Professor Alpo Jaakola (1929-1997), who is also known as the Shaman of Loimaa, is the most known contemporary artist of Loimaa. He was mostly self-taught as an artist, he did study one semester in Turku drawing school. His teachers were worried that studying too much would lead to Alpo to lose his personal, almost primitive style of painting.

Jaakola moved to the statuary park area in the year 1953, after he built a cabin out of scrap wood. Other buildings and most of the statues have mainly been built during the 1960- and 1970’s. The painting ateljee has been built in 1964-1965. Cafeteria that Alpo used as a sculpting room origins as a mortuary and it was transferred in to the statuary part in 1968.

Professor Jaakola moved from statuary park in to his new home and ateljee called Torkville at 1979. After this the park was almost stranded for a decade, letting nature to leave it’s own marks into the statues and buildings.

In the year 1992,as a test, the park was opened to audience. The following year Loimaa purchased the park and since it has been open to visitors during summer time. Large EU-funded reparation project was executed in the park in the year 2000.

Alpo Jaakola and his wife Marja Jaakola have both been buried to the park as they wished.

At the statuary park area there’s an art gallery that was made into a an old dryer building, showcasing art from visiting artists. It is open with same opening hours and with same entry fee as the statue park.

Cafeteria is open during the summer time, there you can purchase coffee, ice cream and cold refreshments. There’s also a small museum shop for books, tote bags, shirts and postcards. Tickets to entry are sold in the Cafeteria.