Gold Museum

The Tankavaara Gold Museum is dedicated to the history and culture of gold prospecting. This is the only international museum in the world focused on gold, showcasing both the local traditions of Lapland and stories from famous gold rushes around the globe. It was in Tankavaara that gold was first discovered in Lapland in the 1930s.

With the help of our guide Rosa, we explored exhibitions that told two intertwined stories: the tale of Lapland’s own gold seekers and the broader global history of gold prospecting.

The “Golden World” section highlighted gold rushes from more than 20 countries, featuring scale models, artifacts, and interactive displays. The museum also featured one of the most extensive mineral collections in Finland, containing thousands of stones, gems, and samples from across the world.

This is a quick video of some portions of the museum:

Beyond the main building, an outdoor area featured traditional gold-panning equipment and prospectors’ huts. (We did not try our hand at gold panning since we already found our gold flakes on our Alaska trip @ 24 years ago!)

This museum was both fascinating and unexpectedly fun… history, adventure, and a touch of whimsy!