Finnish Folk Art Museum, Kunstmuseum in den Vereinigten Staaten
The Finnish Folk Art Museum is located in Pasadena and housed in a former garage building from the early 1900s, built in Swiss chalet style with wooden exterior. The small museum displays handcrafted objects, primarily from the Pohjanmaa region of western Finland, including woodwork, textiles, and household items from the 1800s.
The building was originally constructed by Frederick Roehrig for Arthur Fleming's estate and acquired in 1949 by George Paloheimo, the Finnish consul for the southwestern US. After being converted into a sauna and guest house, it became a museum in 1974 to preserve how Finnish farm families lived in the 1800s.
The name Tupa refers to a traditional Finnish farmhouse, and this concept shapes how the space is arranged and experienced. The main room displays furniture and objects typical of how Finnish farm families lived together in one multipurpose space, showing the close relationship between family, cooking, and rest.
The museum is located on Walnut Street and is typically open for visits on certain days around noon, with tours lasting about half an hour. Docents from the Pasadena Museum of History guide visitors through the space and explain the artifacts and building history.
The museum contains a traditional Finnish sauna room that George Paloheimo, the original buyer, installed as a core part of Finnish culture. The sauna served not simply as a bathing space but as a social gathering area, revealing the deep importance of this element to Finnish identity.
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