Celebrate Foundation Day on 1 October

The Åbo Akademi University Foundation will mark European Foundation Day on 1 October 2026 by offering free admission to the Sibelius Museum and the museum Ett Hem in Turku, as well as the artist’s home Casa Haartman in Naantali.

Foundation Day is celebrated annually on 1 October across Europe. Its purpose is to highlight the public benefit work carried out by foundations. This year, the Åbo Akademi University Foundation is participating in the celebration by offering visitors free admission to the Sibelius Museum, the museum Ett Hem, and Casa Haartman.

About Our Museums

At the Sibelius Museum, located at Piispankatu 17 in Turku, visitors can commemorate the centenary of Otto Andersson’s (1879–1969) appointment as the first professor of musicology and folklore studies at Åbo Akademi University. From this moment on, the collections of musical history and cultural research archives of Åbo Akademi University began to take shape. In 1949, the collections of musical history were given the name Sibelius Museum.

Visitors can explore several exhibitions, including:

• 100 Years of Musical Traces
• Hundred Years of Scholarly Creativity
• The Instrument Exhibition
• The Sibelius Exhibition

The museum Ett Hem is a charming bourgeois home from the turn of the 20th century, located in the historic surroundings of Turku. This home museum, once the residence of Consul Alfred Jacobsson and his wife Hélène, is housed in a beautifully preserved building on Piispankatu, next to Turku Cathedral. The museum is furnished in the style of its era, featuring furniture, art, and textiles collected by the Jacobsson couple.

Casa Haartman was the home and studio of artist Axel Haartman (1877–1969) and his wife Hedvig Haartman (1874–1967). The house was designed by Finnish architect Erik Bryggman in 1925, in the Nordic Classicist style. Axel Haartman was a highly versatile artist and cultural figure. The home has been preserved with the Haartmans’ original furnishings and is adorned with works by Axel Haartman, as well as by other artists, including Fanny Churberg, Victor Westerholm, and Wäinö Aaltonen.

This year, Casa Haartman, also known as Villa Haartman or Hedvig’s Home, celebrates its 100th anniversary. To mark the milestone, the museum is hosting a free lecture series open to all. The lecture series will conclude on Foundation Day, 1 October, at 18:00 at Naantalin lukio (Vadstenanpolku 4, Naantali). The speaker, Panu Savolainen, will examine the role of Casa Haartman within Naantali’s urban architecture.

Museum Opening Hours on Foundation Day

Sibelius Museum – A house full of music
Piispankatu 17, Turku
Opening hours on 1 October: 11:00–18:00
Sibeliusmuseum.fi

The Museum Ett Hem – A charming 20th century home
Piispankatu 14, Turku
Opening hours on 1 October: 11:00–16:00
Etthem.fi

Casa Haartman – The artist home of the Haartman couple
Luostarinkatu 3, Naantali
Opening hours on 1 October: 12:00–16:00
At 18:00, a free public lecture in Finnish by Panu Savolainen, entitled “Casa Haartman in Naantali’s Urban Architecture“.
CasaHaartman.fi

Read more about the Åbo Akademi University Foundation’s cultural activities.