Gold panning and guided tour Wed & Fri at 14 in winter

Gold Museum’s new weekly program, Gold Prospector’s Starter Pack, introduces you to Lapland’s gold prospecting history and gold’s journey from stars to gold pan. On the tour, our guide will introduce you to the gold rush on the Ivalojoki River, the lives of gold prospectors, and lifechanging gold discoveries. In the Mineral exhibition, you will learn about the cosmic origins of gold, and at the end, you will get to pan for gold yourself at Gold Museum’s indoor pool. Found gold and gemstones are yours to keep!

The program takes place entirely indoors at Gold Museum, so you don’t need warm clothing or other equipment. The program includes a museum ticket, and you can explore the exhibitions independently before or after the program. The Gold Museum’s international exhibition Golden World is a round-the-world journey through the gold traditions of different eras and countries, and in the temporary exhibition Gold Prospectors’ Faces, you can learn about the stories of modern-day gold prospectors in Lapland.

Reservations must be made by 9:00 a.m. on the day of the event at info@kultamuseo.fi. When making your reservation, please indicate the date, number of people, and ticket types. Tickets reserved in advance must be redeemed no later than 15 minutes before the event. The program is open to the first 20 people to register.

A warm welcome to the Gold Museum!

Gold Prospector’s Starter Pack 15.10.2025-27.3.2026
Time: Wed & Fri at 2 p.m.
Location: Gold Museum. Departure from the information desk.
Includes: Museum ticket to all exhibitions at Gold Museum, short guided tour in English, gold panning and equipment rental, gold and gemstones you find.
Language: English
Group size: 2-20 persons
Duration: 1 hour
Price: EUR 30/adult, EUR 27/senior, student, EUR 20/child (7-16), EUR 12/child (under 7, charge for panning only)
Reservations: info@kultamuseo.fi

Gold Museum’s Summer 2025

The summer at Gold Museum is full of activity! Here’s a summary of the summer’s new and exciting programmes for the whole family.

In summer season 1.6.-30.9.2025 Gold Museum is open every day 10-17 (10 am – 5 pm)

Guided tours in English every Thu at 14.00 (2 pm)
Gold fever strikes! Short guided tours for the whole family dive into the stories of the golden lands of Lapland and the world. Guided tours are held in English on Thursdays and in Finnish on Tuesdays at 14.00. The tours are included in the price of the museum ticket and do not require advance booking. There is room for 20 people. The tours take place from 3 June to 28 August.

Summer café
In July museum visitors can enjoy delicious pastries in Torvisen maja pop up -café. There will be homemade pastries, snacks and, of course, coffee, tea and cocoa. Gluten-free and vegan products are also available!

Gold Museum Summer Café 25.6.-3.8.2025
Wed-Sun 10-17

Gold panning
Crown your visit to the museum panning for gold! In the gold panning lesson, you’ll get to try out the centuries old panning technique, and all the Lappish gold you find is yours to keep! Price 12 EUR/person + museum ticket. Please book at least 3 days in advance at www.kultamuseo.fi.

Temporary exhibition: Faces of Lapland’s Gold Prospecting
Is there still gold prospecting in Lapland? Yes, and the Gold Museum’s new temporary exhibition, The Faces of Lapland’s Gold Prospecting, showcases these connoisseurs and rookies who keep alive Lapland’s centuries-old gold culture. The exhibition is on display from 19 June 2025 to 8 May 2026. Included in the price of the museum ticket.

Warmly welcome to Gold Museum’s summer season!

Winter parking

Gold Museum’s two parking lots are also open in winter. The smaller car park, more commonly known as the winter car park, is located next to the museum building and is clearly waymarked. Disabled parking is located next to the door of the museum, and is accessed by following the signs for the winter car park. 200 metres from the museum’s front door is the larger car park, which also serves the Urho Kekkonen National Park. From the larger park there is a marked route to the museum. In addition, you can access the museum from the direction of our neighbours the Gold Village and the Restaurant Wanha Waskoolimies.

Share your Gold Memory

A time of golden memories!

Share here your best/most interesting/funniest memory related to gold, gold prospecting, Finnish goldfields or any other topic related to the Finnish gold heritage. The topic could be a reminiscence about a gold prospector veteran, a funny coincidence in the goldfields, the discovery of a nugget or even a memorable visit to the Gold Museum and/or an event in Tankavaara!           

You can use your own name or leave the story anonymously. By default, the stories will be treated anonymously. If you would like your name or nickname to be used with the Gold Story, please indicate the name in the space provided

Among those who left their contact information, we will draw 2 small round cut Lapland corundum and 5x 2 tickets to the Gold Museum. Tickets can be redeemed until the end of September 2024. The prize is transferable to another person. The draw will take place after the deadline and the winners will be contacted personally. The contact details will not be used for any other purpose and will be destroyed after the draw in accordance with the European Data Protection Regulation. 

Gold Memories will become part of the Finnish gold heritage, which can be used in the activities of the Gold Museum (e.g. publications and exhibitions).           

Share your Gold Memory here: https://forms.gle/Nms61mjt4sXmwqYg6

The deadline for responses is 30 September 2023.