Historic public sauna at Amuri museum reopens after nearly 20 years

The Amuri museum quarter in central Tampere has reopened its historic-style public sauna for ten evenings from 27 May to 24 September after nearly 20 years out of use, the local paper Tamperelainen reports.

All public sessions sold out quickly and will be single-gender evenings, as the museum sauna lacks separate changing and washing facilities. A limited number of private bookings remain. Communications specialist Tähtitalvikki Poikajärvi said staff had expected some interest but were surprised at how fast the summer slots disappeared.

The sauna was built around the turn of the 1980s and 1990s to replace a dilapidated outbuilding. It was deliberately finished to resemble an early 20th-century bathhouse, using traditional materials and an intentionally unfinished feel.

Curator Mari Lind said the space closed around 2007 and required several years of work, with guidance from the rescue department and facilities services, to bring it back into use.

The pellet-heated system is largely automated. Staff perform a 4–5 hour base heating the day before and a 7–8 hour warm-up on the day. Museum lecturer Tuomo Salonen described this as a pilot summer to gather visitor feedback before deciding on future opening plans.