Helsinki City Museum is experimental, child friendly, free of charge, open every day, located in the heart of the city, fun, place to hang out, inspiring and more like a friend or a living room, than just a regular museum.
Helsinki City Museum was fully renovated and reopened in May 2016 in a new location, right opposite the Helsinki Cathedral, in the oldest building of the centre of Helsinki, called Sederholm’s house. Actually the different parts of the museum have conquered also the neighbouring buildings, in four floors, creating an interesting little labyrinth with many small rooms. From the ground floor you can find the entrance hall (a great place to hang out and work, or just escape the chilly weather), Time Machine and Children’s Town. My kids loved all of these places, and funnily my older one managed to spot her grandmother from the Time Machine! The main exhibition on Helsinki’s past is called Helsinki Bites, and it is located in the second floor. There you can find beautiful items reminding us from the past days. And in the last floor, there is a space for changing exhibitions with a green corner to hang out. The current exhibition called “Smell” wasn’t really a my thing, but I loved the previous one called “Museum of Broken Relationships”.
The best thing about the museum is that it is so interactive: it is an easy and good option to spend an hour or two with kids. The Children’s Town offers costumes and hand puppets to create performances on a little stage, there are several dollhouses that are on children’s use (and not just pretty to look at), old classroom, an old fashioned shop to play shopkeepers etc. Also the main exhibition allows the visitors to be active and “don’t touch” signs have no role in this play (that I love!). For coffee lovers there are also good news: café El Fant and Finland’s best baristas are just next floor!
Check out my pics from the museum opening in my Instagram account!
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