Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Museum: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

The Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Museum is one of the top open air museum tourist attractions in Southern Saskatchewan.

Row of buildings at the Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village open air museum — *Buildings at the Sukanen open air museum. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.*

Located just a few minutes from Canada’s most notorious city, Moose Jaw, visitors find lots to see and do!

Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits

I have to admit I was fascinated with the Sukanen ship from my first sight of it off the highway. After all, the closest river, the South Saskatchewan, is an hour-and-a-half drive! While the province of Saskatchewan may be home to about 100,000 lakes, the southern part has very few.

Tom Sukanen, who built the ship, had many skills. Born in 1878 in Finland, he learned to build wooden ships, craft steel hulls, and assemble steam engines. Indeed, stories agree he was a man of giant size and abilities.

And, like many immigrants to Canada, Sukanen was a dreamer.

Sukanen ship with David and Linda Aksomitis. — *Sukanen Ship with David & Linda Aksomitis. Photo by Donna Scheidt.*

What’s the Sukanen Ship story?

Abandoning a wife and children to walk a thousand kilometers (600 miles) from Minnesota to Saskatchewan seemed an odd decision to most, but not nearly as crazy as building a ship to sail from land-locked Saskatchewan to Finland. But Tom Sukanen did both early in the 20th century.

Sukanen had left Finland around 1898, arriving in North America along with thousands of other Finns, just prior to the Russification policies that started in 1899. But he left his heart, as they say, in the Old Country, where he hoped to return in triumph some day.

His accomplishments in the Macrorie-Birsay area in Saskatchewan were many, but his heartbreaks many more.

A number of historic accounts agree that before beginning to build his ship, the Dontianen, which was 43 feet long, 13 feet at its widest, and 10 feet from keel to deck, he made a sturdy, smaller boat. Paddling it through the high spring waters of the South Saskatchewan River, he followed various water bodies right to Hudson Bay, where he got work on a freighter home to Finland. The stories never say how he returned, however, just that he started building the Dontianen afterwards.

However, Sukanen’s ship never did sail its owner home to Finland, and he eventually died in North Battleford in an institution.

The determination of the dreamer, though, kept his story alive for decades, and the ship–and eventually Sukanen’s body–were moved to the Pioneer Village and Museum south of Moose Jaw.

Inside the ship, you’ll even find a map of the route he planned to take sailing back to Finland. It also contains household artifacts and tools, along with photos.

What’s in the Sukanen Ship & Pioneer Village Museum?

The Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village and Museum may be one of Saskatchewan’s best kept secrets.

Vintage cars, truck, tractors, and a snowmobile at the Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Mueum | #museums #history #travel #farming #Saskatchewan #machines — *Pin me!*

While I’d travelled Hwy 2 past it many times, I had no idea that this farm heritage museum was as large as Tom’s dreams.

How big is the museum? The Sukanen open air pioneer museum has nearly 50 buildings and structures on its 40-acre property. They range from a hundred-year-old grain elevator to a threshing crew cook car to household items to vintage tools.

Important parts of the 100,000+ piece collection include:

50+ vintage cars and trucks
140 tractors
43 pieces of machinery, horse-drawn equipment and snowmobiles
The Diefenbaker (Canada’s 13th prime minister) homestead

Allis Chalmers & Case IH Tractors & Implements

Bill Young’s Allis Chalmers and Case IH collection is housed in two 50 ft x 96 ft display buildings. Before his death in 2023, Young, of, Young’s Equipment in Moose Jaw, had donated the enormous collection of tractors and farm implements.

Vintage case tractors — *Vintage Case tractors. Photo by David Aksomitis.*

The day we visited, Bill was at the museum and we were able to hear some of his stories.

Some parts of the collection of tractors stood out. Bill told us about the 1930s red tractor he’d driven near Mortlach as a boy, that cost the price of six steers and three horses ($1008 value) to buy back then. We also heard about the tiny, 1938 combine that could harvest just 11 acres a day.

A Few Unique Parts of the Heritage Museum Collection

Harold Blaney, Popcorn Man. Parking his truck and trailer in downtown Milestone on Saturday nights for 21 years, plus important summer events like fairs and sports days, Harold had provided big, buttery bags of popcorn for shoppers and the Saturday night movie goers.

B – A Truck and Display. B – A, of course is British American Oil, and every small town in Saskatchewan likely had one of their independently owned gas stations and repair shops back in the day.

B-A truck and display at the Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Mueum | #museums #history #travel #farming #Saskatchewan — *Pin me!*

Baildon Train Station. With more than 10,000 miles of rail lines in Saskatchewan at the peak of rail transport, trains were once the most popular way travel. So, it’s no surprise that the station, along with a CPR caboose, were also moved to the museum.
The Geo Petter Home, Moved from Baildon, Saskatchewan. This house is described as the 100,000 house in Saskatchewan to have power installed. The Saskatchewan Power Commission was formed in 1929 to connect the people of Saskatchewan through a power grid. Progress was slow until In 1949, when the Saskatchewan government passed the Rural Electrification Act, to purchase and join all of the existing small town power companies.

Linda’s Road Trip Tips

Historic store with stocked shelves and cash register — *Historic store with stocked shelves & vintage cash register. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.*

There are literally dozens of things to see and do in Moose Jaw, so plan a weekend this summer to explore it all.

On our visit, we camped inside the Moose Jaw city limits at the Prairie Oasis Tourist Complex (it also has a motel), which doesn’t have Provincial Park fees since it’s independent. Rather than cooking, we enjoyed the great steak special at nearby Bugsys Irish Pub in Moose Jaw’s Town ‘n Country Mall.

Who Should Visit the Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Museum?

The museum collection really has something for everyone. It’s a great stop for families, as there’s plenty of space for kids to play. With a wide variety of artifacts, every family member will find a section to focus on.

Warner Grain Company Ltd grain elevator at the Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Museum | #museums #history #Saskatchewan #Sukanen #travel — *Pin me!*

For those who grew up on the prairies, the museum is bound to bring back memories. And for those who didn’t, there’s a lot to learn at this farming museum.

We spent about five hours going through exhibits and that was barely enough time!

For those with less time, check out the village map and plan your itinerary to see the buildings that interest you most.

While the grounds are well kept, there’s a lot of walking to cover the museum. Wear comfortable shoes! If you have mobility issues you may want to plan ahead as well. There are modern and rustic washrooms on the grounds.

How Do You Visit the Sukanen Ship & Pioneer Village Museum?

*1990s fire and hazmat suits. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.*

The Sukanan Ship & Pioneer Village Museum is 8 miles/13km South of Moose Jaw on Hwy #2. You can see the ship from the highway.

The Sukanen museum is open seasonally, so check days and admissions on the Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Museum website.

Get the latest news on the Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Museum Facebook page.

Take a virtual tour with Shaw TV on YouTube.

Find More Museum Reviews for Saskatchewan

Check out more reviews of museum attractions in Saskatchewan on guide2museums.com.

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