Helsingin kaupunginmuseo

About the museum

The Helsingin kaupunginmuseo (Helsinki City Museum) was founded in 1911 to record and present the history of the capital. The museum opened to the public on 15 December 1912. The first collections were gathered from the city’s own objects, donations and copies of portraits made on the basis of old paintings.

The present main building is at Aleksanterinkatu 16, at the corner of Senate Square, in the oldest blocks of Kruununhaka. The house combines five older buildings, between which a new section has been built, and its three inner courtyards are part of the whole. The buildings were previously used mainly as offices.

The Sederholm House, completed in 1757, belongs to the same block and is the oldest house in the core of central Helsinki. It houses the Lasten kaupunki (Children’s City), where children get to know the city’s past through play. The Sederholm House was reopened as part of the City Museum in May 2016.

In addition to its head office, the Helsinki City Museum has smaller branches, such as the Hakasalmen huvila (Hakasalmi Villa), the Ratikkamuseo (Tram Museum), the Ruiskumestarin talo (Rubber Master’s House) and the Duunarimuseo (Workers’ Museum). The museum received the Vuoden museo (Museum of the Year) award in spring 2017.

Highlights

• Helsinki exhibition: the turning points of the city from prehistory to the present
• Lasten kaupunki (Children’s City) in the Sederholm House: exploring the past through play
• Helsinki’s oldest house in the city centre core, from 1757
• Admission always free
• Guided tours in Finnish, Swedish and English

Permanent exhibitions

• Helsinki-näyttely – The main exhibition of the museum takes visitors through a timeline of the city’s turning points and phenomena, from prehistory to the present day. Along the way they meet people of Helsinki from different eras and examine old maps.
• Lasten kaupunki – A touchable exhibition in the Sederholm House, where children get to know Helsinki’s past through play in an 18th-century merchant’s household, a 1930s classroom and a 1970s grandmother’s home.

Founded

1911

Operated by

Helsingin kaupunki

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the museum is always free. The price of guided tours applies from 1 January 2025; a group guided tour on weekdays outside opening hours costs €150 per hour.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• 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 step-free entrance is through the gateway and inner courtyard at Aleksanterinkatu 16; the other entrances (Katariinankatu, Goviniuksen piha) are not entirely step-free. The lift serves all floors and carries 300 kg. An induction loop is at the information point, in the museum shop and in the exhibition and meeting rooms. The museum’s website offers an audio word map of the entrance and of moving around the building. The Falkman studio, which can be rented, is not step-free. Service dogs are welcome.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Kids’ birthday parties

Lasten kaupunki is a touchable exhibition aimed at pre-school children. There is a canopy in the inner courtyard for pushchairs, but pushchairs cannot go into Lasten kaupunki because of lack of space. The museum has a low children’s toilet and a baby-changing table. Theme tours are also available for birthdays and other occasions.

Getting there & parking

The museum is at the corner of Senate Square in the Torikortteli (Market Blocks); the public transport route can be checked in the Reittiopas journey planner. The main entrance is through the gateway and inner courtyard at Aleksanterinkatu 16.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

Museum shop. On the ground floor there are coat hooks and free lockable storage lockers. On the lower floor of the Lasten kaupunki there is a space for eating packed food, with a microwave. The nearest café-restaurant is on the Katariinankatu side of the block.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Spaces available for rent include the Falkman studio and meeting rooms.

Plan your visit