Siida - Sami Museum and Nature Center

Siida - Sami Museum and Nature Center

Siida - Sami Museum and Nature Center
4.5
09:00 - 18:00
Monday
09:00 - 18:00
Tuesday
09:00 - 18:00
Wednesday
09:00 - 18:00
Thursday
09:00 - 18:00
Friday
09:00 - 18:00
Saturday
09:00 - 18:00
Sunday
09:00 - 18:00
About
Siida is your guide to the Sámi Culture and the diverse nature of Northern Lapland. The joint exhibition by the Sámi Museum and the Northern Lapland Nature Centre Siida, Enâmeh láá mii párnááh – “These lands are our children” was opened for public on 1.6.2022. It explains and interprets the layers of the landscape through the Sámi concept of cultural environment. According to it, nature and culture are closely linked. The landscape around us is also formed over millions of years from an entity shaped by nature. At the open-air museum there is 50 buildings and structures, which are grouped by their cultural area and their intended use. The open-air museum is open year round. The museum shop Siida Shop and Nature Centre's customer service and Tourist information are serving on the ground floor of Siida. Restaurant Sarrit serves customers in the new restaurant wing.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • 701David
    Fitzroy, Australia996 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent Presentation
    Sometimes these indigenous/ cultural presentations are tired and dated but this Centre is an excellent showpiece of the Sami culture and importantly the relationship and love for the natural environment, something many in the "developed" world continue to neglect. The displays are professionally executed, informative and very interesting. This is a benchmark and well worth a visit for adults and the young. Highly recommended.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 30 December 2023
  • Tordis B
    6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing Sami Museum, a must visit
    This museum is amazing and offers a deep insight into Sami culture and history, taking you back to the iron and bronze ages with its archeological displays. It has huge screens telling the history of the area and interactive audio. Other rooms focus on fauna and flora, animals, local traditions, food, costumes and various tools and utensils. It has a nice cafe where you can relax, enjoy a cuppa and a meal before you head out to the outdoor section, which was much larger than expected. Apart from the traditional housing, the walking trails take you through beautiful forrest with little out houses and various animal traps, used by the Sami used to trap bear, wolves, wolverines, fox etc. There are also WW2 history and evidence of the fighting between the Russians and Finish. Fascinating place, make sure you have at least half a day for a good look around. Lake Inari cruises leave from next to the museum.
    Thank you for the kind review!
    Written 1 February 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 4 January 2024
  • Jacqueline F
    Sydney, Australia58 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Thoroughly enjoyed the museum
    We thoroughly enjoyed visiting the museum; it isn’t large, but full of interesting artifacts, displayed in a clear and engaging way. The large photographs are wonderful and it was great to explore the outdoor buildings. Highly recommend visiting the museum!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 31 March 2024
  • Erin L
    155 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Family trip to Finland
    We had an amazing guide at Siida who told us so many personal stories that really helped everyone relate and learn about the Sami people and their history. The museum has a great open air part as well as some wonderful interactive exhibits indoors as well. Highly recommend!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 1 April 2024
  • Mary J
    Woking, United Kingdom37 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth a visit. Very informative and interesting
    Excellent museum. It was very interesting and informative about the Sami people and their lifestyle, the ice ages and climate changes. It was a well laid out museum easy to follow. There is also an outdoor museum with examples of houses. You will need a few hours to visit and appreciate
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 9 June 2024
  • 22gonnie
    Rotterdam, The Netherlands110 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth a visit
    Very interesting and modern museum which provides you with much useful information about the Sami in several languages. Very clean inside the museum and the shop. Unfortunately I didn't have time to look outside. Beautiful photos on the walls of the museum.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 30 June 2024
  • Joan K
    Wyncote, Pennsylvania456 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Extraordinary museum
    I had come to Lapland because of my interest in the Sami culture.. This museum is simply extraordinary to immerse you in the Sami culture and the geography of this stunning region. The museum is curated in a very scholarly way and all the exhibits are simply magnificent. Congratulations!
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 3 July 2024
  • azbestowa
    Katrineholm, Sweden131 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Absolutely a must-visit for anybody passing by
    Older teenagers were very engaged in everything in the exhibition. Very informative visit, opens eyes to the culture in a way that is easy to understand for totally unaware/ignorant visitors. The open air museum was very interesting too, especially the traps from different animals!
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 25 July 2024
  • kay186370
    Reykjavik, Iceland133 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This museum has won top European awards - and deservedly so.
    My day was filled with incredible information and the cultural richness of the region from start to finish. From the formation and development of the nature and climate within the area, to the adaptation of the Sámi people here since the Stone Age, to the family links that are literally interwoven in the traditional costumes of the people. Beliefs and lifestyles were heavily emphasised, along with tools and the everyday implements and ways that made life possible. From winter places to summer fishing places, and Inari is a big fishing place, to the wonderful handicrafts producing items that were necessary, practical and beautiful. I learnt a lot, how there were eight seasons of the year, and august is summer/autumn or autumn summer, and the name for the month is the name of the soft coat that the reindeer have before they develop their winter coats. Names of places and things have meanings, associated with what happened/happens there, or the purpose or use of something or another. I loved the display of costumes that were made by one woman for variouss generations of her wider family, as well as others. She was an acknowledged expert seemstress, whose costume-making skills extended to boot making. There were items for personal adornment, beautiful and practical baby cribs that were also suitable for travelling and so much more. In the outdoor section their were travelling 'tents', boats, wooden homesteads and far more, all of this displayed in the place where artifacts, such as arrowheads and other items, going back to the Stone Age were found. The somewhat unpleasant story of what happened to the people, their language and beliefs when others came and took over was also told, along with their own battle for resurgence and the continuance of their language, culture and beliefs as they adapt to the modern world in the same way that they always adapted to the nature around them, but with their own voice being heard. I experienced great reverence as well as continuous fascination, and my memories of my day at the museum will be with me forever. What I have described here is just a little snapshot, and I would suggest allocating a whole day to fully appreciate the museum. There is a restaurant as well as rest areas.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 15 August 2024
  • chocolate123
    191 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Go to Inari just to see this museum!
    Absolutely amazing. Bring lots of time it is so much worth it. Take the weather into account as there is an outdoor section. However even if you do not want to go outdoors it is more than worth it. Lots of Touchscreeens in six different languages giving you heaps of information. I loved the beautiful photos of the eight seasons. Or the possibility to listen to various songs or the sound of native birds. If you struggle with standing any length af time there are folding chairs at the beginning you can borrow. The only criticism is the information screens about the development of the forest. It runs continuously through all six languages, i.e. if you only know one of them you wait a very long time. It would be nice if this could be interrupted and the language be chosen. It is worth while to come to Inari just because of this museum! If you are several days in Inari you might want to consider the annual ticket which is only double the normal entry price. There is so much to discover you might want to go back.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 24 August 2024
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traveladdict1964
Adelaide, Australia775 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
We had a private tour organised and we called to see if we can change the time and they said it was museum policy that booked time cannot be changed . So we ended up going to museum and looking around with guide then we were given quick intro that at 12 o'clock there was aurora show. So at 12 we made our way d own to watch show and we got there 12:02 But manager said we are late and cannot go in.but I saw a group of organised tour walk in and asked her how come she said because they are in a group . I was getting upset as it was not fair that for 2 minutes we could not enter. She became rude and said here in Finland people are on time stipulating that other countries are late . I found this place very unfriendly towards tourist and inflexible .
Written 4 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'm very sorry your visit wasn't what you had hoped for. The guided tours are booked for a specific time, as our guides a freelancers, and typically work another job as well, they are only here on the agreed time, this is why guided tour times cannot be changed. As for the aurora show, we don't let people in late, as this will interupt the movie experience of those who are already seated and watching the film. It is also a safety issue, to let people walk into a dark auditorium with stairs. We will take your feedback and discuss how we can improve our practises here. Again, I'm sorry you found our practises unflexible, we always try to think of the best for all our guests. With kind regards, Siida customer services (Taija)
Written 2 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

wondereyes
Bucharest, Romania2,588 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
Worth to spend here 2-3 hours at least to see sami people life. The museum is presenting different aspects of sami life: houses, wild life, birds, plants, animals, spiritual life, clothes. You can find a lot of informations.
Written 21 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kay186370
Reykjavik, Iceland133 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Solo
My day was filled with incredible information and the cultural richness of the region from start to finish. From the formation and development of the nature and climate within the area, to the adaptation of the Sámi people here since the Stone Age, to the family links that are literally interwoven in the traditional costumes of the people. Beliefs and lifestyles were heavily emphasised, along with tools and the everyday implements and ways that made life possible. From winter places to summer fishing places, and Inari is a big fishing place, to the wonderful handicrafts producing items that were necessary, practical and beautiful.

I learnt a lot, how there were eight seasons of the year, and august is summer/autumn or autumn summer, and the name for the month is the name of the soft coat that the reindeer have before they develop their winter coats. Names of places and things have meanings, associated with what happened/happens there, or the purpose or use of something or another. I loved the display of costumes that were made by one woman for variouss generations of her wider family, as well as others. She was an acknowledged expert seemstress, whose costume-making skills extended to boot making.

There were items for personal adornment, beautiful and practical baby cribs that were also suitable for travelling and so much more. In the outdoor section their were travelling 'tents', boats, wooden homesteads and far more, all of this displayed in the place where artifacts, such as arrowheads and other items, going back to the Stone Age were found. The somewhat unpleasant story of what happened to the people, their language and beliefs when others came and took over was also told, along with their own battle for resurgence and the continuance of their language, culture and beliefs as they adapt to the modern world in the same way that they always adapted to the nature around them, but with their own voice being heard. I experienced great reverence as well as continuous fascination, and my memories of my day at the museum will be with me forever.

What I have described here is just a little snapshot, and I would suggest allocating a whole day to fully appreciate the museum. There is a restaurant as well as rest areas.
Written 15 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Meglena K
Helsinki, Finland29 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Family
Nice place and very interesting museum. Interesting facts about the life of Sami people. In the open air museum there are original houses of a Sami family that have been used till late 150's
Written 9 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ristosan
Espoo, Finland346 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Couples
This Sami museum is really fascinating with a wealth of detail of the nature of Lapland and the habits and history of the original population, the Sami. We learned so much. We also liked the temporary exhibitions presented.
Written 22 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tordis B
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Friends
This museum is amazing and offers a deep insight into Sami culture and history, taking you back to the iron and bronze ages with its archeological displays. It has huge screens telling the history of the area and interactive audio. Other rooms focus on fauna and flora, animals, local traditions, food, costumes and various tools and utensils. It has a nice cafe where you can relax, enjoy a cuppa and a meal before you head out to the outdoor section, which was much larger than expected. Apart from the traditional housing, the walking trails take you through beautiful forrest with little out houses and various animal traps, used by the Sami used to trap bear, wolves, wolverines, fox etc. There are also WW2 history and evidence of the fighting between the Russians and Finish. Fascinating place, make sure you have at least half a day for a good look around. Lake Inari cruises leave from next to the museum.
Written 4 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the kind review!
Written 1 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

SusaMasa
Helsinki, Finland434 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2020
Highly recommended. Well curated exhibition & informative about the saami culture. Dont' forget to visit the outside part of the museum with several old wooden buildings showing the way of living in the old days.
Written 12 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jaguarpaw_10
Nottingham, UK76 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Solo
This is a fantastic museum/experience of the Sami culture and the environment they live in. It’s so well presented in an engaging way using lots of different media. It’s really well maintained too. You won’t find any dusty old exhibits here! You could lose yourself in there for half a day easy. The building facilities are very good too with rest spaces and bag storage. Nice restaurant with good buffet lunch too
Written 29 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JariJK
Kouvola, Finland6,853 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
The new exhibition of Siida Museum was opened this spring. They have a huge interactive exhibition of the history and modern life of Sámi people, nature in Lapland and modern art.

They also have an open-air section. There is a walking path there which is almost 1 kilometer long. You see old Sámi houses, hunting traps and remains of dugouts, trenches and foxholes from the Continuation War. You may also try to throw suopunki (the lasso of Sámi people).

There is something for everybody in Siida. We were over three hours there. By the way, they have good lockers. So you can leave your bag there. Everything was perfect in Siida Museum!
Written 27 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Virginie J
7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
The museum is actually two museums-in-one for a low price. The outside museum takes you to old houses, storage units and tools that were used by the Sami many years ago. It gives you a view on how they really lived. The inside museum explains more in detail the history of the Sami, clothing and more recent activities. Plus, and absolutely amazing, the different birds and animals that live in the area. You can listen to the sound that the different birds make, it's really fun.
Written 12 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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SIIDA - SAMI MUSEUM AND NATURE CENTER: All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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