Suomen valokuvataiteen museo
The national responsibility museum for photography at Kaapelitehdas in Ruoholahti: contemporary photography exhibitions and the permanent Etsin exhibition.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Suomen valokuvataiteen museo began its activities in 1969. It was founded by a foundation set up by a council of photography organisations, and the opening exhibition was held on May Day Eve 1969 at the Kluuvi Gallery. During its first decade the museum office was in the Pasila water tower, and the exhibition and storage spaces were on Korkeavuorenkatu in Ullanlinna; in 1982 the museum moved to Lauttasaari.
Today the museum operates at Kaapelitehdas in Ruoholahti, in premises provided by the City of Helsinki. It is maintained by the Suomen valokuvataiteen museon säätiö (Finnish Museum of Photography Foundation), and its main funders are the Ministry of Education and the City of Helsinki. The museum is the national responsibility museum for photography, whose task is to promote and nurture Finnish photographic art and photographic culture.
The collections contain more than two million images, with an emphasis on Finnish 20th-century photography, as well as thousands of photography-related objects, a paper archive and a photography library. The exhibition spaces comprise a large space for temporary exhibitions and the Prosessi room on the ground floor, and on the lower level the permanent Etsin exhibition and a gallery space. The museum also organises photography courses and workshops.
Highlights
- Etsin, the museum’s first permanent exhibition on photography and its use
- Camera obscura, photo studio and darkroom to look into
- A collection of more than two million images
- Changing exhibitions of contemporary photography in the Kaapelitehdas premises
- Photography courses and darkroom workshops
Permanent exhibition
- Etsin – The museum’s first permanent exhibition tells about photographs, photographers and the people who use them; visitors can look into a camera obscura, take their own picture in the studio and peek into the darkroom.
- Founded
- 1969
- Operated by
- Suomen valokuvataiteen museon säätiö
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €16 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €6students, pensioners, unemployed people, conscripts and people doing civilian service, teachers working in Finland, and members of the Valokuvataiteilijoiden liitto (Finnish Photographic Artists’ Association) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Under 18s enter free of charge. |
| Seniors | €6 |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Personal assistants of disabled visitors enter free of charge. |
| Students & apprentices | €6 |
| Groups | –Educational groups with a teacher enter free of charge. |
| Joint ticket for the Kaapelimuseot (Cable Factory museums) | €21Includes Hotelli- ja ravintolamuseo, Teatterimuseo and Suomen valokuvataiteen museo. |
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 employees of other Finnish museums, holders of ICOM and press cards, HIAP residency artists at Kaapelitehdas, war and front-line veterans, Kaikukortti holders and Kulttuurikaverit. Payment methods: cash, bank cards and credit cards.
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 doors of the airlock leading to the ground-floor exhibition space are not motorised, and ticket staff will help if needed. The exhibition spaces are on two floors, between which visitors travel by lift. The lobby has accessible toilets. There is no induction loop. Exhibition texts are available in Finnish, Swedish and English. There are chairs in the lobby, and light portable chairs can be borrowed. Assistants enter free of charge, and guide dogs and assistance dogs are welcome. Drop-off parking is possible on Tammasaarenkatu.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Baby changing facilities
- Kids’ birthday parties
The museum has a Valoa pimeässä (Light in the Dark) workshop for children, and children’s birthday parties can be held in the museum’s darkroom. The toilets have a changing table as well as a potty and a step for small children.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Kaapelitehdas
Tram stop Kaapelitehdas; metro Ruoholahti (about 600 m); bus stop Salmisaari (about 300 m).
By car
Drop-off parking is possible on Tammasaarenkatu. Bicycle racks are in front of the museum end of the building at Kaapelitehdas, near the Lasipiha entrance; the nearest city bike station is Kaapelitehdas 060 on Tammasaarenlaituri.
The entrance is through the Lasipiha of the Kaapelitehdas at Kaapeliaukio 3.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Coat check
- Lockers
The lobby has lockable storage lockers that work without coins, as well as an unattended coat rack. The Kaapelitehdas café, Kahvibaari, is next to the gate to the inner courtyard.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours are offered for both the changing exhibitions and the permanent Etsin exhibition, and can be adapted to the needs of special groups. Groups may also visit on their own. Booked guided tours are paid online when booking or by invoice. Bookings: booking@fmp.fi. |
