Museum Centre Vapriikki

Tampere was a new town of the late 18th century, and has benefited from water-power, the result of its situation between lakes Phäjärvi and Näsijärvi. In 1820 a Scot, James Finlayson, established an ironworks to which he added woollen and cotton factories, that from 1836 were taken over by a Russian partnership.

Textiles, engineering and the manufacture of shoes prospered in the city until the third quarter of the 20th century. The Museum Centre Vaprikki, which has displays relating to hydro-electric power, footwear manufactures and textiles, occupies engineering shops that were part of the Tampella complex, which originated with a blast furnace built in 1843, and was concerned both with engineering and the manufacture of linen textiles.