The Heritage Area of Kuokkala
Description
Kuokkala Museum Lane is located near the Kuokkalankoski rapids, about three kilometers from the center of Lempäälä, Finland. The museum area is jointly maintained by the municipality of Lempäälä and the Lempäälä-Seura association. The first museums opened in 1981, and today there are seven museums in total. A unique feature of the area is that the shop museum is housed in a former village store, and the blacksmith museum is located in an authentic smithy. The museum lane also includes a barber and hairdresser museum, a war veterans’ heritage room, and the traditional smoke cottage of Kustaa Puskema. The area also hosts the Sakkola Museum, maintained by the Sakkola Foundation.
Both Kuokkala Museum Lane and the Sakkola Museum are part of the "Museoraitti" network, which connects Finnish museums with an agricultural theme. The network includes private, association-run, and professional museums. What unites the members is a focus on agricultural artifacts and a desire to share knowledge and experiences with others in the same field. The network is coordinated by the Finnish Agricultural Museum Sarka. Kuokkala Museum Lane is also participating in a regional museum project for 2024–25, which involves several municipalities and is led by the Pirkanmaa Provincial Museum.
The museums can only be visited with a guided tour, which is recommended to be booked in advance. However, the shop museum may be visited without a guide if the guides are not currently leading a tour. Books related to the history of Lempäälä, as well as traditional Finnish treats like nekkus (syrup lollipops) and juice, are available for purchase.