Duunarimuseo
In an old municipal workers' house in Alppila, nine stove rooms tell of working-class families' everyday life in Helsinki from the 1910s to the 1980s.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Duunarimuseo operates in Alppila at the foot of Linnanmäki, in one of the oldest wooden houses that the city of Helsinki built for its workers. The city built high-quality housing on Kristiinankatu to improve the living conditions of its own workforce. Completed in 1909, the apartments were rented for a long time to workers who had served the city for many years, preferably to large families. The rent was high, but the residents were satisfied.
The wooden houses disappeared quickly from Kallio from the 1950s onward, and the workers' housing on Kirstinkuja was also marked for demolition in 1966. The houses were left to decay, and residents' lives became unsettled. The buildings were protected only in 1986. Three houses were renovated into modern apartments, and one of them was turned by the Helsingin kaupunginmuseo (Helsinki City Museum) into the Työväenasuntomuseo (Workers' Housing Museum). The well-preserved museum house was repaired, keeping as much of the old as possible.
The museum's nine small stove rooms are furnished as the homes of people who lived in the house at different times. Both the residents' original furniture and objects from the City Museum's collections are on display. The furnishings show changes in housing: oil lamps give way to electric lamps, and beds that folded down from the wall give way to hetekat. In 2025 the museum was updated and renamed Duunarimuseo. In the renewed museum, working-class occupations and residents' lives, with their light and shadow, are presented more strongly than before.
Highlights
- Nine stove rooms from the 1910s to the 1980s
- Residents' stories that can be listened to on your own phone
- Original furniture and objects from the City Museum's collections
- Municipal workers' house completed in 1909
- 360-degree online tour
Permanent exhibition
- Duunarimuseo – Nine stove rooms are furnished as the homes of working-class families who lived in the house at different times, from the 1910s to the 1980s.
- Operated by
- Helsingin kaupunginmuseo
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Adults | free |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | free |
Admission is always free. Study visits by daycare centres and educational institutions are free of charge.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom: not available
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum has many stairs; there is no step-free access and no accessible toilet. Pets cannot enter the museum, but assistance dogs are welcome.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
There are both tram and bus stops close to the museum.
The museum is located in Alppila at the foot of Linnanmäki.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
The museum shop is located in staircase A of the house.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The visit begins at the information point in staircase A, where visitors borrow an access tag for the museum rooms. In the museum rooms you can listen to audio guidance on your own device. Free public guided tours are held daily in Finnish at 11:30 and 15:00, in English at 13:30, and in Swedish on Wednesdays at 15:00. Groups of more than 10 people must notify their visit in advance; guided tours for groups of more than five people can be booked via the City Museum's website. Groups of more than 15 people are divided into smaller groups for the guided tours because of the small size of the rooms. |
