The world’s only international Gold Prospector Museum is in Tankavaara, Sodankylä. Did you know that the gold of Tankavaara was discovered thanks to a vision in a dream?
Gold Prospector Museum in Tankavaara
The delightful Gold Prospector Museum in Tankavaara is one of the must-sees of Sodankylä and a place where you can absorb yourself in the true old feeling of Lapland. This easily reached museum, located right on Route 4, offers all visitors a hands-on experience of the history of gold digging and the world’s gold rushes.
In addition to the history of Finnish gold, the international Gold Prospector Museum tells visitors about the most important gold rushes worldwide. How did the Lapland gold rush begin? What methods were used to pan gold from the earth? The indoor and outdoor collections of the Gold Prospector Museum unveil the secrets of gold mining. In the Museum shop you can buy your own pure Lapland gold or even your own pan!
In the Golden World exhibition you can learn about the gold history of over twenty countries. The building is a large, round space that is worth making plenty of time for.
The outdoor museum area contains several gold-history buildings and the Gold Panner Statue, the work of Professor Ensio Seppänen. The Gold Prospector Museum’s stone and mineral collection has over 2,500 exhibits from around the world. At the Museum, visitors have the chance to try out gold panning for themselves with the aid of a guide, either outdoors in the summer or indoors in the winter.
Tip! Spend a whole day in Tankavaara. Treat yourself to a meal in the Wanha Waskoolimies restaurant and visit the Gold Prospector Museum. You can go hiking on the Geological Trail (7 km), where you can learn more about the area’s rocks and the history of gold formation, and, in the summer, see the most beautiful Lapland nature.