Main exhibition "North Star, Southern Cross"

Seafaring needs a ship, a seafarer and boating skills. There can be no seafaring without these things. People travel over the sea as part of their work, for fun, or because they have to. The sea has always been an important channel for the movement of people, goods and ideas. If it were not for seafaring, the world we live in now would be completely different. Winter shipping has been particularly important for the Finnish way of life.

The main exhibition"North Star, Southern Cross" is the view of the Maritime museum of Finland on the history and present of Finnish seafaring. We will highlight important topics concerning navigation, seafarers, ships, merchant shipping and travel. Although this exhibition is about the history of Finnish seafaring, it is good to keep in mind that seafaring is international by its very nature. Finnish ships have plied the seven seas, under both the North Star and the Southern Cross.

As an example, the extensive exhibition presents the wide spectrum and development of navigational instruments. Items recovered from underwater wrecks like the St. Mikael which sank in 1747 tell a fascinating tale of life at sea in the past − and of life in general. The magnificent 7.5-metre scale model, in turn, brings to life the passenger ship s/s Arcturus with its dramatic phases.

Winter navigation and ice are also covered in the main exhibition. The large wall of ice reminds the visitors of the wintry conditions of Finland and of the huge change that icebreakers brought to Finnish seafaring. You can also learn about the maritime past and present by using your senses and doing things yourself. In the exhibition, you can smell tar, learn the parts of a barque, and try lifting an achor.