Visitors can experience what Tampere looked like in the early 20th century, during the last twenty years before Finland gained independence. In the exhibition, industrial city with its buildings, streets, market squares, factories, and people becomes familiar.

The first decades of the century are known in European history as the Belle Époque, a Beautiful Era that was a time of peace, prosperity, and renewal. Stylistically, the period is known as the Art Nouveau period. In Tampere, too, the city skyline changed, industries grew, and new ideas emerged. But at the same time, everyday life continued at its own pace in the wooden house neighborhoods and factory yards. The exhibition showcases the environments of different areas of Tampere and their inhabitants. – some of them previously unpublisehed – tell the story of a city that grew and changed but retained its character and sense of community. Come and experience what Tampere looked like in the decades when the modern era slowly began to change the rhythm of everyday life and people’s dreams.