siida

969JohnR

This is a small but very well thought out museum dedicated to informing visitors about the inhabitants of Lapland, both human and animal. The museum has both permanent and temporary exhibitions. When we visited there was a beautiful display of photos of birds. Also, the gift shop was nice.

Tim_and_Lisa72

i actually visited this museum a number of years ago and still have great memories. Beautifully laid out displays show how the original inhabitants conquered such a seemingly inhospitable area (I visited at the end of winter) and make you realise that, actually, the area is a paradise. If the cafe is serving the local salmon and potato soup, make time to try it. It was so good that I wrote to the chef and she sent me the recipe back in Australia by mail. Lucky I had a Finnish mate at the time to translate.

dorrt

Great place for someone who 'ld like to know something about Sami's culture and Lapland. There are dictionares and books in few languages - staff asked where are you from and which language you speak - maybe they'll prepare more books in more languages. Also visitors could watch movie about northern lights. In january 2015 there was exhibiotion with works of artist inspirated by Sami art, and photo gallery with beautiful photos taken in Lapland. Upstairs there is cafe, downstairs ther is a shop with books and souvenirs from Lapland. Really nice place to visit.

RupertE165

really interesting displays explains the lives and culture of the different Sami peoples plus Northern wildlife. great overviews plus detail for those who want it. smaller room on the historical context; large gall on the Sami way of life. not excluding the upheaval from the shift in the Russian border in 1945. we were here mid winter and spent a good two hours. would have liked to have seen outdoor museum in summer. very good restaurant. good gift shop. family friendly.

sukihehe

it's a partly paid museum which is worth for a visit when you're in Inari. It has lots of Sami culture and history display. The museum itself is beautiful and the shop is really good.

timok267

My family (2 adults, 2 teenagers, 1 child) visited the Siida museum. Everyone was enthusiastic after the visit. The museum offered a photo collection, a film about auroras, an exhibition on northern nature, another about sami people and their living customs and a temporary art collection. The teenagers commented about really understanding how the dark time is actually coming. Our youngest was eager to comment the video about how the sami made shoes with hay on it. I was interested about the history part of Lapland and the different sami tribes, We spent 2 hours at the museum.

TobiasUnterwegs

Are you interested in the Sami culture & lifestyle?Traditional & Modern?What happened to the first settlers some 10.000 years ago?How is society arranging itself with todays climate change?This museum offers answers for everyone. Simply the best Sami museum in the North of Scandinavia for me. If you have the chance to drop in, give it a go! This place will certainly surprise you.Have fun to dive into the rich cultural landscape of this indoor & outdoor museum on the shores of Inari lake.

201wendyt

My husband and I visited this museum Boxing Day 2014. There was so much of interest to see and spent more than 2½ hours there and could have spent longer. First there was a wonderful photographic display in one of the galleries - local photographer and his images of water - stunning photos. Then there were the main areas of the museum which had so much information on the spiritual and material culture of the Finnish Sámi with informative & interesting displays, photos, videos, a fascination time line - so much information in a fairly small place- I could go again and not read the same information twice. It gave a glimpse into the life of the indigenous people of the area. I had wondered what a wolverine looked like - and there was one there - stuffed. Coffee was good in the café / restaurant and we bought a couple of souvenirs in the gift shop. The only slight negative would be that the 5 - 10 minute slide show of the aurora lights looked a bit dated and could maybe do with an update. Other than that - we had had a very enjoyable visit & would recommend.

SteffenW267

Unique museum and good and affordable restaurant. They offer a lot of various information on Sami culture, nature and traditions from the past to our days. Good place for taking pictures and videos. There is also an information desk.

Cichosz8

My ancestors were Sami, so I probably enjoyed this more than most people. The museum is small and the gift shop is a little expensive, but I learned alot in the hour it took me to finnish (ha)...also, the reinder antler jewelry is all local made. Very cool

156LindaW

Siida is a very interesting museum that gives a lot of information on Sámi culture and about the natural cycles of Lapland. If you visit Inari, you definitely have to visit the museum, it gives you so much information about the history and culture of the Sámi and their surroundings. The museum also has a nice gift shop and the people there are very friendly. At Inari Tourist Information inside the museum building you can get maps and information about the town of Inari.

davidwI5439NC

Small, nice museum. Gives a bit of a taste of local cultures. If you have an hour and nothing to do, why not?

ChrisRaleigh

I'm not a huge fan of cultural museums, but this is really well done. You can budget 3 hours and leave with a solid knowledge of Sami history and culture. A definite must see if you are in Inari or Ivalo.

yeoukongw

Not worth for 10€! 1) The video of aurora play by the muzium is very boring n can easily watch in Youtube! They should play a video that show how the Aurora came from.2) not really introduce the Samí.3) should advice visitor to see the external display!4) shouldn't charge 1€ for non customer to use the toilet! (Very calculative). Should appreciate the people who visited Inari.

wanderness

This was one of the most artistically designed museums I've seen. To illustrate (no pun intended) the integral connection of the Sámi people to nature, one of the main exhibits has giant landscape photographs of the region by season lining the walls, and micro-displays of flora and fauna along the outer path (the photos reflect in the many glass panels to give context to the descriptions, it's really neat!). Siida has visual timelines of the Sámi, information about their traditions, history, and culture, and a gallery of contemporary Sámis' art (something for the art-lover as well as historian). Take at least 2 hours to visit. The tickets are reasonable, my one qualm is that the gift shop is pretty darn expensive. Add high Finnish prices to museum-controlled inflation, and you get pretty pricy. However, if you do make purchases, know that it goes towards great causes.