Arktikum shines a light on Sámi heritage and Arctic culture in the heart of Rovaniemi

Highlights

• Arktikum is a museum and science center in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland, exploring Arctic nature, Sámi culture and northern history.
• Visitors can learn about the northern lights through interactive exhibits, animation and scientific explanations.
• The landmark building features a 172-meter glass tunnel symbolically leading toward the Arctic.
• Permanent exhibitions include Northern Ways and Finland on the Coast of the Arctic Ocean, alongside rotating displays and short films.
• Family-friendly interactive spaces allow children to engage with Sámi culture and Arctic science.

A destination that brings the Arctic to life

For travelers fascinated by science, history and northern culture, Arktikum in Rovaniemi stands out as one of Lapland’s most important cultural destinations. Open throughout the year, the museum and science center brings visitors face-to-face with Arctic landscapes, wildlife, indigenous Sámi traditions and stories from communities who have shaped life in the far north.

Located close to the Arctic Circle, Arktikum has become a gateway for understanding a region often perceived only through its winter extremes. The museum presents the Arctic not as a remote idea, but as a living environment where people adapt, innovate and build identity around nature.

Arktikum museum and science centre in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finlandvisitrovaniemi

A landmark design facing the north

One of the first things visitors encounter is Arktikum’s striking 172-meter glass tunnel, appearing to cut directly into the hillside. Designed to point symbolically toward the Arctic, the structure becomes particularly dramatic in winter, when low sunlight streams through it, or in summer during the midnight sun.

For first-time travelers to Finnish Lapland, the tunnel offers an atmospheric introduction to the landscape beyond, an invitation to step into a world shaped by light, darkness, ice and open wilderness.

Exploring Sámi culture and northern history

Arktikum’s permanent exhibitions form the heart of the museum experience. Northern Ways explores the culture, lifestyle and history of Lapland, including the traditions of the Sámi, the only indigenous people of the European Union. Visitors can learn about reindeer herding, seasonal migrations, handicrafts, and contemporary indigenous identity.

Culture Pass to Arktikum, Korundi, Pilke in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland visitrovaniemi

The second major exhibition, Finland on the Coast of the Arctic Ocean, traces the history of the Petsamo region, which once connected Finland directly to the Arctic coast before territorial changes reshaped the map.

The museum also screens Arctic Seasons, a 10-minute panoramic film capturing the drama of northern weather, from deep winter darkness to sudden spring thaw and the glow of summer.

A closer look at the northern lights

The museum’s northern lights exhibit draws some of the most enthusiastic audiences. Through animation, scientific explanation and immersive storytelling, visitors can understand the forces that cause aurora displays and how communities have interpreted them over centuries.

For children, hands-on learning is woven throughout the space: they can experiment with aurora simulations on a giant screen, create digital snowflakes, handle real reindeer antlers and crawl into a replica Sámi dwelling.

For children, hands-on learning is woven throughout the spacevisitrovaniemi

A cultural experience for visitors of all ages

In addition to permanent collections, Arktikum hosts rotating art and photography exhibitions focused on Arctic themes. Its mix of research-based content and human storytelling has made it a favorite stop for travelers seeking more than sightseeing.

Arktikum offers a deeper understanding of a region defined by extremes, light and darkness, challenge and resilience, science and myth, and remains an essential part of exploring Rovaniemi.

For anyone with curiosity about life at the edge of the world, Arktikum is a chance to see the Arctic from the inside.