Juhani Aho Museum

Juhani Aho

Juhani Aho (1861–1921) was one of the first professional and national writers in Finland. During his 40-year-long career, he achieved 16 Nobel prize nominations in literature and influenced modern Finnish literature. The political writer and journalist did not shy away from controversies with his works. Juhani Aho witnessed the rapid development of Finnish society, including the development of railroads, phones and electricity, as well as the independence of Finland. In the main exhibition, you can delve into Juhani's childhood in the parsonage of Mansikkaniemi. In addition, there are temporary exhibitions and events during the summer.

The museum is located in the historical area of Koljonvirta, and it offers an unique combination of cultural history, history of literature and military history. During the Finnish War (1808–1809), the Battle of Koljonvirta was fought here, leaving a mark in Finnish military history. The Koljonvirta History Path brings you to the heat of the battle with old war remains along the way.

We offer standard and special tours by the museum curator.

 The museum curator's tours:

Standard

This tour is designed for international guests that would like to get a general idea of life in a 19^th century Finnish parsonage through the eyes of Juhani Aho. The tour focuses on the following themes: Juhani Aho's childhood, career, and hobbies, the parsonage of Iisalmi, Theodor Brofeldt, life in the 19^th century.

Special

Juhani Aho on Finland's road to independence. (45 min)

This tour is designed for international guests that are unfamiliar with Aho's works but are interested in Finnish history and its connections to European history. The tour focuses on the following themes: the Battle of Koljonvirta and the Finnish War, the parsonage of Iisalmi and the Finnish famine of 1866–68, Svecoman-Fennoman language strife, the Russification period and the resistance movement, universal suffrage and women's rights, Finnish independence and the civil war. All these themes are viewed from the perspective of a single person, the writer Juhani Aho.

Pricing and booking instructions:

You can book a guided tour for groups with minimum of 15 people. These guided tours cost €20 + entry tickets. The price for the group tickets is €2 / person for adult groups, and €1,5 / person for discount groups (see Tickets and admission fees). We accept card and cash payments at the museum. Billing is also available. Book the guided tour primarily by e-mail: juhaniahonmuseo(a)iisalmi.fi, or otherwise by phone: +358 40 489 4026. Please, tell us the following information:

• who is booking the tour
• the number of people in the group
• the time and the date of the guided tour (within our opening hours)
• whether you'd like our standard tour or the museum curator tour
• any other additional information regarding your booking