Imatra town museum

Imatra Town Museum was founded in 1981. It is located on the 1st floor of the Culture House Virta next to Imatra Art Museum. The Town Museum also includes the Industrial Workers’ Housing Museum, which is open during the summer months.

The museum exhibitions present the various phases of the Imatra region and Jääski district including the industrialization phase and its effects on the area. The museum also introduces the history of tourism in Imatra, which has been greatly influenced by the town’s proximity to the Finnish-Russian border and to the River Vuoksi.

The museum’s photographic collection is especially remarkable. The oldest glass negatives date back to the late 19th century. In total, the collection includes 285 000 photographs. The town museum’s photo archive and information service are available to anyone who wants to access photographs and information relating to the history of Imatra.

Aune Paarma’s salt and pepper shaker collection

A part of Aune Paarma’s (1916-2013) extensive salt and pepper shaker collection is on display in the exhibition space in the downstairs lobby of the museum building. The collection includes nearly 4000 shakers from dozens of countries. Paarma compiled her unique collection, which is believed to be among the largest in the world, as a hobby between the early 1950s and 2000s.