Milavida's 'Christmas at the Palace' brings 19th-century Tampere holiday traditions to life
Milavida’s ‘Christmas at the Palace’ runs 17 November–10 January and recreates 19th-century festive life with guided tours, traditional decorations and a nostalgically lit park path between Tallipiha and Milavida.
The exhibition runs from 17 November 2026 to 10 January 2027, the City of Tampere said.
The display and guided tours recreate 19th-century festive life, showing what Christmas food, decorations and gifts looked like in wealthy homes such as the von Nottbeck family.
Visitors can follow a nostalgically lit park path between Tallipiha and Milavida. A forest of carved bears, deer, foxes, hares and birds lines the route, celebrating a forest-style holiday. The installation stays lit until 14 February as part of the Tampere Festival of Light.
The museum's events calendar includes jazz nights, medieval carols and film screenings. Saturday workshops called Nostalgia and Sparkle let participants make traditional paper cones and tissue flowers. The museum hosts a Christmas market on 20 December and a sing-along with Duo Ajaton on 21 December. The museum shop and Café Milavida offer gifts and seasonal bakes.
Opening hours are Tue–Sun 11:00–18:00 during the run. A few holiday closures and shortened days are listed on the museum website.
Earlier in the year, the museum marked Näsilinna’s 1918 battle with a themed day that included guided tours and short film screenings.
Earlier coverage
Catch the full story over at City of Tampere
