The museum's function comprise the coastline and northern area of the former Vaasa province. The collections relate to both peasant and upper-class culture, the history of the town of Vaasa and Ostrobothnia. There are for example the coin collection of Mauritz Hallberg, the Hedman collection of visual and industrial art from different countries, mostly Dutch and Italian, the oldest dating from the 15th century. The Finnish art collection is from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Terranova-Kvarkens Nature Centre is also located to the same building. It exhibits fauna and geology of the Kvarken area, the landrising and the ice age, information in nature tourism and contacts also information in the Forest and Park Services, virtual aquarium, natural history collections of Ostrobotnia Australis, Wildlife Nature Film Festivals.
Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.
The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.
Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment.