This former customs warehouse is home to the oldest museum attraction in Raahe: the original Raahe museum, known today as the Packhouse Museum. The customs warehouse was built by the Raahe trading company in 1848. All goods exported from or imported in Raahe by sea were inspected and declared here. The new customs warehouse was one of Raahe's main attractions in the 19th century: "Nya spruthus, nya packhus och Durchmans Fia!"*

The building also housed a seamen's house, which arranged employment on ships, ensured that the right wages were being paid, and granted pensions and allowances to old and disabled seamen and their families. When the flag was flying in the flagpole on the roof of the Packhouse, the town people knew that it was possible to sign up on a ship, or ottaa hernettä (have some peas) as the locals said.

After the end of the sailing ship era, at the end of the 19th century, the activities of the seamen's house gradually declined. The second floor of the customs warehouse was vacated, to be used next by the museum established in 1862. In 1906, the new customs

house by the railway was completed, and Customs moved there. The second floor of the old customs warehouse was reserved for the museum and the library, whereas a public sauna, a fire brigade house, a meat shop, and a shopping hall were being planned for the first floor. These plans were (thankfully!) not implemented.

In 1908, the old church of Raahe burned down. The 17th-century church sculptures that had been stored in the bell tower were donated to the museum in 1912, and the museum received additional space from the customs warehouse. The entire building has been used by the museum since the library moved to Pekkatori in 1959.

The Packhouse Museum is open to the public all year round. Check the opening hours here. 

*new firehouse, new customs warehouse, and Fia Durchman