Helsinki is a real treat for museum lovers. There are more than 80 to choose from, including the Finnish National Museum, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum. Below is a list of Helsinki's major museums – the big venues with incredible collections that any visitor to the city would be sorry to miss.
 Kiasma
Kiasma (built 1993–1998) is a contemporary art museum located on Mannerheimintie in Helsinki. Its name kiasma, Finnish for chiasma, alludes to the basic conceptual idea of its architect, Steven Holl. The museum exhibits the contemporary art collection of the Finnish National Gallery founded in 1990.
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 The Cable Factory
The Cable Factory is the largest cultural centre in Finland. It houses 3 museums, 12 galleries, dance theatres, art schools and a host of artists, bands and companies. Unique spaces are also available for rent on a short-term basis to stage concerts, exhibitions, festivals and fairs. Around 900 people work at the Cable Factory on a daily basis, and each year over 230,000 people attend special events.
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 Amos Rex
Located in the centre of Helsinki, the Amos Anderson Art Museum exhibits high-quality temporary exhibitions as well as a permanent collection. The museum exhibits both traditional as well as contemporary domestic and international art. The museum also highlights young artists and modern phenomena.
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 Design Museum
Visitors of the Design Museum are treated to a voyage in the world of Finnish design from its history all the way to contemporary themes. In Finland, in the late 19th century, the industrial revolution gave birth to industrial design. The exhibition provides a view into various periods and trends through unique pieces and everyday utensils.
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 Ehrensvärd Museum
The Ehrensvärd Museum operates in the former home of the constructor of the Viapori fortress, Field Marshal Augustin Ehrensvärd. In this museum bearing his name, the cultural atmosphere of the era is reflected in the paw-legged chairs and charming portraits. The ship models, weapons and skilled drawings and paintings stand as proof of the sea battles and defence history of the fortress.
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 Hakasalmi Villa
Located on Mannerheimintie, this charming villa is a beautiful example of Empire style architecture. Here visitors can enjoy the temporary exhibitions of the City Museum of Helsinki. The procurator and privy councillor Carl Johan Walleen built the Hakasalmi Villa in 1843 as a combination of a city and countryside residence.
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 Kunsthalle
Founded in 1928, Kunsthalle Helsinki mounts exciting exhibitions of contemporary art, design and architecture in the city’s most beautiful art venue, a gem of 1920s classicism designed by architects Ekelund & Eklund.
Exhibitions in the Kunsthalle showcase both Finnish and international art. |
 Galerie Forsblom
Galerie Forsblom – one of the leading galleries in Northern Europe – moved in May 2011 to a major new gallery space in central Helsinki, designed by Gluckman Mayner Architects, New York. Through 10 exhibitions per year in each of two separate spaces, Galerie Forsblom alternates important shows by major international contemporary artists and Finnish talents – confirmed or emerging.
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 Museum of Natural History
The Finnish Museum of Natural History begins its adventure into the Finnish nature by plunging through the surface of the Baltic Sea and continuing through the seasons all the way to the frost-ridden arctic hills. The history of life travels through time to the past with the dinosaurs.
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 Studio Aalto
A visit to Studio Aalto is a fascinating immersion into the world of Alvar Aalto’s architecture, design and personal history, but at the same time it is an architectural experience of space and the building itself. Bathed in natural light and decorated with Aalto furniture, this unique studio was the setting where Aalto and his architects designed a number of famous buildings.
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 Villa Gyllenberg
In the green environment of Kuusisaari, right by the sea, lies the Gyllenberg Art Museum, which showcases work by some of the most renowned artists from the Golden Age of Finnish art. Villa Gyllenberg’s collection includes pieces from masters such as Helene Schjerfbeck, Albert Edelfelt and Akseli Gallen-Kallela.
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