Exhibitions

The first floor of Rauma Maritime Museum holds the permanent exhibition, the temporary exhibition, the museum shop and the navigation simulator JENNY II. The showcases between the first and second floor display mini-exhibitions regarding interesting people or themes. The tower on the second floor has its own space for smaller exhibitions and art. 

Current museum exhibitions:

Permanent exhibition: The city of Rauma might not exist without the sea and the waterfront. The cultural maritime heritage of the region is presented in the Maritime Museum. The permanent exhibition displays not only the ships, stories and atmosphere of the sailing ship era, but also the lifestyle of seamen during that time. The former Nautical College building is the perfect place to tell about the history of maritime training in Rauma. Local shipbuilding, which has a history reaching back for at least five centuries, is also one of the themes present in the museum. 

The Raumanmeri exhibition was opened in December 2021. It focuses attention to sustainable use and protection of seas. Local action is the first step toward a greater change. The Bothnian Sea so familiar to us in Rauma is part of a large whole. The most common debris in waterways is plastic. The exhibition also tells the history of good and bad plastic.

THEMATIC EXHIBITION: MARINE TOWN RAUMA

The thematic exhibition, which celebrates maritime nostalgia, offers a diverse collection of examples that have been used to build and maintain the image of Rauma's maritime character – and its uniqueness. In addition to familiar themes, the exhibition offers fresh views of the maritime Rauma. On display is a love letter from the "land lugger" to the Bothnian Sea and a map of the favourite places of young people in Rauma on the Bothnian Sea or its shores. The exhibition celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Rauma Maritime Museum. The exhibition ends on the 20th of December 2025.

THE TOWER: THE ERA OF DRY BULK CARRIERS

Marika Lehtosalo 
July 5 - August 30, 2025

This exhibition opens a unique window into the world of merchant shipping in the 1960s and 70s, the working life of the dry bulk carrier era, and the experiences of seafarers and their loved ones. Historical photographs, home movies, and audio recordings of sailor stories combine to create a multi-sensory experience. Visitors can immerse themselves in the everyday life of merchant shipping from that period and experience what life was like for sailors and their families, both at sea and on land.

The exhibition is based on the unique archival material of Master Mariner Kari Lehtosalo (b. 1941) and his recorded collection of maritime slang. Lehtosalo graduated from the last Master Mariner class at the Rauma Maritime School in 1969 – in the very same building where this exhibition is now being held. 

The exhibition texts are only in Finnish.

VALKAMA HALL & STAIRWELL: WITH YOU ABROAD

The Finnish Seamen's Mission & Rauma Maritime Museum
July 5 - August 30, 2025

An exhibition celebrating 150 years of the Finnish Seamen's Mission's work will be held on the 2nd floor of the Maritime Museum. Originally aimed at seafarers, their activities have expanded to include work benefiting emigrants and expatriate Finns, among others. The exhibition also features Rauma's 95-year-old Seamen's Mission activities and the Syvärauma Seamen's Mission Circle.

The exhibition's material will also be published on the museum's Majakka guide website.

Photo above: In 2024, the Maritime Museum documented the activities of the Rauma Seamen's Mission over two days. The photo shows Siiri Suhonen, the Seamen's Mission's port chaplain, and a crew member from the vessel Amazoneborg during an engine room tour.