the puppet theatre Sytkyt and Sophia Jansson, Tove Janssons niece, was also there for questions and comments from the visitors and media. Tampere Hall was full of music and dance, and everyone seemed to be enjoying their time.

Visitors can wander around the museum for four hours with an entrance ticket. When entering the museum area, one can watch a documentary about Tove Jansson’s life from a screen, and kids can find their seats on dandelion stools. There is no need for smartphone Muumin Museum application, although there is one – in the lobby you can also pick up a book of the exhibition in different languages.

In Moomin Museums permanent exhibition 'What happens next?' different parts of the museum are dedicated to Moomin tales Tove Jansson created after the war from 1940s onwards. Permanent exhibition includes all Moomin tales starting from the first Moomin book, The Moomins and The Great Flood (Småtrollen och den stora översvämningen 1945/Muumit ja Suuri tuhotulva 1991, first published in English in 2005) and ending with the last Moomin book Moominvalley in November (Sent i november 1970/Muumilaakson marraskuu 1970, published in English in 1971). During the years 1976-1990 Tove Jansson's life partner, Tuulikki Pietilä, made about forty Moomin-related miniatures which all are now part of the Moomin Museum collection. I found my favourite in the part of the museum dedicated to the book Who Will Comfort Toffle? (Vem ska trösta Knyttet? 1960/Kuka lohduttaisi Nyytiä? 1960), published in 1960, where Toffle and Toffle's friend are sitting on a giant seashell. The miniature, Suuri simpukka (Giant Shell), was made in 1978 by Tuulikki Pietilä.

Probably the most impressive miniature which is also the main attraction of the museum is the Moomin House, located on the ground floor of the museum. The Moomin House masterpiece is a collaborative effort by Tuulikki Pietilä, doctor Pentti Eistola, architect Reima Pietilä and Tove Jansson. Visitors are able peek inside different rooms (including food cellar) of the big blue house with miniature Moomintrolls and their day-to-day life. Another Moomin House miniature can be found on the top floor of the museum. Another main attraction of the museum is Taikurin hattu (The Magician's Hat) which is also to be found on the top floor where at least four people can play a shadow game.

Throughout the museum visitors can find the illustrations of the Moomin tales by Tove Jansson and discover her skills as an artist besides her storytelling. Exhibition is organized so that visitors can find snowy atmosphere, original book illustrations e.g. Moominland Midwinter (1957/Trollvinter 1957/Taikatalvi 1958) by Tove Jansson and miniatures depicting the tale by Tuulikki Pietilä all at the same place. On the ground floor visitors can also discover how Hattifatteners (Hattivatit) are getting their energy from a thunder storm. There is also The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My (1953/Hur gick det den? Boken om Mymlan, Mumintrollet och Lilla My 1952/Kuinkas sitten kävikään? Kirja Mymmelistä, muumipeikosta ja Pikku Myystä 1952) attached to the wall and of course the ship in which Moominpappa was sailing the seas on his adventures.

All the miniatures Tuulikki Pietilä crafted are accompanied by audio readings which museum visitors can listen to in Finnish, Swedish, English, Russian or Japanese from the speakers. Stories in Swedish language are read by Tove Jansson herself. Stylized meteor attached to the ceiling accompanies visitors out from the ground floor of the museum back to the real world from the world of Moomins.

In connection with the Moomin Museum there is a little museum shop by the entrance of Tampere hall where one can purchase Moomin books in Finnish, Swedish or English, Moomin miniatures, doll house furniture and all other kinds of Moomin-themed souvenirs to take home or to friends – like Moomin chocolate with coconut or lime, my choice for the day. Museum shop is definitely worth checking out, if you are visiting the museum.

Besides the fact that the new Moomin Museum is open in Tampere, there are other good news for Moomin fans. Things are happening at the moment in the animation business - new Moomin animation, Moominvalley, is being created by Gutsy Animations and will be ready for us soon to enjoy a new adaptation of the beloved stories of Tove Jansson also in 21st century.