The Virtasalmi Museum and Virtasalmi Heritage Park

The Virtasalmi Museum is located in downtown Virtasalmi in the parish hall across from the church. The ruddled building was completed in 1913, when the local banks opened their branches there. Church services were held in the building in winter until a heating system was installed in the church in 1926. Schoolchildren whose families lived far away also lived in the building.

The Virtasalmi local heritage organisation founded the museum in 1956. It first operated in the barn located in the farmyard of the Virtasalmi farmer’s association. The museum was later acquired by the Virtasalmi municipality, and it has been located in the old municipal hall since 1983.

The museum has material on the livelihoods of Virtasalmi’s residents and the town’s municipal life; for example, the school exhibition is diverse and illustrative. The museum is owned by the city of Pieksämäki. Virtasalmen käsityöläiset ry, which has its own shop in the same building, is responsible for its opening hours.

The museum grounds are also home to the Virtasalmi Heritage Park, which has miniature versions of 5 sets of buildings from Virtasalmi that have been destroyed in part or in full. The park also has traditional garden plants.