“To the museum with grandpa” event brought generations together in Mynämäki

The “To the museum with grandpa” event, held on May 17, 2025, brought joy, togetherness, and journeys into the past at the Mynämäki Museum. A group of grandfathers participated in the event with their grandchildren. Throughout the day, the museum was filled with cheerful chatter, shared discoveries, and the rustle of history – and, of course, small prizes! The event was the first pilot of the CoMe Stronger – Elderly men go to the museum project, which aims to make museums more attractive and accessible for elderly men.

Shared activities and new discoveries

At the heart of the event was an activity booklet that encouraged generations to embark on a shared exploration of the museum’s exhibition rooms. Grandfathers and children solved tasks, searched for objects and hidden letters, and shared their thoughts. According to feedback, grandfathers particularly enjoyed the togetherness and the opportunity to share their own knowledge, while children were enthusiastic about finding letters and objects. The feedback especially highlighted the opportunity for shared activities: without the booklet, the museum tour would have been just a “walk-through,” but now it became an adventure. The event received an excellent reception from participants and was considered an important and necessary occasion for grandfathers and children. Although the event was a success, feedback also provided suggestions for improvement: more seating was requested, fewer instructions were desired, and small improvements were needed for the usability of the activity booklet.

What we learned

The event showed that museums can be places where generations meet and learn from each other. With a little guidance, suitable task design, and a warm atmosphere, the threshold for a museum visit can be lowered – especially for older men. The event was a demonstration of how museums can function as lively meeting places and offer meaningful experiences for everyone, regardless of age. The project staff noted that similar events can also be scaled to other museums.