Forum Marinum is a center for the study of the history of navigation and shipbuilding, located in Turku. The main directions of the center's work are museum, research and archival activities.
Forum Marinum was established in 1999 by merging the Turku Navigation Museum, founded in 1977, and the Navigation History Museum of the Abo Academy, founded in 1936. The museum is located in the IX district of Turku city, at the mouth of the Aura river, near the city port. The museum complex is located in the former buildings of the state food reserve warehouse (Kruununmakasiini building) and the cooperative society (Linnanpuomi building). Some of the exhibits are located in the museum yard, museum ships are moored along the quay.
Forum Marinum's activities are financed by the fund of the same name. The fund was established with the participation of the Municipality of Turku (approx. 50%), the Finnish Government, in particular the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Defence, and private companies such as STX Finland Oy, Wärtsilä, the Bore parish.
The permanent exhibition focuses on the history of shipbuilding and navigation in Southwest Finland and the Aland Islands, as well as the Finnish Navy. The museum halls have the following exhibitions:
"At Shipyards" - dedicated to shipbuilding technologies in Turku since the foundation of the first shipyard by the Swedish King Gustav Vasa in the 16th century, in the era of sailing ships to the present day.
"Motor Factory" - dedicated to the history of ship power plants in Turku, describes the beginning of production of marine internal combustion engines in 1898, the introduction of new technologies by AB Vulcan, WM Crichton & Co and Wärtsilä.
"Five Lives in the National Treasure" is dedicated to the history of the sailing ship "Suomen Joutsen" from 1902 to 2009.
Exhibition aboard the ship Bore. Dedicated to the history of the ship and cruise tourism in Sacndinavia.
"Help at Sea" - dedicated to the history of the establishment and development of marine rescue service in Finland.
"200 years of training captains in Finland" - the exhibition is dedicated to the opening of the Maritime Academy Aboa Mare in Turku in 1813.
The exhibition is dedicated to the Finnish Customs Service and the history of countering maritime smuggling.
One of the largest collections of outboard engines in Finland.
The largest collection of sea mines in Finland.
In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum regularly organizes temporary exhibitions. An exhibition dedicated to Russian Admiral Oscar von Kremer, organized in 2013, was also exhibited at the Central Naval Museum in St. Petersburg.
On the territory of the Center there are restoration workshops that perform conservation and restoration works.
The museum organizes regular excursions to the STX Europe shipyard in Raisio.
The Saaristomeren Aukio (Archipelago Sea Square) is the square in front of the museum. In 2011 Forum Marinum Foundation organized a fundraising campaign for the Archipelago Protection Fund, which aims to preserve the nature of the Archipelago Sea. The area was covered with 4550 slabs symbolizing the islands of the Archipelago. Each plate was to be decorated with a plate bearing the name of the donor who made a donation to the Fund. All the plates were sold and the amount of money received was 120,000 euros. On 19.05.2011, at the opening ceremony of the square, people who had made a donation stood on the plates with their names to express their solidarity with the environment.
Plates with the names of the heads of state of the Baltic Sea region are placed on a separate part of the Archipelago Sea Square, which make a significant contribution to the preservation of the Baltic Sea ecosystem. On 25 June 2013, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the sisterhood between Turku and St. Petersburg, the museum was visited by Russian President Vladimir Putin, accompanied by Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, and the opening of the plate with the name of Vladimir Putin, who was also awarded an honorary medal by Turku Mayor Alexi Randell, was timed to coincide with this visit. On the square there are plates with the names of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel, Prime Minister Jyrkki Katanen of Finland.
