The Karhulahti Museum is located approximately 4 km from downtown Joroinen,
along the road leading to Kerissalonsaari. The museum is comprised of the main
building from 1829, the cottage Rauhala, a storehouse-shed-sauna building, a
3-part row of storehouses, a barn from 1828 and a stable from the 18th
century, all of which are from the Karhulahti Farm, The main building is an
example of the type of manor characteristic of Eastern Finland, where a
1-storey building has a 2-storey section perpendicular to it. In addition, the
yard has a draw well and a handsome lilac “hut”. Slightly farther away from
the yard are the smoke sauna, a workshop, a drying barn and three other barns.
The museum is owned by the municipality of Joroinen, which purchased the
Karhulahti Farm in 1978. The farmyard was renovated and converted into a local
heritage museum in honour of the municipality’s 350-year anniversary.
Joroinen’s 4-H Club is responsible for the museum’s customer service as an
outsourced service of the municipality.
The Karhulahti Farm had already come into existence no later than the 16th
century. This wealthy farm had a number of different owners. In addition to
agriculture, the farm has been used for administrative official purposes. It
served as a house for the rural police chief at the beginning of the 19th
century. From 1802 to 1806, it served in Karhulahti as Joroinen’s first post
office.
The museum’s exhibition provides a versatile look at life on the farm. The
main building is decorated as if the people living it have only left their
work and gone outside for a little while. The common room has a lot of
different tools and implements, e.g., a loom and a large masonry oven for
baking. The décor of the drawing room consists of the elegant furniture that
was part of the furnishings in a wealthy house. In the back is the office of
the master of the house with its desk, typewriter and calculator. Upstairs is
an exhibition of maps from the 17th to 20th centuries that have Joroinen on
them.
Next door to the Karhulahti Open-Air Museum is a golf course, whose clubhouse
has a coffeeshop in it.
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