Luonnontieteellinen museo

About the museum

The Luonnontieteellinen museo (Finnish Museum of Natural History) belongs to Luomus, the Finnish Museum of Natural History of the University of Helsinki, which looks after one of the most important natural history collections in the world. The museum is on Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu, behind the Parliament House (Eduskuntatalo), in the very centre of Helsinki; the building can be recognised by the elk statue beside the main entrance. The museum’s exhibitions were previously known as the Eläinmuseo (Animal Museum).

The exhibitions spread over the four floors of the building. Five permanent exhibitions deal with the nature of Finland, the zoogeography of the world, the history of life on Earth, the skeletons of vertebrates, and climate change. In addition, the museum has changing exhibitions.

The museum is part of the public attractions of Luomus, which also include the Kaisaniemi and Kumpula botanical gardens. The museum has a café, a museum shop, and audio-guided tours in 60 languages.

Highlights

• Seasons and landscapes of Finland in the Nature of Finland exhibition, from the southern coast to the north
• Nature of the world: animals and habitats from the polar regions to the tropics
• History of life: from trilobites to dinosaurs
• Rare skeleton of Steller’s sea cow in the exhibition Luut kertovat (Bones Tell)
• Audio guides in 60 languages

Permanent exhibitions

• Suomen luonto – The exhibition travels through the seasons and landscapes of Finland, from the southern coasts to the northern winter, and features, among other things, cranes, bears and elks.
• Maailman luonto – The exhibition presents animals and habitats from the polar regions through the coniferous forest zone and the temperate and subtropical zones to the tropics.
• Elämän historia – The exhibition follows the stages of the Earth from the movements of the continental plates and the first life in the sea to trilobites, dinosaurs and great white sharks.

Founded

1924

Operated by

Helsingin yliopisto (Luonnontieteellinen keskusmuseo Luomus)

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free days in 2026: 9 October, 11 November and 18 December (for private individuals and groups other than early childhood education and school groups).

Online prices €20, €13 and €6; at the ticket desk €21, €14 and €7. The Museokortti gives free admission, and the card can be bought or renewed at the museum’s ticket desk. Free admission also for, among others, group leaders and bus drivers, war veterans, holders of press cards, ICOM and Kaiku cards, and teachers at Finnish educational institutions.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• 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 is step-free except for the winter corner of the Nature of Finland exhibition. The step-free entrance is on the inner-courtyard side at Arkadiankatu 7; if you arrive by wheelchair, rollator or with a wide pushchair, contact the ticket desk, which opens the vehicle gate. The museum has a lift, an accessible toilet and a baby-changing room in the lower lobby. A wheelchair or rollator can be borrowed for the visit (no advance booking needed); the ticket desk has a telecoil/induction loop, and the museum has two loan wheelchairs. Step-free parking in the inner courtyard only with a disabled parking permit; report your arrival at the ticket desk.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

Pushchairs may be taken into the exhibitions, and there is a pushchair park in the inner courtyard. The museum has a baby-changing room and two loan pushchairs. Children under 5 enter free of charge.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located behind the Parliament House; the elk statue stands beside the main entrance.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

The café and the museum shop are on the first floor (operated by Ruokalähettiläs Oy); the café serves soup lunch on weekdays outside the summer period. There is a picnic area on the fourth floor. Free Wi-Fi network Helsinki UniGuest, the password of which is displayed in the entrance hall. Free cloakroom hooks and lockable storage lockers are in the lower lobby, at your own risk; there is no luggage storage.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit