Finnish Folk Art Museum

This replica of a 17th century Finnish smokehouse was erected on the grounds of the Feynes Mansion, once the home of the Finnish Consulate. At the consulate, Y.A. Paloheimo gathered an impressive collection of antiquities from his homeland, many of which are on display here. The visiting hours are very limited, so be sure to carefully plan a trip here. Still, it is most definitely worth the effort. The admission price for Finnish Folk Art Museum includes entry to the Pasadena Historical Museum located in the adjacent Feynes Mansion. 

The Finnish Folk Art Museum is located in Pasadena, California, on the grounds of the Pasadena Museum of History. It was founded in 1974 by Yrjö Alfred Paloheimo, a native of Finland and the husband of Leonora "Babsie" Curtin. It is the only museum of its kind in the United States. 

Paloheimo worked as a consulate official for Finland in Southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Finland's consular offices were housed at the palace for 17 years. Paloheimo launched the Finlandia Foundation and designated Järvenpää, Finland, as Pasadena's Finnish sister city. He and his wife also raised four Finnish children on the Fenyes Estate. Wide swaths of lawn, with the magnificent Fenyes Mansion as their backdrop, are perfect for strolling.

The Swiss chalet-style construction was erected in 1910 as a garage for Arthur Fleming's Wigmore Estate out of redwood with a stone top. Frederick Roehrig, Fleming's architect, also constructed parts of the Green Hotel in Pasadena. Paloheimo discovered the odd construction was for sale in 1949 and relocated it to the grounds of the Fenyes Estate to function as a folk art museum, guest house, and sauna. Paloheimo furnished the structure with farmhouse furniture he acquired from several areas in Finland, and he performed most of the stonework and planting himself.

A huge living area called a "Tupa" inside the museum is decorated with early 19th century Finnish peasant furniture and items. Visitors may see an open hearth or "Takka" for heating and cooking, poles and ceiling racks called "Leipävartaat" for keeping rye sourdough bread, and "Tuoli" or chairs hand-carved by farmers as marriage gifts to their daughters, among many other Finnish hand-made objects. In 1974, the Finnish Folk Art Museum and Finlandia Gardens were formally opened. Visits at the Pasadena Museum of History's folk art museum are frequently included in Feynes Estate tours.