“We come to see what's new, you come to see what's old.”

This saying of the residents of the Pattoi heritage house still holds true today. The museum takes visitors back to a time when self-sufficiency, traditional livelihoods, and ways of life were still strong. The Pattoi heritage farm has been owned by the municipality of Juva since 2004. In 2019, Maatiainen ry selected the museum area as the Heritage Landscape of the Year. The Pattoi heritage house is also one of the sites of the Saimaa Geopark.

Like other farms in southern Savo, the Pattoi heritage farm was used for slash-and-burn agriculture, farming, livestock breeding, hunting, and fishing. The farm provided for its inhabitants, and almost everything they needed was obtained from the farm and the surrounding forests. This way of life, punctuated by the rhythm of the seasons, has left its mark on the farmyard, the buildings, and the artifacts. What makes Pattoi remarkable is that the same livelihoods have been practiced there with only minor changes from the early 1800s until almost the 1990s. Despite some renovations carried out in the 1950s and 1960s, the farm has remained almost in its original condition. There is no electricity, water or sewage system.

The buildings on the Pattoi farm are located on either side of the main building, which was completed in 1873. The buildings and fenced yards form a sheltered courtyard surrounded by stone-walled fields. The fields are covered by an environmental agreement, and during the summer season, grazing is carried out by the regional sheep club, Suur-Savon lampurit, with their sheep.

The heritage farm is managed according to museum principles. All movable property on the farm has belonged to the farm, and no outside objects are brought in. However, the floors of the main building, which is open to visitors, require protection, which is why rag rugs have been made for Pattoi according to the original designs.

In the summer of 2025, a guide will be on site from Wednesday to Sunday, June 11 to August 24, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are €4/€2.