Participate in the work of the museum

Do you want to do your part to add to our shared cultural heritage in Vantaa? On this page you can find tips on how to take historical actions in Vantaa.

Mies on ottamassa valokuvaa. Taustalla toinen valokuvaaja.

Photo: Antti Yrjönen, Vantaan kaupunginmuseo.

Donate images or objects

The collections mainly consist of donations, because the museum does not have a budget to make acquisitions for the collections. Each object is evaluated on whether it meets the criteria for the collections. The decision to include an object in the collections is made by the intendant or the amanuensis responsible for the collection. 

Requirements for an object to be included in the collections:  

  • in sufficiently good condition

  • made in Vantaa (industrially or by hand)

  • used in Vantaa

  • belonged to a person living in Vantaa

  • tells about important matters in the history or present of Vantaa

  • enough information is known about the object’s history  

  • within the scope of collection responsibility  

An object will not be included in the collections, if:  

  • it is outside the scope of collection responsibility  

  • it is in poor condition  

  • it is already represented in the collections (duplicate)

  • the history of the object is not known  

The area of responsibility follows the current borders of Vantaa. Decisions on materials from the former Helsinge Parish and the parts of the rural municipality that have now become a part of Helsinki will be made on a case-by-case basis with the Helsinki City Museum.  

Objects can also be included in the usable collection, in which case they will be used in museum education as well as props in exhibitions. The Vantaa City Museums does not accept deposits. A deposit means storing materials in the museum collections so that they are not owned by the museum.‍  

‍Do you want to donate images, archival material or objects to the museum? Please contact the collection services of the City Museum.  

Volunteer photographers

A group of volunteer hobbyist photographers assist our collections team with recording present-day Vantaa and the changing city. 

You can become a volunteer photographer, if: 

  • You live in Vantaa and take photographs as a hobby

  • You move with your eyes open and can find intriguing subjects for photography in your surroundings easily

  • You are interested in photographing the changes visible in the streetscape, current phenomena, buildings, events and the urban nature in particular

  • You want to participate in the work of the Vantaa City Museum

  • Your photographs can be donated to the museum’s Finna service where they can be used freely 

Current surveys and collection projects

The museum collects both memories of life in Vantaa in the past as well as information about everyday life today. We will tell about current collection projects here. Currently, we do not have any ongoing surveys or collection projects. 

Adopt a monument

Are you interested in archaeological sites or old buildings? Would you like to do something practical for them? The Adopt a Monument activity encourages everyone to value and cherish their own local environment.

Cultural environment maintenance activities consist of volunteer work with old buildings and ancient relics. Those who adopt a monument do not own it; instead, they take care of the monument and monitor its condition. The adopters can also study the history of the monument or hold different kinds of events at the site. 

Instructions for metal detectorists

The popularity of metal detecting as a hobby is rising, and in fact, here at the city we receive questions about the topic regularly. For this reason, we have compiled a list of things you need to take into account when using a metal detector in region of the City of Vantaa.

Keywords

MuseumsGet involvedInclusionVolunteering