Rauma Old Town Hall closes for restoration from 1 March

Rauma’s Old Town Hall will close its doors for restoration on 1 March. The building is scheduled to reopen to the public in 2026, the 250th anniversary year of the Town Hall.

In addition to the restoration, a new building will be built in the backyard of the Town Hall, which will serve as break room for the musem staff and storage. Public toilets will also be added to the new building.

– The functionality of the Town Hall will change after the restoration. In addition to the museum’s main exhibition, the building will house a world heritage information centre, a tourist information centre and a museum shop. Our aim is that the inner courtyard will also be open to the public after the restoration, says Risto Kupari, Director of Museum and Culture.

The restoration will also pay attention to the accessibility of the building. The renovation will include accessibility to the first floor of the Town Hall and the outdoor building in the backyard, which will also house temporary exhibitions and workshops.

The main architectural designer for the restoration is Freese & Schulman. The structural engineer is Lauri Mehto Oy. A project plan has been drawn up for the restoration, with a total estimated cost of EUR 2.7 million.

The restoration will take into account the history

Rauma Town Hall and the town halls of Porvoo and Hamina are the only surviving stone-built town halls of the 17th century in Finland. The Rauma Town Hall has been a museum since 1904.

The floor plan and the exterior of the building have been preserved in their original state after previous restorations.

– The restoration work carried out on the Town Hall has been restorative. The colours and materials used in the renovations have been based on research. The 1976 restoration restored the structures to their original appearance, says Kupari.

During the restoration of the Town Hall, the site can be explored through guided videos made by the museum on the City of Rauma’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/cityofrauma.

Kistupuad museum shop in Marela

The museum shop Kistupuad will move to temporary premises in the home museum of a shipowning family at Marela, Kauppakatu 24, during the restoration of the Town Hall. The museum shop will open on 1 March.

– Due to the reduction in space, we will have to reduce our selection. The museum’s own products and handmade lace will remain on sale, says museum clerk Sari Korjonen-Lahti.

Due to the move, there will be special offers in Kistupuad from 27 to 29 February. There will also be free admission to the Old Town Hall on the last day of opening on 29 February from 12 to 17.