Moomin Museum

The Moomin Museum, known in Swedish as Muminmuseet and in Finnish as Muumimuseo, is a dedicated art museum situated in Tampere, Finland. Formerly called Moominvalley, the institution holds the primary collection of works related to the Moomins, the fictional characters created by Finnish Swedish artist and author Tove Jansson. Established in 1987, it was the first museum of its kind in the world upon its reopening in 2017. The museum's holdings encompass roughly 2,000 exhibits, including original Jansson illustrations, miniature tableaux, and a large-scale Moomin House model, making it a central institution for the preservation and display of Jansson's artistic legacy.

The museum first opened its doors to the public in 1987 in the basement of the Metso building, the city's main library. It remained at this location until the end of 2012, when it relocated to the basement of the Tampere Art Museum. During the transition, a small selection of Jansson's Moomin illustrations was temporarily exhibited at the Vapriikki Museum Centre. The museum, then known as Tampereen taidemuseon Muumilaakso, reopened in the art museum on January 2, 2013. In October 2016, the institution closed temporarily for another move, this time to Tampere Hall. Renamed the Moomin Museum, it officially opened in its new, modernized venue in June 2017.

The museum's collection comprises approximately 2,000 items centered on the Moomin universe and Tove Jansson's artistic output. Its core strengths include original illustrations from the Moomin books and detailed dioramas, or tableaux, that depict scenes from the stories. The collection also features 40 miniatures and spatial models that bring narrative moments to life. Beyond the visual artworks, the institution houses a Moomin Library offering Moomin books in numerous languages, alongside a Moomin Shop selling related gift items. An original Moominvalley multimedia presentation is also part of the display.

The centerpiece of the museum is the large, five-story Moomin House model, which stands 2.5 metres high. Built freely without blueprints by Tove Jansson, Tuulikki Pietilä, and Pentti Eistola in the late 1970s, the structure was originally intended to be round but was constructed with a square shape to fit a corner display at the 1979 Bratislava biennale of illustrations. Its ground floor was sketched by architect Reima Pietilä. The house toured the Nordic countries from 1980 to 1983 and was displayed at the Tampere Art Museum in 1986 before finding its permanent home. Photographs of this model serve as the illustrations for Jansson's final Moominvalley picture book, An Unwanted Guest. Another significant work is the bronze Moomin statue, also created by Tuulikki Pietilä.

Since 2016, the museum has been housed in Tampere Hall, located in the Sorsapuisto area of Tampere. The move to this venue provided a larger exhibition space and a more modern design compared to its previous basement locations. The bronze Moomin statue, which originally stood outside the Metso library building, was relocated to the new site alongside the museum collection. Prior to Tampere Hall, the institution occupied the basement of the Metso main library building from 1987 to 2012, and subsequently the basement of the Tampere Art Museum.

The Moomin Museum is located in Tampere Hall in the Tulli district of Tampere, Finland. It operates as a public museum dedicated to the works of Tove Jansson and the Moomins. Visitors have access to the permanent collection of illustrations, miniatures, and tableaux, as well as the Moomin House model. The museum facilities include the Moomin Library, where guests can read Moomin stories in various languages, and the Moomin Shop for purchasing gift items. The institution is accessible through its official website for further visitor information.