Helsinki City Center Museum Guide

This museum focuses on Finnish National Romantic Art and Classical Art from the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum is big and I spent over 4 hours on my first visit and I didn't even see everything I wanted to see, so plan accordingly! I would read up on some of the main artists from this period as well as Finnish folklore to better understand the artwork you experience there. As of 2024, it will be cheaper to buy the entrance ticket online than at the ticket office so keep that in mind! Opening hours from 2024 Monday CLOSED Tuesday–Friday 10–20 Saturday–Sunday 10–17 Standard admission at the ticket office €22 Standard admission online €20 Discounted admission €12 Under 18-year-olds €0 Free for: Museum Card holders CIMAM ICOM Press Card holders Helsinki Card holders Kaikukortti holders

This contemporary modern-art museum was built in 1998 and designed by Stephen Holl. It was controversial at the time given that local architects were turned down for the project, but this controversy died down once people saw the results. This museum has rotating collections, so best to check online what they have. Guided tours are available. Opening hours: Monday CLOSED Tuesday-Friday 10–20.30 Saturday 10–18 Sunday 10–17 Tickets: Adults € 18 / € 12 under 18s 0 €

One of the newer museums in the city, opened in 2018, Amos Rex is a contemporary art museum built underground. It has very large spacious display rooms and is oozing with functionalist design. The museum has rotating collections, so check online to see if it peaks your interest. Ticket prices: Adults €20 Students and people under 30 years old €5 Under 18s Free Opening hours Monday 11 am – 8 pm Tuesday Closed Wednesday 11 am – 8 pm Thursday 11 am – 8 pm Friday 11 am – 8 pm Saturday 11 am – 5 pm Sunday 11 am – 5 pm

Contemporary modern art museum inside the Tenispalatsi functionalist style building. Rotating temporary exhibitions, so check the museum's website to see if the exhibitions interest you! Opening hours: Monday CLOSED Tuesday 10:00–17.30 Wednesday-Sunday 11.30–19:00 Ticket prices: Admission 16€ Reduced price 14€ (students, pensioners, groups of 10 or more) Under 18 years 0€

A great museum to take children to with some lovely exhibitions of Finnish nature and is run by the University of Helsinki. Originally a Russian-speaking cadet school and designed by Russian architects in 1913, it was taken over by the University of Helsinki in 1924. The museum has a guided tour feature for free in English, French and Russian which you can listen to via your phone and the museum's free WiFi, you can find the link below: www.luomus.fi/en/audio-guided-tours Entrance tickets: Adults 18 € Children 7–17 years 8 € Students 10 € Senior citizens 15 € Groups of 10+ people €15/person Monday closed Tuesday 10 am – 5 pm Wednesday 10 am – 5 pm Thursday 10 am – 5 pm Friday 10 am – 5 pm Saturday 10 am – 6 pm Sunday 11 am – 5 pm Free entrance in 2024: 14th February, 10th April , 12th June. , 14th August , 9th October and 11 December , 10 am – 5 pm.

Nestled behind the Finnish Parliament, this museum was specifically designed to be a contemporary art museum when it was built in 1927. It features a striking Jugendstil design and has rotating collections of local, international and retrospective art. Tickets: €20 entry for adults €10 for students professional guides, groups (minimum of 10 persons, €10/person) Free for under 18s.

This is one of my favorite museums in the city! This museum helps you understand Finnish style and design and why practicality is such an important part of it. The museum also features some exhibits which you can touch and manipulate and the building itself is wonderful. It is currently located in the Design District which is full of quirky design stores so be sure to go for a walk around the area after you visit! It is also twinned with the Architecture Museum so you can use the same ticket to see them both, 2x1! NOTE: This museum will be moving to a new location in the near future, so be sure to check where it is before you visit! NOTE 2: The museum has different opening hours in the summer and winter, so make sure you check before going. Tickets (valid for use in the Design Museum and Architecture Museum) Adults €20 Students €12 Under 18s FREE Opening hours Winter time 1 Sep – 31 May Monday Closed Tuesday 11–20 Wednesday-Sunday 11–18 Summer time 1 June – 30 June Everyday 11–18 1 July – 31 August Monday–Friday 11–20 Saturday–Sunday 11–18

This museum is unfortunately one of the weaker ones in the city and I would only recommend it to those who are really passionate about architecture and those who already have a ticket for the design museum. A client of mine once put his opinion of it in a very polite way, "At least my money will go to making it better". Fortunately, this is so, as it is going to be moved to a new location in the near future and merged with the Design Museum. The bookstore is excellent, so if you are looking for some Finnish architecture books, this is a good place to start. Tickets (valid for use in the Design Museum and Architecture Museum) Adults €20 Students €12 Under 18s FREE Opening hours Monday closed Tuesday 11–20 Wednesday 11–18 Thursday 11–18 Friday 11–18 Saturday 11–18 Sunday 11–18

Another one of my favorites, the Helsinki City Museum gives you a great way to see and visualize how Helsinki has changed since it was named the capital of Finland in 1812. It features photographic exhibitions, maps, models and temporary collections which make the museum interactive and modern feeling. It is also located in the oldest building in mainland Helsinki and features a 'children's city' making it a great place to take kids too. There is a nice café called El Fant and plenty of public seating space in the entrance area. And the best part...it is always free entry and open every day! Opening hours Monday–Friday 11.00–19.00 Saturday–Sunday 11.00–17.00

This small, quaint museum snuggled in under the Helsinki Cathedral is a nice way to learn more about the Finnish currency and economic history. The museum has free entry and has a café as well. They also organize guided tours free of charge for 5 or more people and have events throughout the year. Opening hours Tuesdays to Fridays 11:00 – 17:00 Saturdays and Sundays 11:00 – 16:00 Free Entry

A little bit off the beaten track, the Tram Museum is located in Töölö about a mile/1.6km from the city center. The museum is located in the old repair station of Helsinki's trams and there is also restaurant, bar, terrace (in the summer) and a small cinema right next door. The museum itself is relatively small, but has loads of memorabilia from Helsinki's 100 years of tram history divided up into 5 'stops'. It also has a 'tram simulator' where you can get a feel for what it is like to be a tram driver in Helsinki which is fun for both adults and children! As it is part of the Helsinki City Museum, there is always free entry. Opening times Monday–Sunday 11.00–17.00 Free Entry

This museum is in the first building specifically designed to be a kindergarten and was designed by the first woman to have her own architectural studio in Helsinki Wivi Lönn. The museum is located in Sörnäinen, part of the old working class area of Helsinki and the museum is run by the Ebeneser Society. The museum goes into the history of early childhood education in Finland and has thousands of items collected from over the years which give you an idea of how education has changed over the decades. There are dozens of nice bars and restaurants in the area to check out after a visit to the museum. Entrance fee Standard 8 € Students and pensioners 4 € Under 18s free of charge Opening hours Opens again 7th January 2024

A very lively museum located in the biggest shopping mall in the Nordics, Tripla and just one train stop away from Central Railway Station. This museum goes through the history of modern Finnish music and the main bands that have gained national and international recognition. There are some interactive exhibitions and memorabilia from some of the biggest Finnish bands of the last 100 years. The entrance fee is pretty steep, so check out the reviews and what exhibitions are on before committing. There is also a family ticket which is good value. There is also a restaurant with a lunchtime menu. Opening hours Monday 11 am – 6 pm Tuesday 11 am – 6 pm Wednesday 10 am – 8 pm Thursday 10 am – 8 pm Friday 10 am – 8 pm Saturday 10 am – 7 pm Sunday 11 am – 6 pm Entrance fee Adults 25 € Students & pensioners, 15 € Children 7-17 12,50 € Free entrance for children under 7 years with a guardian Family ticket (2 adults + up to 4 children 7-17y.) 60 €

Originally a private collection belonging to one of Helsinki's wealthiest families, the artwork was donated to the Finnish state in 1921 and opened up to everyone. The museum contains a main collection and temporary exhibits of classical artwork. The house which belonged to the Sinebrychoffs is a museum as well and gives you a taste for 19th century Helsinki upper class lifestyle. Opening hours Monday closed Tuesday & Thursday & Friday 11–18 Wednesday 10–20 Saturday–Sunday 10–17 Entrance tickets Museum ticket: €20 / €12 (students, pensioners) Museum ticket online: €18 Under 18-year-olds: free

Kaapelitehdas is a great example of how Helsinki has taken old industrial complexes and turned them in to cultural hubs. Kaapelitehdas has 3 museums, restaurant, café and regular special events. It is quite close to the the terminal where the Tallink and Silja Line ferries from Tallinn dock, so it could make a great first stop before heading into the city center. The Theater Museum is very interactive and allows you to try on some of genuine theater costumes, it has sound exhibitions of Finnish music throughout the years and of course the history of Finnish theater. Great for kids. Hotel and Restaurant Museum is great to understand more about the history of the restaurant business in Finland, the prohibition era of the 1920s and has rotating temporary collections. The Finnish Museum of Photography is Finland's national specialized museum for photography. It contains and maintains photographs from throughout the ages and helps capture Helsinki and Finnish culture over the past 150 years. Entrance fees (same for all 3 museums) €16 adults €8 students, pensioners, theater professionals €6 5-17 year-olds €0 under 5s, Helsinki Card holders Free last Wednesday of the month 17:00-20:00 Opening times (same for all 3 museums) Mondays closed Tuesday, Thursday–Sunday 11–18 Wednesday 11–20

A wonderful outdoor museum which gives you a taste of the different types of buildings Finns have lived in thought the ages and is a great way to spend Midsummer on 23rd of June. Located on the island of Seurasaari (take bus 24 or 25 from Kamppi shopping mall), it has some lovely views of the sea and also overlooks the President's and the Prime Minister's residences. It is free to walk around the island as it is public property, but there are entrance fees to enter each building or you can buy a ticket to enter them all. The outdoor museum is only open in the summer from 15th of May to 15th of September. Tickets (as of 2023) €10 Adults €8 (pensioners, students, groups of over 10 people) €0 Under 18 year olds (under 7 year olds must be accompanied by an adult) €4 for each individual building (if you don't buy the full ticket)