In the summer of 2025, I worked as a museum intern at the Turkansaari Outdoor Museum. I study History of Science and Ideas at the University of Oulu, and the internship was part of my elective studies. I had already worked at Turkansaari last summer, so it was nice to return to a familiar place to work. Even though it was a very warm summer, it was still nice to spend it in Turkansaari.
My work varied, and no two days were exactly the same during my period of work. The only recurring daily routines consisted of closing the museum and feeding and scratching the animals. I particularly enjoyed the latter. Another memorable task was the heating of the furnace in Yli-Juurus, which I was able to do for several days. While heating the furnace, I was able to read ghost stories, from which I searched for suitable ones to tell the public at the Autumn event. The old house in Yli-Juurus had a great atmosphere for this job, with the fire crackling in the oven.
Yli-Juurus House is located in the Siikasaari section of Turkansaari, which is my personal favourite because of its forest theme. It was a great pleasure to return to work and discover that a new exhibition had opened in the Parttuainen area about forest working horses. I am personally interested in forest and environmental history themes, so I was able to work mostly in the Siikasaari area during my internship. Among other things, I was able to write new exhibition texts and act as a tour guide in the Parttuainen area. While there, it was particularly rewarding to talk to different people while being a guide. I learned a lot of new things myself and heard some interesting stories.
This year was special and significant for Turkansaari as the museum celebrated its 100th anniversary. It was also meaningful for me to be involved in the events of the celebratory year and to participate as part of the staff in the organization of several events. I enjoyed seeing how many visitors found joy in their museum visit—it was even one of the highlights of their summer. It felt meaningful to contribute and help make each visit special in my own way. My internship at Turkansaari went by quickly, just like summer usually does. Still, it was a great experience, and with that, I feel well prepared to graduate as a Master of philosophy.
Sampo over and out.
Writer: Sampo Taipale, museum intern
