Most of Tampere's museums concentrate on its industrial history. Kids will get a kick out of the Moomin Valley and the Spy Museum.

*Amuri is a block of 19th century wooden houses turned into an open-air museum that vividly displays how the working-class used to live between 1880s and 1970s. The houses form an almost closed inner court, and there is a nice old-fashioned cafe with seatings both indoors and in the courtyard. Highly recommendable for history buffs, but interesting to others as well.

*Monthly exhibitions on arts and crafts.

*The exhibitions at Werstas offer an overview of the history of the industrial era, worker population and civil society from different perspectives. At Werstas, you can visit the Textile Industry Museum, the Steam Engine Museum as well as the Labour Museum's changing and permanent exhibitions. The huge steam engine that used to give power to the entire factory complex is the definite high point of Werstas.

*Home museum of art collector Kustaa Hiekka.

*Small and quirky museum revolving around one of the founding fathers of Soviet communism. Located in a building owned by the Workers Association of Tampere that surprisingly also links to the October Revolution in Russia. Contains a lot of texts, maps and pictures as well as "artifacts" that have something to do with Lenin. The museum shop is also worth visiting.

*Museum devoted to the Tove Jansson characters, with original sketches and drawings. The permanent exhibition is rather staid, but there are occasional performances aimed children.

*Media museum focusing on the history and development of mass communications. There is also an exhibition on the history of the Internet, and a bunch of cool retro computer and video games in the GameCabinet.

*Modern art, both Finnish and foreign.

*Claims to be the first spy museum in the world, exhibiting everything from world-famous spies to their equipment such as spy cameras and secret weapons - many of which you can try. You can also attempt to fool the classic lie detector.

*Changing exhibitions of Finnish and foreign art. Adults 6, children 2.

*Not quite as boring as you'd think, the museum has plenty of gemstones cut and raw including a 600-kg chunk of Brazilian amethyst, meteorites and even a couple of dinosaur eggs.

*Museum centre with ten exhibitions varying from prehistory to technology and art. Exhibitions include the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame, Doll Museum, Shoe Museum and Tampere Museum of Natural History.