Museum sights in Helsinki
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Seurasaari Open-Air Museum
West of the centre, this island is best known for Seurasaari Open-Air Museum with 18th- and 19th-century traditional houses, manors and outbuildings from around Finland. Guides dressed in traditional costume demonstrate folk-dancing and crafts such as spinning, embroidery and troll-making. While you’ll see other museums like this across Finland, Seurasaari definitely has the best. There are guided tours in English at 11.30am and 3.30pm.
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National Gallery
The Ateneum houses Finnish paintings and sculptures from the 18th century to the 1950s. There's also a small, interesting collection of 19th- and early-20th-century foreign art, including a copy of Auguste Rodin's bronze The Thinker, and paintings by Van Gogh, Gaugin and Cezanne. The building itself dates from 1887.
The list of painters at the Ateneum reads like a 'who's who' of Finnish art. It houses Finnish paintings and sculptures from the 18th century to the 1950s including works by Albert Edelfelt, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, the Von Wright brothers and Pekka Halonen. Pride of place goes to the prolific Gallen-Kallela's triptych from the Kalevala depicting Väinämöinen's p…
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Mannerheim Museum
This fascinating museum in Kaivopuisto Park was the home of Baron Gustav Mannerheim, former president, Commander in Chief of the Finnish army and Finnish Civil War victor. The great Field Marshal never owned the building; he rented it from chocolate magnate, Karl Fazer, until his death. The house tells of Mannerheim’s intrepid life with hundreds of military medals and photographs from his Asian expedition travelling 14,000km along the Silk Road from Samarkand to Beijing. Entry includes an informative one-hour guided tour in six languages, plus free plastic booties to keep the hallowed floor clean.
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Kansallismuseo
Impressive Kansallismuseo resembles a Gothic church with its heavy stonework and tall-steeple tower, but actually opened in 1916. Inside the museum is divided into rooms covering different periods of Finnish history, including a large collection of prehistoric finds, church relics and cultural exhibitions. Look up for the vivid frescoes by Akseli Gallen-Kallela depicting scenes from the epic Kalevala, including one of the hero Väinämöinen plunging a stake into the giant pike.
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Manege
One of two museums that retells Suomenlinna’s military history and can be visited with a combination ticket (€6). Manege commemorates WWII and displays heavy artillery. Finland was forbidden to possess submarines by the 1947 Treaty of Paris and the WWII-era U-boat Vesikko is one of the few submarines remaining in the country. You climb inside and see how it all worked – it’s not for the claustrophobic.
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Ehrensvärd Museum
Ehrensvärd Museum preserves an 18th-century officer’s home with dozens of model ships, sea charts, portraits and blue-and-white-tile Swedish stoves. Opposite Ehrensvärd Museum is the shipyard where sailmakers and other workers have been building ships since the 1750s. As many as two dozen ships are in the dry dock at any given time. They can be from 12m to 32m long and from as far away as the UK.
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Porvoo Historical Museum
Porvoo Historical Museum is in two adjacent buildings on the beautiful cobbled Old Town Hall Square. The more interesting of the two is the Art Museum, with paintings by Albert Edelfelt and sculptures by Ville Vallgren, two of Porvoo’s celebrated artists. Porvoo Historical Museum, in the town hall building across the square, reproduces a 19th-century merchant’s home.
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Kiasma
The quirky curves of Kiasma have been a part of Helsinki for more than 10 years, but the contemporary art space still surprises with exciting new exhibits. American architect Steven Holl designed the unique structure to mimic the Greek letter chi, which represents an intersection. The building has become a meeting point for art as well as drinkers on its popular terrace.
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Sports Museum of Finland
The sports museum, in the 1952 Olympic Stadium, houses Finland’s sporting hall of fame including the triumph of runner Paavo Nurmi and Matti Nykänen, one of the most successful ski jumpers of all time. There are good simulations that let you compete in the 200m race against champions and there’s a novel exhibition about Pesäpallo, Finland’s own baseball-like game.
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Gallen-Kallela Museum
Part-castle, part-studio, the Gallen-Kallela Museum was the self-designed home of Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Finland’s most significant artist. Many of his works are displayed here including his famed Kalevala illustrations. From Helsinki take tram 4 to Munkkiniemi, then walk 2km or take bus 33 (Monday to Friday only).
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Suomenlinna Museum
At the bridge connecting Iso Mustasaari and Susisaariis is the Suomenlinna Museum, covering the island's history. There's a scale model of Suomenlinna as it looked in 1808 and an illuminating 30-minute audiovisual display.
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Toy Museum
The delightful Toy Museum is a private collection of hundreds of dolls and almost as many teddy bears – the personal achievement of Piippa Tandefelt. The cafe here serves delicious homemade apple pie.
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Submarine Vesikko
Three museums relating to Suomenlinna's military history can be visited with a combination ticket (adult/student around €6.50/2) - the most interesting is the Submarine Vesikko.
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Suomenlinna Museum
At the visitors centre is the Suomenlinna Museum, featuring a scale model of Suomenlinna as it looked in 1808, and an illuminating 30-minute audiovisual display.
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Walter Runeberg Sculpture Collection
Walter Runeberg Sculpture Collection has 150 sculptures by Walter Runeberg, JL Runeberg’s eldest son, who produced the town’s sculpture of his father.
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Ehrensvärd Museum
Ehrensvärd Museum preserves an 18th-century officer's home and contains dozens of model ships, sea charts, portraits and blue-and-white tile Swedish stoves.
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Museum of Photography
The building also houses three offbeat museums (free with the Helsinki Card): the Museum of Photography, covering art photography and photographic culture.
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Halosenniemi
One of the most significant museums along this road; the Karelian-inspired log-built studio of Halonen has a walking trail through his lakeside garden.
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Doll & Toy Museum
Doll & Toy Museum houses over 800 dolls, tin toys and other childhood curiosities, making it Finland’s largest toy museum.
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Theatre Museum
The Theatre Museum , exploring the history of Finnish theatre. Take tram No 8 or the metro to Ruolahti (about 500m away).
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Hotel & Restaurant Museum
The Hotel & Restaurant Museum, with everything you wanted to know about Finnish bars and restaurants.
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Coast Artillery Museum
Coast Artillery Museum displays heavy artillery in a bunker-style exhibition.
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