Humans have a natural desire to collect. We collect photos, souvenirs and stamps. Many of us have our own miniature museum, some in a pretty display cabinet or a shelf in the garage, some in a shoebox. The difference between a private and public museum is that individual people collect things that are important to them and museums collect and display things that are important to the collective culture of the community and so help to reinforce the cultural identity of the community.

Local arts-and-crafts museums, which are maintained by either societies or communities, are an important part of the identity of the community. Their task is to collect, maintain and display the cultural heritage, the peasant buildings and artefacts of their area. The local arts-and-crafts museums and their collections of the Jämsä area tell the story of the predominantly rural area of Finland from the beginning of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century.

It is possible to offer private displays to be included in this section. If you have a collection you think might be of interest to the wider public, please contact us.