Teatterimuseo

About the museum

The Teatterimuseo foundation was established in 1962, and the museum's first exhibition opened the following year in the Balder house on Aleksanterinkatu. The museum began to be run full-time in 1981. In 1993 the museum received new office and collection premises, and space for changing exhibitions, at the Kaapelitehdas (Cable Factory), and in 1994 it became a national special museum. A new permanent exhibition and a research hall opened at the Kaapelitehdas in 1999. The Council of Europe awarded the museum its Museum of the Year award in 2001.

In 2019 the museum's collection area was expanded when circus and performance art were included in its area of responsibility, and in 2020 the Teatterimuseo received the status of a national responsibility museum under the Museums Act. All the museum's collections were moved under one roof in Vallila, Helsinki, in 2018. The museum maintains the national collection of Finnish theatre, dance, opera, circus and performance art.

The museum is maintained by the private Teatterimuseon säätiö (Theatre Museum Foundation), whose members are the City of Helsinki, the Suomen Teatterijärjestöjen Keskusliitto ry (Central Association of Finnish Theatre Organisations) and the Suomen museoliitto (Finnish Museums Association). The museum's second permanent exhibition, Kolmas soitto (The Third Bell), opened in 2023. It tells of the performing arts and of how a performance comes into being, from the idea through the preparation and rehearsal phases to the moment of performance. The centrepiece of the Arkadia theatre exhibition is a stage modelled on Engel's theatre, where visitors can change roles in the dressing room and step into the limelight.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition Kolmas soitto
• Arkadia theatre and a stage modelled on Engel's theatre
• Dressing room where visitors can change roles
• Puppets and stages to try out
• National collection of the performing arts

Permanent exhibitions

• Kolmas soitto – The basic exhibition tells of the performing arts and of how a performance comes into being, from the idea through the preparation and rehearsal phases to the moment of performance.
• Arkadia-teatteri – The centrepiece of the exhibition is a stage modelled on Engel's theatre; in the dressing room you can change roles and step into the limelight.

Founded

1962

Operated by

Teatterimuseon säätiö

Admission & discounts

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

With the Museokortti, Helsinki Card, ICOM card or press card you can enter the museum free; the Museokortti can also be bought at the ticket sales. ePassi is accepted as a means of payment, but not for buying a joint ticket or a Museokortti. Through the Kulttuurikaveri (cultural friend) activity, a visitor accompanied by a cultural friend enters free. The Valokuvataiteen museo (Museum of Photography) and the Hotelli- ja ravintolamuseo (Hotel and Restaurant Museum) have their own admission tickets.

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: no information
• Audio description: no information

Step-free access to the Lasipiha (Glass Courtyard) of the Kaapelitehdas is from the Kaapeliaukio side, and a ramp leads from the factory shop to the museums' foyer. The museum is on the second floor, reached from the foyer by lift. The exhibition is largely step-free; for the stage of the Arkadia theatre the exhibition supervisor installs ramps, which do not suit all wheelchairs. The accessible toilet is in the museums' foyer. Accessible parking spaces are in the inner courtyard of the Kaapelitehdas (parking up to four hours) and along the Tammasaarenkatu. Guide and assistance dogs are welcome. For visually impaired visitors an assisting guide is available by advance booking. The museum has no induction loop.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

On the stages of the Arkadia theatre and Kolmas soitto, visitors can try out their skills freely, and puppets are also available to try. Family days are held twice a year for families with children, and guided narrative adventures are held during the holidays.

Getting there & parking

The entrance is through the Lasipiha, via the factory shop, and ticket sales are in the Lasipiha. The museum is located at the end of the seaward wing of the Kaapelitehdas, on the second floor.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop: not available
• Coat check
• Lockers

The shared foyer of the museums has coat hooks, free lockable lockers and toilets. The museum has no shop of its own, but the museum's products are sold at the Tehtaanmyymälä (factory shop) of the Kaapelitehdas. The nearest cafés are Traba at the Lasipiha, the Kahvibaari at Porttikongi, and Hima&Sali at C-rappu.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

The museum rents spaces for parties, meetings and seminars.

Plan your visit