The "Old Fort of Lieto" (Liedon Vanhalinna) is situated at the foot of one of the most significant prehistoric hills in Finland. It functions as a museum as well as a seminar and cultural centre in which the past and the present meet in a unique way.

The Vanhalinna manor, encompassing about 80 hectares/197 acres of land with 13 buildings, is located between two very important historical trade routes, the "Old Ox Road of Häme" ("Hämeen Härkätie") and the Aura River.

The first definite settlement of Vanhalinna was during the Late Bronze Age (1000 - 500 BC). Further settlements followed until the hill fort lost its former significance during the AD thirteenth century. Especially the foundation of the Turku Castle, in a distance of about 8 km, was decisive in diminishing the importance of the the prehistoric place.

Under the Swedish rule Vanhalinna became first a diocesan estate and later a tenant farm by the Swedish crown. In the 18th and 19th centuries Vanhalinna was owned by the family of Kristian Ludvig Hjelt, the founder of the broadcloth factory in nearby village of Littoinen. From this era dates also the appreciation of agriculture and rustic life, which was successfully carried on by the Wanhalinna family, the later owners of the estate.

Mauno Wanhalinna took control of the estate in 1930, right after the neoclassical main building was completed. After their marriage in 1944, Mauno and Ester Wanhalinna started turning their home into a museum, the results of which can still today be seen as various exhibitions at Vanhalinna. To secure their life work, they donated the estate in 1956 to the then private University of Turku.

The University of Turku was brought under state control and ownership in 1974. At the same time, the ownership of the Vanhalinna estate was transferred to the newly founded "Turku University Foundation". With the aid of the municipality of Lieto, the Ministry of Education and several other instances, the "Turku University Foundation" achieved a significant cultural work by carrying out a considerable renovation project at Vanhalinna.

The autonomous "Lieto Vanhalinna Foundation" was founded in 1998. Additional revenues were made and they still guarantee the cultural endeavours and efforts to protect Vanhalinna's heritage also for the next generations.

The deed of gift of Vanhalinna guarantees that the estate fosters and maintains our national history and traditional cultural anthropology.

Nowadays Vanhalinna houses several exhibitions. In the main building, which was the home of Ester and Mauno Wanhalinna, is their home museum. It is furnished by its former owners and shows their collections too. The ground floor of the main building houses a prehistoric exhibition (arkeologinen näyttely).

This archaeological unit shows artefacts found in the excavations in the Vanhalinna area and in southwest Finland in general. The ethnological exhibition "Land of East and West" (Idän ja lännen maa) is shown in the ware-house of the estate. It examines cultural differences between Eastern and Western Finland as well as the annual rhythm in traditional agriculture.

"Thread of Life" (Elämänlanka) is the name of the exhibition in the former cowshed. It tells about the everyday life in rural Southwest Finland during the 18th and 19th centuries by showing the different phases of a daily as well as festive life.

Furthermore Vanhalinna carries out changing exhibitions and other cultural events throughout the year and it functions as an excellent venue for meetings and festive occasions. All kinds of events and celebrations can be carried out in Vanhalinna's various premises.