Museums and galleries in Helsinki

Museums and galleries in Helsinki

1. SeeKamppi and Southwest

   Amos Andersson Art Gallery

   In the Forum block. The largest private gallery of contemporary art in Finland.

   Mon Thu Fri 10:00–18:00, Wed 10:00–20:00, Sat Sun 11:00–17:00·Adults €10

2. SeeKamppi and Southwest

   Amos Rex

   A modern arts museum that tends towards immersive, often audiovisual installations and has rapidly gained in acknowledgement since its opening in 2018. While entrance and shop are in Lasipalatsi, the actual museum is a piece architecture playing with organic forms located below the square located behind the visible building; sculptural forms extend into the square, portholes on their top allow a glimpse into the museum.

   Mon 11–20; Wed–Fri 11–20; Sat/Sun 11–17, closed on Tue·General admission €20, reduced €15, students and youth under 30 years €5, children under 18 years free

3. SeeCentral

   Ateneum Art Museum

   Ateneum can be considered the most nationally significant art museum, and it has the largest collection of paintings and sculptures in Finland. Particularly notable is the collection of works by major Finnish artists. Works include renowned interpretations of the national epic Kalevala.

   Tue–Fri 09:00–18:00, Wed Thu 09:00–20:00, Sat Sun 11:00–17:00, closed on Mondays·Adults €6, under 18 free, special prices may apply during major exhibitions. First Wednesday of the month 17:00–20:00 free admission

4. EatSouth

   Cafe Samovarbar

   Lovely cafe in the toy museum with proper espresso, ice cream, local snacks and wines, with a terrace overlooking the sea.

   11:00–17:00

5. SeeSouth

   Design Museum

   Exhibitions of modern commercial and industrial design and modern art. The permanent exhibit in the basement showcases the history of consumer-goods design over the course of the 20th century, with a particular focus on the contributions of Finnish designers. If you're a fan of Finnish design products like Marimekko fabrics, Arabia porcelain and Iittala vases and their prototypes this is definitely not a place to miss.

   Tue 11:00-20:00, Wed-Sun 11:00-18:00. Closed Mondays.·Admission €10

6. SeeWest

   Dirdrichsen Art Gallery

   Didrichsenin taidemuseo

   A collection of more than one thousand pieces of Finnish and modern international art, and artifacts from ancient Oriental and Pre-Columbian cultures. It is housed in a modernist building by famed Finnish architect Viljo Revell. Guided tours in English on the 1st Saturday of every month at 12:00.

   Tue–Sun 11:00–18:00·Adult €13, concession €10

7. SeeSouth

   Ehrensvärd Museum

   Ehrensvärd-museo

   The first occupant of the current museum building was Augustin Ehrensvärd (1710-1772), the founder of the Suomenlinna fortress. The museum's collection includes paintings, furniture, weapons and ship models.

   Adults €5, children €2

8. SeeWest

   Finlandia Hall

   Designed by Finland's best known architect Alvar Aalto. It is across the street from the National Museum. The marble Finlandia Hall is a popular congress and concert venue in Helsinki. The building itself is worth a visit particularly for architecture buffs, with guided tours available (€6/4, check website for schedule). Be sure to view the building also from across the Töölönlahti bay in the evening when it is floodlit.

   Mon–Fri 09:00–16:00·Free

9. SeeKruununhaka and Katajanokka

   Finnish Military Museum

   Founded in 1929, the central museum of the Finnish Defence Forces.

   Tue-Thu 11:00-17:00, Fri–Sun 11:00–16:00, closed Mon·€4

10. SeeWest

    Finnish Museum of Natural History

    Luonnontieteen museo

    The museum of natural history is operated by Helsinki University and shows Finnish wildlife, dinosaur skeletons and everything in-between.

    Daily 10:00–17:00 (Sun –16:00)·adults €21, children aged 5–18 €7

11. SeeKruununhaka and Katajanokka

    Helsinki City Museum

    The museum covers a whole series of old buildings around Helsinki, but the centrepiece is the (short) street of Sofiankatu itself, carefully restored as a replica of the 1930s.

    Free

12. DoInner East

    Kallio Kukkii

    A cultural summer festival held in the bohemian district of Kallio not very far from the city centre. Held over a week in middle May. Various art galleries, workshops and street art performances. Culminates in a samba parade on Sunday, held by Império do Papagaio as their final practice before the main Samba Carnaval in the city centre.

    Parade at 13:00-14:00·Free of charge

13. SeeCentral

    Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art

    The sometimes unusual collections mostly include works by contemporary Finnish artists and artists from nearby countries. There are also periodical exhibitions. The building is a work of art.

    Tue 10:00–17:00, Wed–Sun 10:00–20:30, closed on Mondays·€7 for adults, €5 for undergraduate students, senior citizens, visual artists, and groups with at least 7 people. Free admission for visitors under 18. First Friday of the month is free

14. DoWest

    Korjaamo Cultural Factory

    Situated in the old tram depot, Korjaamo is made up of galleries, a café, bar, club space, a theatre, shop, and even the Tram Museum is still here. Since the Vaunuhalli was opened in the summer of 2008, Korjaamo is now the biggest cultural centre in the country. While the work is diverse, you could say that the kind of art on offer at Korjaamo is independent, different, and worth keeping an eye on.

15. SeeEastern suburbs

    Kultturikeskus STOA

    One of Helsinki's modern cultural centers hosting various galleries.

16. BuyWest

    Mall of Tripla

    Opened in October 2019, adjacent to Pasila Railway Station. This is the biggest shopping mall in the Nordic Countries in regards to number of shops, of which there are 250. The mall also houses a movie theater and the Music museum "Fame".

17. SeeSouth

    Mannerheim Museum

    Finnish Marshall Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim lived in this villa 1924—51. The museum contains his personal home and a vast array of items he acquired during his life and on his long journeys.

    Fri-Sun 11:00-16:00·€8

18. BuyCentral

    Marimekko

    Innovative and unique Finnish interior design, bags, and fabrics. This is the flagship store, but items can also be found at the Kämp Gallery, Kamppi Centre, Hakaniemi Market Hall, or their factory shop.

19. SeeSouth

    Military Museum Manege

    Sotamuseon maneesi

    Founded in 1929, the central museum of the Finnish Defence Forces. Exhibits vehicles and armament used by Finnish forces during the Winter War and World War II.

    Summer opening 12 May-31 Aug (but closed 19-21 Jun) daily 11:00-18:00·€5

20. BuySouth

    Myymälä2

    Gallery and shop for young designers, artists and musicians. And while you are there, check out Lux shop on the opposite side of the street.

21. SeeWest

    National Museum of Finland

    Kansallismuseo

    A beautiful classical building houses this old museum, which has been renovated. The exhibit includes displays of artefacts and items relating to Finland's history. Closed until spring 2027.

    Tue-Wed 11:00-20:00, Thu-Sun 11:00-18:00, Closed Mon·€16/11 adult/child. Free admission for visitors under 18. Tuesday has free admission 17:30–20:00

22. SeeSouth

    Newspaper museum

    Päivälehden museo

    In the newspaper museum you can learn more about the history of newspapers - journalism and printing.

    Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00·Free

23. SeeWest

    Olympic Stadium

    It was built for the Olympics and renovated for the 2005 World Athletic Championships. In the stadium building you can visit the Sports Museum with medals and other paraphernalia related to sport. Another stadium, the Sonera stadium, used for football (soccer) games, is located north of the stadium. The most popular building in the complex, though, is the Uimastadion, Helsinki's largest outdoor pool (open May–Sep), whose three pools and water slides draw around 5,000 visitors a day in the summer. After the war, the pool was used to store herring and potatoes! After a long renovation, the stadium and tower reopened in 2020.

    Mon-Fri 09:00-20:00, Sat Sun 09:00-18:00

24. SeeCentral

    Paradox Museum Helsinki

    An international museum for the whole family that plays with optical illusions, with over 40 different exhibitions.

    Tue–Thu & Sun 11:00–19.00, Fri–Sat 19:00–20:00, closed on Mondays·€23 for adults, €17 for children

25. SeeWest

    Seurasaari Open Air Museum

    Fölisön

    A pleasant little island to the north of the centre, filled with walking trails and a living history museum of authentic old Finnish houses collected from all over the country. An excellent half-day trip, especially in the summer, when many buildings have museum staff who practice crafts in traditional dress. There's a very pleasant if somewhat pricey summer café/restaurant atop a small hill at the center of the island. Entry to the park free, entry into the museum buildings costs €6 (€5 concession), buy tickets at entrance. Take bus 24 from Erottaja at the northern end of Esplanadi to the terminus (20–30 minutes), then walk across the bridge. Beware of mercenary squirrels that will raid your bags if you carry any food and gulls that take shares of your ice cream. closed for the 2025 season due to budget cuts..

26. SeeSouth

    Sinebrychoff Museum

    Promotes itself as the only museum in Finland specializing in old European art. Located in a stately house commissioned in 1842 by Nikolai Sinebrychoff, the founder of the Sinebrychoff brewery. Nikolai Sinebrychoff never lived in the house, preferring instead to live in Viapori (now known as Suomenlinna), but his brother's family lived there for several years. The upper floor of the building hosts the Sinebrychoff house museum with plenty of 19th-century paintings on display.

    Tue, Fri 10:00–18:00, Wed, Thu 10:00–20:00, Sat-Sun 10:00–17:00·€20 for the whole collection, free entry for house museum and permanent exhibition only

27. SeeSouth

    Sinebrychoffin puisto

    Also known as "Koffin puisto", it's in Punavuori district next to the Sinebrychoff art museum. Popular with young people, in the summer it is full of people having picnics or just drinking pussikalja (literally: "beer in a bag", means buying beer from a supermarket and drinking it outdoors), while in the winter kids ride sleds down the snowy slope.

28. SeeInner East

    Technology museum

    Tekniikan museo

    A small museum dedicated to technology, machines and industry.

    €6

29. DoKamppi and Southwest

    The Cable Factory

    Kaapelitehdas or just Kaapeli

    The former cable factory in Ruoholahti is nowadays a multi-purpose culture centre. It hosts concerts, fairs, art workshops and odd/original museums like the restaurant museum and photography museum. There is a Restaurant/Café/Bar Hima & Sali in the building. At lunch time you can choose your meal from a daily menu or watch the cook prepare your wok from ingredients you selected. Good place for vegetarians.

30. SeeNorthern suburbs

    Tuomarinkylä Manor Museum

    A look into the daily life on an 18th-century manor. Also hosts a restaurant and a riding school.

31. SeeWest

    Urho Kekkonen Museum Tamminiemi

    Ekudden

    If you are visiting Seurasaari you can also take look into the daily life of Finland's long time president, Urho Kekkonen. His residence Tamminiemi was turned into a museum in the 1980s.

    Wed–Sun 11:00–17:00·admission €6.50

32. BuyKamppi and Southwest

    Verkkokauppa.com

    2 km from Helsinki centre in the Western Harbour (Länsisatama). Northern Europe's and possibly Europe's largest home-electronics store with 20,000 m² of retail space. The best spot for electronics, computers, digital cameras, mobile phones and gadgets in general in Helsinki. They not only sell electronics but also imported snacks (mainly from the USA) to enjoy while watching TV or barbecuing - think soda, chips, barbecue sauce, candies and such. In addition to being a store it features a couple of fast food outlets one of them with Australian meat pies, and a computer game museum on the 5th floor. Literally on the top of it all, the 7th floor features Finland's largest sightseeing terrace with views of Helsinki, the sea and prime view of cruise ships in the summer and in the middle of it a real MiG-21BIS fighter plane, the entrance is free. Free parking underground and on an outdoor parking area behind the complex.

33. SeeWest

    Villa Gyllenberg

    A private art gallery on Kuusisaari island with sculptures and older and contemporary Finnish art.

    Wed 16:00–20:00, Sun noon–16:00·adults €10, concessions €8

34. SeeInner East

    Worker Housing Museum

    Työväenasuntomuseo

    Built for the city's employees and their families in the early 20th century, nowadays the house is a museum where every room is a snapshot of the inhabitants' everyday life during different decades from the 1920s to the 1980s. Visits by guided tours which are free, start about every 15-20 minutes depending on how many visitors have arrived, and are conducted in Finnish, English (whenever foreign travellers show up) and possibly other languages too.

    June to late October: Wed-Sun 11:00-17:00·Free

35. Do Not mapped

    Joulu

    Christmas

    In the weeks before Christmas, Aleksanterinkatu is festively lit up, the Christmas lights of the street are ceremonially lit on the last Sunday in November. The open-air Christmas market formerly held in the Esplanadi Park is nowadays held at the Senaatintori (Senate Square). The Stockmann department store sets up a Christmas themed exhibition with mechanic dolls and animals in their windows at the corner of Keskuskatu and Aleksanterinkatu. Christmas is a family event, so on the 24th, everything shuts down and stays closed until December 26.

36. SeeKamppi and Southwest Not mapped

    Lasipalatsi

    Another of Helsinki's most iconic functionalist buildings right next to Mannerheimintie, the "glass palace" by Viljo Revell, Heimo Riihimäki and Niilo Kokko was finished in 1936 and is functionalist both on the inside and outside. It was planned as a temporary office building and shopping mall, to be replaced by a bigger one in the future but that never happened. In the 1980s and 90s the building was in a fairly sorry state but due to opposition by citizens and the Board of Antiquities it wasn't demolished but underwent a major restoration at the turn of the millennium. Today the gorgeous white building with colourful neon signs houses shops, restaurants, the movie theatre Bio Rex, and beneath it, the art museum Amos Rex.

37. SeeKruununhaka and Katajanokka

    Bank of Finland Museum

    A museum about money and banking, as the name reveals.

    Tue-Fri 11:00-17:00, Sat Sun 11:00-16:00·free

38. DoNorthern suburbs

    Kanneltalo

    A concert and exhibition hall in Kannelmäki.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Helsinki (CC BY-SA 4.0).