This place is two museums in one! Downstairs, there are medieval ruins and exhibits on historic Finland, and upstairs you'll find a modern art gallery, and a river runs right through the building, which makes for an amazing café in between the two museum areas! The medieval ruins were re-discovered during excavations in 1995 and include a church and residential buildings with lots of information about the time period. Upstairs in the contemporary art gallery, exhibitions and installations are constantly changing. This one's well worth a visit!

The downstairs exhibition was really interesting and educational. We learned a lot of useful information in the historical section, and I particularly enjoyed looking at the reconstructed animal skeletons. There were also a lot of beautiful tapestries displayed in the art section. Unfortunately the upstairs part of the museum was rather disappointing. Most of the modern art was something, which my 4-year-old students could easily produce without much help.

While at Turku Night of Arts @taiteidenyo_tku , I discovered some participatory museum practices at @aboavetusarsnova . They made archeological site and historical part of the museum a truly exciting and entertaining experience! Also multisensory and multimedia approach was the best, as well as the inclusion of on-hand experience with writing on clay Tablets and building a bucket👏🏻 I of course also appreciated the feedback wall! They also had a great bone identifying simulator, where you put one of the provided objects on a scanner, and you a presented with an explanatory video from an archeologist researcher!#patricipatorymuseum #archeology #historicalmuseum #finland #turuntaiteidenyö Contemporary part presented exhibition of Kustaa Saksi with very impressive (both in scale and skill) and majestic fractal tapestry artworks. Another hall upstairs exhibited some of the Finnish modernist artists(mostly abstract expressionism) but I didn’t have the time to properly explore it, as 2 hours wasn’t enough to explore the whole museum despite museum worker’s opinion😅 What I’m also very greatful for is meeting and observing VideoKaffee art collective and their sound-air artwork or more accurate would be to describe it as an art machine :)

(Translated by Google) Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova is ideally located on the banks of the Aura River, close to Turku City Center. Nice destination once to walk, the second time everything has already been seen. (I know the changing show, there was still nothing to my taste) Nice stories of how the ruins were discovered and what people have been up to in the Middle Ages. Archaeological excavations in the yard are nice to follow. Nice goods in the museum shop. The art museum wasn’t to my taste, but art lovers can like it. The food in the restaurant was not worth the price. (Original) Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova on ihanteellisella sijainnilla, Aurajoki rannassa, Turun Keskustan lähellä. Mukava kohde kerran käytäväksi, toisella kerralla kaikki on jo nähty. (Tiedän vaihtuvan näyttelyn, ei silti ole mikään ollu omaan makuun) Kivoja tarinoita miten rauniot löydettiin ja mitä ihmiset ovat keskiajalla puuhanneet. Arkeologisia kaivauksia pihalla on kiva seurata. Museokaupassa kivoja tavaroita. Taidemuseo ei ollut minun makuuni, mutta taiteesta pitävät voivat tykätä. Ravintolan ruoka ei ollut hinnan arvoista.

Fantastic place to visit! Lots of information. Perfect place to visit for a few hours. Would definitely return again. The ruins were fascinating and amazing to look at. Hands on activities for both old and young. Can go inside of an old cellar that was very well preserved. 5/5 would recommend to others and bring friends.

Hieno arkeologiaretki Turun historiaan. Upeasti ja kekseliäästi toteutettu. Samalla sai nähdä myös nykypäivän taidetta.

Absolutely loved this place. Best museum in Turku! The café is amazing and the staff are friendly and helpful. I Will be coming back here again.

After the visit to the Aboa museums, I just felt very complacent and more enlightened. It was a very joyous experience. Must see in Turku!

I live the Finnish sense of history and belonging - well displayed I this museum...

Active archeological site downstairs, modern art above, great cafe :)

The place is amazing, I did not get the tour in the museum, but did visit the shop has super cute little things & gifts. The good part is that they have discounted rates for students to check the museum. And they have a super nice cafe next to it. What I loved the most the glass floor that allows you to see the water and alleys underneath the museum

A lot of stones in dark rooms. Lots of Finnish history in nice presentations. Ars nova, pretencious art for artsies, well worth it if you're artsy.

Really cool and interesting ruins. wasn't too interested in the modern art section, but it was still pretty nice nevertheless. Ruins are in good condition, and you can learn interesting stuff about Turku's history there.

(Translated by Google) Interesting old and new (Original) Mielenkiintoista vanhaa ja uutta

One of my favourite museums in town. The new Osmo Rauhala exhibition was a blast! It deeply connected with my biologist nature. I also visited the archelogist exhibition again, and I enjoyed that they added more interactivity in the museum. I would suggest interactive displays instead of normal screens in some parts of the museum. The slideshow were either going too fast or too slow for me enjoy them.

Nice and cosy contemporary art museum

A nice museum to visit with nice old objects. The way it's preserved old foundations is interesting and fun. The modern art section wasn't really my thing. Would be 5 stars if they would have added even more historical objects but I do still recommend a visit.

(Translated by Google) Great food and a great museum! The magnificent Rettig Palace! (Original) Mahtavaa ruokaa ja hieno museo! Upea Rettigin palatsi!

(Translated by Google) The ruins of medieval Turku were an impressive experience. (Original) Keskiaikaisen Turun rauniot olivat vaikuttava kokemus.

(Translated by Google) Aboa Vetus is an experience! (Original) Aboa Vetus on elämys!

(Translated by Google) Would have liked to see more. It got a little small. (Original) Oleks tahtnud rohkem näha. Natuke väikeseks jäi.

Amazing experience! Leo at the front desk was so helpful. He really took the time to explain to me the different exhibits and what order to start in. The place has such a great combination of old and new. Looks like a great cafe as well

Ensin erittäin hyvä brunssi ja sitten näyttelyyn! Varsinkin Turun historiasta kertova alakerran näyttely oli hieno kokemus.

A very nice place if you want to see how people lived in the 1300s in Turku.

Yleensä olen tykännyt vierailusta, mutta nyt kokemus jäi vähän pinnalliseksi. Erityisesti Ars Novan puoli ei vakuuttanut ja näyttely jätti kylmäksi.

Mukava tutustuminen Turun historiaan, ja myös lapsia ajateltu. Asiantuntevat oppaat!

A great museum for all ages. Seeing how things were built in the medieval period and after was very exciting! Not to mention the fantastic art show above. 👍👍👍

The museum takes you on to journey of old Turku from the 13th century. The exhibition has English translations for most of the descriptions. I liked that they also have many games for children and alike, according to the theme of history. The museum itself is not that big and won't take too much of your time even though you dig deeper with descriptions. I can safely say there is nothing super exciting as well, but you can have a great time with friends and family. Care to take some coat with you inside the museum. The site pretty chilly in winter times.

Our children's favorite museum! A museum that combines the history of Turku, the remains of which are discovered underground, with modern culture and art (Contemporary art exhibitions change from time to time ) The historical museum is experiential and interactive and suitable for children. At the entrance is a pleasant cafe-restaurant and a museum shop. מומלץ מאד!!!

Nice museum, I really enjoyed especially the bone exhibition and the medieval town and artifacts. The modern art museum was a nice bonus, though I'd never go there on a single ticket.

Beautiful modern and contemporary Art museum, which has also an archeological area. You can literally walk among the buildings of the 14th and 15th century. Upstairs you can find the museum with many different paintings and artworks. The exposition involve famous painting from Picasso to Andy Warhol and also same Finnish art. There could be also an area for temporary expansion.

The only archaeological museum in Finlans. Very interesting

Best museum where visit, nice to found old city under current city.

Really nice combination of Art gallery and Archeological museum. The entire building is built on top of an excavation of medieval dwellings with artifacts dating from the 16th century. I think this is a top place to visit when in Turku

Only went to the archaeological part of the museum. It was an interesting insight though short, but for €8 that's not the end of the world. It felt a bit unstructured however in its layout, I really feel that there could have been better guidance of the story they were trying to tell.

Aboa Vetus with the historical remains was an amazing place for our two young children on a wet day. Lots of things for them to play with and exciting places to explore. Loved it. Would skip the upstairs Ars Nova with kids as that's just a more normal modern art gallery. Nice, but not engaging for them. Brilliant cafe with a very nice buffet lunch for a good price.

One of the best museums in Finland. Modern art and the history of Finland and Turku in the same museum.

Very good museum, a lot of funs and games for children. But modern art is so hard for my understanding🙈

(Translated by Google) Okay brunch, but pretty ordinary (Original) Ihan ok brunssi, mutta aika tavanomainen

(Translated by Google) Good salad! (Original) Hyvä salaatti!

(Translated by Google) Lovely pastries, tasty lunch and friendly staff (Original) Ihanat leivonnaiset, maukas lounas ja ystävällinen henkilökunta

(Translated by Google) Thom Yorke (Original) Thom Yorke

(Translated by Google) The Ars Nova side was a new acquaintance for me; maybe I haven't noticed the signs on the staircase. Fortunately, I was able to get acquainted with the exhibition of contemporary art with others. Children are particularly well taken into account - at least on the side of Aboa Vetus. The museum also has a café where you can enjoy MBakery’s wonderful pastries. Salty like stuffed croissants were also available. There are many coffee and tea options. The lobby and café are an equally large area, which is not an ideal place for a sound-sensitive person to be there and chat over a cup of coffee, but it is tolerable and certainly not a difficulty for the “norm person”. (Original) Ars Nova - puoli oli minulle uusi tuttavuus; ehkä en ole huomannut kylttejä portaikkoon. Onneksi muiden mukana nyt osasin tutustua nykytaiteen näyttelyyn. Lapset on erityisen hyvin otettu huomioon - ainakin Aboa Vetuksen puolella. Museossa on myös kahvila, jossa voi herkutella MBakeryn ihanilla leivonnaisilla. Saatavilla oli myös suolaista kuten täytettyjä croissanteja. Kahvi- ja teevaihtoehtoja on monia. Aula- ja kahvio ovat yhtä suurta aluetta, mikä ei ole ääniherkälle ihmiselle ideaali paikka oleakella ja keskustella kahvikupin ääressä, mutta sen sietää ja "normi-ihmiselle" ei varmaankaan tuota vaikeuksia.

(Translated by Google) Currently on display is the photo exhibition Jorma Puranen: Museum Meditations June 30-November 8, 2020 The setting is the magnificent Retting Palace, with a picture of the garden, which is rarely seen. (Original) Tällä hetkellä esillä valokuvanäyttely Jorma Puranen: Museum Meditations 30.6.–8.11.2020 Puitteena upea Rettingin palatsi, ohessa kuva myös puutarhasta, jota harvoin pääsee katsomaan.

(Translated by Google) A wonderful place and a piece of history can be found. (Original) Upea paikka ja pala historiaa löytyy.

(Translated by Google) An interesting trip to the history of Turku. (Original) Mielenkiintoinen matka Turun historiaan.

(Translated by Google) It was nice to see old Turku from the 14th century! (Original) Oli kiva nähdä vanhaa Turkua jo 1300 luvulta lähtien!

(Translated by Google) Nice place for a 4-year-old (Original) Kiva paikka 4-vuotiaalle

(Translated by Google) easy and painless abortion (Original) helppo ja kivuton abortti

(Translated by Google) Great brunch, I recommend! (Original) Loistava brunssi, suosittelen!

(Translated by Google) Just ok cafe in a cozy setting on the river bank. Regards Quintet (Original) Ihan ok kahvila viihtyisässä ympäristössä jokirannalla. Terveisin Kvintetti

Must see in Turku. Proper combination of art and history.

Very interesting museum with old authentic ruins from old Turku

Good place to learn about the past of Turku and Finland. Plenty of affordable mementos from their shop. There is a chic coffee shop with glass floors where portions of the middle ages ruins can be seen.

Chapel inside the "ruins" is on it's own worth the visit. Small but imbued with a sense of the past. Entrance was 10€.

Interesting place. We can see the medievil construction of the City of Turku. Lots of information.

Nice museum. We found it a bit too long. Despite of the longer, the information was quite interresting.

(Translated by Google) Warm food with brunch mediocre. Otherwise good (Original) Lämmin ruoka brunssilla keskinkertainen. Muuten hyvä

(Translated by Google) Heino experience (Original) Heino kokemus

(Translated by Google) An interesting exhibition! (Original) Mielenkiintoinen näyttely!

(Translated by Google) Great show and lunch good (Original) Hieno näyttely ja lounas hyvä

(Translated by Google) Fine!! Worth to see. (Original) Hieno!! Kannattaa tutustua.

(Translated by Google) An interesting museum. (Original) Mielenkiintoinen museo.

(Translated by Google) The road to understanding the city of Turku history back to the year 1239 at this museum reinforces the whole experience of the city (Original) Vejen til forståelse af byen Turku historien tilbage til år 1239 på dette museum forstærker hele oplevelsen af byen

(Translated by Google) An interesting time travel to former Turku. From the first step, an impressive time travel into the past began in the exhibition spaces. Aboa Vetus is a great example of a properly done presentation that doesn’t need extra light or multimedia displays to be interesting. (Original) Mielenkiintoisesti toteutettu aikamatka entisajan Turkuun. Jo ensimmäisestä askeleesta näyttelytiloihin alkoi vaikuttava aikamatka menneisyyteen. Aboa Vetus on hieno esimerkki siitä, että kunnolla tehty esillepano ei tarvitse ylimääräisiä valo- tai multimedianäytöksiä ollakseen kiinnostava.

(Translated by Google) Good food (Original) Hyvä ruoka

(Translated by Google) The price of brunch rose sharply. You would think that at that price you would get good service and the pity that the food did not save the bad customer experience. A group of two was not allowed to sit at a table of four, even though the table was free. (Original) Brunssin hinta noussut huomattavasti. Luulisi sillä hinnalla saavan hyvää palvelua ja harmi ettei ruoka pelastanut huonoa asiakaskokemusta. Kahden henkilön seurue ei saanut istua neljän henkilön pöytään, vaikka pöytä oli vapaana.

Interesting and charming art museum in an impressive old villa. The underground historical museum is very interesting and educational while also a great place for kids to play.

(Translated by Google) On the warm food side of Brunch, there was a poor selection. (Original) Brunchin lämpimän ruoan puolella oli heikko valikoima.

(Translated by Google) A very interesting underground city. A return to the past. (Original) Erittäin mielenkiintoinen maanalainen kaupunki. Paluu menneisyyteen.

(Translated by Google) Well executed ... 👍😊 (Original) Hienosti toteutettu... 👍😊

(Translated by Google) Cozy cafe and a great exhibition. (Original) Viihtyisä kahvila sekä hieno näyttely.

(Translated by Google) Good guidance in Ars Nova! The environment is pleasant, the past and the modern meet smoothly. (Original) Hyvä opastus Ars Novassa! Miljöö miellyttävä, mennyt ja nykyaika kohtaavat sujuvasti.

(Translated by Google) Comprehensive exhibitions + excellent food (Original) Kattavat näyttelyt +erinomainen ruoka

(Translated by Google) In the museum shop. A diverse selection of books related to the field (Original) Museokaupassa. Monipuolinen alaan liittyvä kirjavalikoima

(Translated by Google) Opportunity to see a piece of old Turku. Changing exhibitions (Original) Mahdollisuus nähdä pala vanhaa Turkua. Vaihtuvia näyttelyitä