Kihniö Museum

Owned by the municipality of Kihniö, Esinemuseo was established in 1945 into the parish granary next to the church. The building was completed in 1921, and the site is protected by the Finnish Heritage Agency. The museum collection is primarily comprised of items acquired by merchant Tarmo Markkula. Markkula collected the items on his travels as a machine representative, starting in the 1930s.

The collection includes more than 2 000 items. While most of the items come from the surrounding regions of Pirkanmaa and Satakunta, the collection also includes items from elsewhere in Finland and from outside the country. The collection reflects the historical development of the region from the stone age to present day. While the collection is primarily comprised of items pertaining to the culture of hunting, fishing, and other wilderness pursuits, there are some surprising items as well, such as the hide of an armadillo and a blowfish.

The yard of the museum features the Sampo monument, which was revealed during the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Kalevala in 1985. The monument is comprised of a rock to which a message in the spirit of Kalevala has been carved by the municipality, and a smaller rock brought to the site from Myllynkivisalo. The rocks were provided by Pohjois-Kihniön Maamiesseura. The monument project was headed by Tarmo Markkula, who found numerous similarities between the history of Kihniö and Kalevala.

The grounds of the museum also feature a statue of Jaakko Juhana Roth, which was erected in 1958 as recognition of his deeds during the Finnish War. Roth was born in Hietanen in Kihniö. The statue was designed by Tarmo Markkula.

The local education and culture department is responsible for the museum. Kihniön Esinemuseo is open in the summertime as notified separately and based on requests at other times.