Rupriikki Media Museum (Finnish: Mediamuseo Rupriikki) is a history museum devoted to mass communication, located in the Vapriikki Museum Centre in Tampere, Finland. It showcases the history of media and communication technology, with collections spanning from print journalism to digital broadcasting.
History
The museum was established in 2001 through a partnership between the City of Tampere, the University of Tampere, telephone company Elisa, and the newspaper Aamulehti. It officially opened to the public in 2003. At the time of its opening, the majority of the information technology objects in its collection were donated by a local computer club.
Exhibitions
The museum features permanent exhibitions organized into thematic sections:
- "Messages from Pirkanmaa" – Focuses on the development of mass communication, including newspapers, radio, television, and digital games, with particular emphasis on Tampere-based communication companies.
- "Networked Humanity" – Traces the story of networking and its evolution through time, from 19th-century inventions to the modern internet.
- "The Gaming Man" – Explores the long history of games and play.
- Interactive exhibits – The museum approaches media phenomena through devices that visitors can try out and play with, bringing long-forgotten means of communication back to life.
In the past, Rupriikki also hosted rotating exhibitions, including one on Commodore computers in 2006, which featured ten working Commodore machines for visitors to use.
Collections
The museum's collections include cellular phones, radios, telephones, computers, and press materials, documenting the technological advancements that have shaped mass communication.
Visitor Information
- Location: Vapriikki Museum Centre, Tampere, Finland
- Coordinates: 61°30′07″N 23°45′35″E
- Type: Media history museum
- Visitors: Approximately 25,900 (as of 2012)
- Curator: Outi Penninkangas
- Website: vapriikki.fi
The museum is part of the larger Museum Centre Vapriikki, which also houses the Natural History Museum of Tampere, the Mineral Museum, and the Finnish Hockey Museum, among other attractions.
