Hotelli- ja ravintolamuseo

About the museum

The Hotelli- ja ravintolamuseo was established on the initiative of the Hotelli- ja ravintolaopistosäätiö (Hotel and Restaurant School Foundation), and its activities began in January 1971 under the wing of the present-day Haaga Instituutti foundation. Over five decades, the small specialist museum for students in the hotel and restaurant sector has grown into a general museum of food and drink culture. The museum has operated at Kaapelitehdas in Ruoholahti since 1993, and its operations have been run by the Hotelli- ja ravintolamuseosäätiö (Hotel and Restaurant Museum Foundation) since the beginning of 1994.

The museum makes Finnish food and drink culture visible, along with the shared cultural heritage of the associated service culture. The foundation includes representatives of, among others, the Haaga Instituutti foundation, the Palvelualojen ammattiliitto PAM (service sector union), Matkailu- ja ravintolapalvelut MaRa, the Panimo- ja virvoitusjuomateollisuusliitto (brewing and soft drinks industry association) and the Suomen museoliitto (Finnish Museum Association). Operations are funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the City of Helsinki.

The basic exhibition Makuasioita (Matters of Taste) takes visitors to places where food and drink culture is built and shaped: visitors can sit by a campfire, look into a home kitchen, dance in a restaurant, reminisce in a school canteen and serve their favourite dishes in a café. The exhibition contains objects, old photographs, art and technology, and draws on memories collected from the public. The museum is one of three Cable Museums, alongside the Suomen valokuvataiteen museo and the Teatterimuseo, and has been awarded the Good Travel Seal certificate.

Highlights

• Makuasioita basic exhibition on food and drink culture
• Multisensory exhibition: campfire, home kitchen, restaurant, school canteen and café
• Tasty guided tours with taste packages
• Professor Herne’s Taste Journey birthday adventure for children
• Cable Museums joint ticket with the Suomen valokuvataiteen museo and the Teatterimuseo

Permanent exhibition

• Makuasioita – näkökulmia ruoka- ja juomakulttuuriin – The multisensory permanent exhibition takes visitors to places where food and drink culture is built and shaped: a campfire, a home kitchen, a restaurant, a school canteen and a café.

Founded

1971

Operated by

Hotelli- ja ravintolamuseosäätiö

Director

Anni Pelkonen

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission on the last Wednesday of each month, 16:00–19:00.

Museokortti (Finnish Museum Card) and Helsinki Card are accepted. Admission is also free for members of the museum’s support association, ICOM members, employees of other Finnish museums, HIAP residency artists, press card holders and teachers preparing a visit. Payment methods: cash, bank and credit cards, and ePassi. Tickets can be bought online in advance.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

Step-free access to the Lasipiha is from the Kaapeliaukio side; the automatic door is under the Tanssin talo (House of Dance) sign, on the far right. The museum is on the second floor, reached by a spacious lift, and all parts of the exhibition are step-free. The accessible toilets are in the lower lobby of the Cable Museums. There are two marked accessible parking spaces in the Kaapelitehdas courtyard (free for up to four hours). There is no induction loop. Scents are used in the exhibition spaces. Assistants enter free of charge, and guide dogs and assistance dogs are welcome. The Makuasioita guided tour can be ordered in easy-read Finnish.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Kids’ birthday parties

Professor Herne’s Taste Journey birthday adventure is aimed at 6–12-year-olds: it lasts 1 hour 15 minutes, for up to 10 children and 2 adults, and costs €100 on weekdays and €220 at weekends, plus a taste package for €35 per group. There are also guided tours and workshops for children on Professor Herne’s taste journey.

Getting there & parking

The entrance is from the Lasipiha of Kaapelitehdas, where the museums’ ticket sales and information point are located. The museum is close to the Tanssin talo.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check
• Lockers

The lower lobby has lockable storage lockers that work without coins, and an unattended coat rack. There are cafés at Kaapelitehdas, and the restaurant Ravintola Hima&Sali.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Rentable spaces include the nature room of the Makuasioita exhibition (about 25 seats), the space for changing exhibitions and events (up to about 50 seats), and the whole museum. In addition to the room rental, an admission fee of €8 per person or the Museokortti is charged. The museum holds licences to serve alcohol, and programmes and catering can be ordered through the museum.

Plan your visit