Welcome to the Haapajärvi Society webpages! www.haapajarviseura.fi

The Haapajärvi Society is an organisation consisting of more than 100 permanent members led by a council of ten. A council member´s term limit is three years. Veijo Tikanmäki is the elected council chairperson at this moment.

The Haapajärvi Society is also the publisher and financial sponsor of Maaselkä, the local newspaper of the Haapajärvi-Reisjärvi region.

Furthermore, the society activities are developed by three committees; the financial committee and the committees for cultural heritage and environmental work. The society has also for a long period of time gathered an archive of local heritage information.

Contact info:

The council office is situated in the centre of Haapajärvi , at the address Puistokatu 37. The premises are shared with the aforementioned newspaper Maaselkä +358 20 772 7500

Welcome to Haapajärvi old homestead museum!

The storehouse

The grain storehouse of Haapajärvi rural district was built in 1835. In years of crop failure, seeds were lended from the storehouse. The loan was to be paid back with interest after the harvest.
The storehouse was altered into a museum in 1963, still standing its original location in the town. The building was moved to its present location in 1978.
Haapajärvi´s earliest history is on display on the ground floor. In addition, there is an exhibition of rural lifestyle including a carpenter`s cabin, a blacksmith´s forge and agricultural items ranging from harvesting tools to dairyfarming utilities. The printing exhibition is related to the local newspaper´s history.
Going upstairs, objects from the agricultural school and old tools of a cattle inspector are encountered on the landing.
In addition to the changing exhibitions, a large part of the top floor is dedicated to the Haapajärvi parish, displaying old items from the town´s church.
The 1940´s grocery store tells the tale of wartime rationing. Shops were sparsely supplied and because of a general lack of materials, some products were made of paper. The museum´s sanitation exhibition displays objects from the old hospital, pharmacy and dental clinic.
The trophy collection of racing cyclist Juho Jaakonaho tells of a succesful sports career. Among other racing events, Jaakonaho took part in the Stockholm Olympic Games of 1912. Finally, the town´s handicraft professions are represented by the tools equipment of the shoemaker and the tailor.

The woodcutter´s cabin

The woodcutter´s cabin from Hautakangas shows how woodworkers lived and worked, and how logs were transported into the 1950´s.

Life in a farmhouse

The sauna was usually built outside of the farmyard, due to fire hazard. Whenever possible, the sauna was located close to a creek or lake. The “smoke-sauna” of the museum was typical for Haapajärvi all the way to the 1940´s.
The enclosed farmyard is typical for the region. Typical is also the divided barn, with one compartment for livestock with a separate place where water for the cattle and laundry could be boiled. The other part of the barn consisted of hayloft, stables and grain depository. In these areas related objects are on display. The farmhouse shows what life was like in the 1930´s.

The wartime korsu

The present-day museum is located on the former site of the 13th Infantry Training Centre, which was in operation during the war years 1941-44. In 1986, the war veterans build a reconstruction of a korsu, the typical accommodation of the Finnish front soldier, with a corresponding approach trench.

The Local Heritage Museum is situated at Paltaaninkatu 22 (by the Oulu road).

The museum is open from the beginning of June until the end of August on Sundays 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Starting from July, museum will also be open Tuesdays 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Other arrangements can be made. Please contact us for info. Free admission.

Contact info: Maaselkä newspaper +358 20 772 7500.