The most important museums in Finland
Finland has many different museums and interest in them is increasing. In 2023, the number of museum visits increased by a whopping 47% compared to 2022. Museums have become more interesting with the museum card that was launched in 2015. With a museum card and a single annual fee, you can visit museums as many times as you like, and it gives you access to all public museums.
There are also private museums in Finland that are maintained by private individuals and communities, in which case operating a museum is their business activity. Museums may be located in a private person's home or yard, so be especially polite when visiting such a museum.
There are different types of museums in Finland
The large art museums in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area such as Ateneum, Kiasma, Amos Rex, WeeGee, the National Museum and the Design Museum are definitely a safe bet destinations to visit. Art museums can also be found in Tampere, the Sara Hildén Art Museum and the Tampere Art Museum, in Turku you can find Turku Art Museum and Aboa Vetus Ars Nova, Mänttä-Vilppula has the Serlachius Museum Gösta, Kerava has the Art and Museum Centre SINKKA and Salo Art Museum Veturitalli is located in Salo.
In addition to art museums, Finland has regional provincial museums. The cultural environment duties of museums have now been written into law for the first time since 2019 and the availability of cultural environment services is quaranteed in all provinces. Museums act as experts in the cultural environment, especially the built environment and archaeological cultural heritage in their area.
Provincial museums in Finland include, for example, the Kainuu Museum, the Lapland Provincial Museum in Rovaniemi, the Luuppi Museum and Science Centre in Oulu, the Central Finland Museum in Jyväskylä and so on. You can check any major city that is the regional capital.
Speciality museums
In addition to art and historical museums, Finland also has all kinds of special museums. How does a Suomen Pelimuseo game museum sound? You can get familiar and even play Finnish games, of which there are about a hundred on display. This includes everything from board games to digital games. Farkkumuseo, the jeans museum in Helsinki offers a look at the 150-year history of jeans. Pullomuseo, an international bottle museum in Sonkajärvi contains over 6,000 different bottles from around the world. Then there is the Sairaalamuseo hospital museum in Seinäjoki or would you be interested in the Kaivosmuseo in Outokumpu (mining museum), which boasts a 277 meter long mining tunnel?
The museum ship Pommern in Åland is the world's only four-masted cargo sailing ship that has been preserved in its original condition. The Mobilia Museum in Kangasala is a lively place to visit in the world of cars, and if you like airplanes, there are dozens of them in the Suomen Ilmailumuseo (aviation museum) in Vantaa. In the Vakoilumuseo in Tampere (espionage museum), the world's first museum specializing in espionage, you can get acquainted with real-life models and equipment of James Bond and other fictional agents.
Tampere is also home to the Police Museum.
Have you been to any of the museums mentioned in this article? Or have you been to museums thar are not mentioned here? Please comment and tell us below!
Minna, OLS Community Manager – Finnish
Finland has many different museums and interest in them is increasing. In 2023, the number of museum visits increased by a whopping 47% compared to 2022. Museums have become more interesting with the museum card that was launched in 2015. With a museum card and a single annual fee, you can visit museums as many times as you like, and it gives you access to all public museums.
There are also private museums in Finland that are maintained by private individuals and communities, in which case operating a museum is their business activity. Museums may be located in a private person's home or yard, so be especially polite when visiting such a museum.
There are different types of museums in Finland
The large art museums in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area such as Ateneum, Kiasma, Amos Rex, WeeGee, the National Museum and the Design Museum are definitely a safe bet destinations to visit. Art museums can also be found in Tampere, the Sara Hildén Art Museum and the Tampere Art Museum, in Turku you can find Turku Art Museum and Aboa Vetus Ars Nova, Mänttä-Vilppula has the Serlachius Museum Gösta, Kerava has the Art and Museum Centre SINKKA and Salo Art Museum Veturitalli is located in Salo.
In addition to art museums, Finland has regional provincial museums. The cultural environment duties of museums have now been written into law for the first time since 2019 and the availability of cultural environment services is quaranteed in all provinces. Museums act as experts in the cultural environment, especially the built environment and archaeological cultural heritage in their area.
Provincial museums in Finland include, for example, the Kainuu Museum, the Lapland Provincial Museum in Rovaniemi, the Luuppi Museum and Science Centre in Oulu, the Central Finland Museum in Jyväskylä and so on. You can check any major city that is the regional capital.
Speciality museums
In addition to art and historical museums, Finland also has all kinds of special museums. How does a Suomen Pelimuseo game museum sound? You can get familiar and even play Finnish games, of which there are about a hundred on display. This includes everything from board games to digital games. Farkkumuseo, the jeans museum in Helsinki offers a look at the 150-year history of jeans. Pullomuseo, an international bottle museum in Sonkajärvi contains over 6,000 different bottles from around the world. Then there is the Sairaalamuseo hospital museum in Seinäjoki or would you be interested in the Kaivosmuseo in Outokumpu (mining museum), which boasts a 277 meter long mining tunnel?
The museum ship Pommern in Åland is the world's only four-masted cargo sailing ship that has been preserved in its original condition. The Mobilia Museum in Kangasala is a lively place to visit in the world of cars, and if you like airplanes, there are dozens of them in the Suomen Ilmailumuseo (aviation museum) in Vantaa. In the Vakoilumuseo in Tampere (espionage museum), the world's first museum specializing in espionage, you can get acquainted with real-life models and equipment of James Bond and other fictional agents.
Tampere is also home to the Police Museum.
Have you been to any of the museums mentioned in this article? Or have you been to museums thar are not mentioned here? Please comment and tell us below!
Minna, OLS Community Manager – Finnish