Oulu Museum and Science Centre is renewing itself and preparing for the Capital of Culture year 2026

Oulu Museum and Science Centre is parting with the Luuppi brand. In the future, the museums will operate under their own brands, and the Oulu Museum and Science Center will act as the regional responsibility museum of Northern Ostrobothnia. The operating concepts of the museums will be renewed in the coming years – the first one that has been renewed is the brand of the Oulu Art Museum.

As the regional responsibility museum, Oulu Museum and Science Centre produces, records and displays northern science, art and history and promotes cooperation around these themes in its region. It handles official tasks and related expert services. Oulu Museum and Science Centre’s main tasks are organization of audience engagement, creating collections and nurturing cultural heritage and scientific capital.

Estrade for the museums

The museums of the Oulu Museum and Science Centre are Oulu Art Museum, Science Centre Tietomaa, Northern Ostrobothnia Museum, Kierikki Stone Age Centre and Turkansaari Outdoor Museum, as well as the specialty museums Oulunsalo Traditional Village Museum, Sailor’s Home Museum, Pateniemi Sawmill Museum and The Cellar of Oulu Castle. These museums provide access to knowledge, experiences and history, and they open doors to experiences that increase skills, understanding and pioneership.

In the coming years, the brands and operating concepts of the different museums will also be renewed in stages by 2026. Having their own brands gives the museums

the opportunity to create a deeper relationship with their own target groups, with their own message. The common desire is to ignite a love for northern science, art and history.

“The renewal implements the museum and science center's new strategy, and its purpose is to clarify the museums’ profiles and at the same time develop the whole of the Museum and Science Centre as an entity that builds completely new forms of cooperation”

Pekka Olsbo, Director of the Oulu Museum and Science Centre

Concrete steps towards the Capital of Culture year

Oulu Art Museum’s brand has been renewed first. The museum is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and has been given a new logo, visual look and communication style.

“We also want to highlight that art is ours: the art museum's collections are shared by our community, they belong to all the residents. We hope that everyone has the opportunity to experience art and we work to achieve this goal.”

Anna-Riikka Hirvonen, Director of audience engagement

In November, the renewed websites of the Oulu Museum and Science Centre and all museums will open.

Preparations for the Capital of Culture year also include building new: Oulu Museum and Science Centre’s new building will open in Myllytulli, in the area where Tietomaa is currently located. The building houses Tietomaa and the Northern Ostrobothnia Museum, as well as most of the staff of the Oulu Museum and Science Centre. Construction will begin in 2024.

More information

Pekka Olsbo Director of the Oulu Museum and Science Centre, tel. 044 703 1341, e-mail: pekka.olsbo@ouka.fi