WHAT TO DO IN HELSINKI:

THEATRE MUSEUM:

In Helsinki, you can visit the theatre museum with your children – it has both permanent and ongoing exhibitions. Opened in 1962, the museum introduces visitors to various theatre cultures. The collections feature stage clothes, paraphernalia, make-up artist accessories, and other props that are not always noticed when visiting productions. The first exhibits presented here were the costumes of Christie Fleming and Ida Ahlberg, which were used in the 1881 production of “Elina’s Death”.

Visitors can see not only old costumes, but also new ones made for modern performances. A look at the theatre world from the inside allows you to understand how painstaking each production is and how many props are needed for it. Both adults and children will be interested in looking at the colorful costumes and paraphernalia, real make-up artist props, lighting equipment, furniture and scenery. Children are especially attracted by interactive exhibits, because children love to learn about the world tactilely! In the spacious hall there is a stage, which everyone can climb on and feel like a director, lighting technician or make-up artist.

On the territory of Teatterimuseo Helsinki there are exhibits in which visitors can participate in dubbing – voicing movie actors with their own voice; transformation – putting their face in a cutout on a thematic poster and seeing themselves in a theatrical costume; lighting modeling. Also, everyone is allowed to shoot their own newscast or, with the help of editing, be the third actor in a scene already filmed by professionals. Among the collection of props are weapons, food, wigs, masks, cosmetic attributes of make-up artists.

The collection of the Asian theater deserves special attention – it contains dolls, costumes and masks from China, Japan, Burma, Indonesia. The theater holds thematic master classes and excursions, including in Russian. It is possible to organize children’s parties. There is a souvenir shop. The museum is located in the Kaapeli cultural and multifunctional center, so it is convenient to combine a visit with a walk around other interesting places.

PAIVÄLEHTI PRINTING MUSEUM:

In Helsinki, there is the Päivälehti Museum, which introduces visitors to the development of printing and journalism in Finland. Very young children may not be too interested here, but schoolchildren and adults will enjoy looking at the exhibits. The main installation of the museum is called “News Time”. It reflects the history of the creation and development of the largest Finnish newspaper – “Helsingin Sanomat” and its predecessor “Päivälehti”, which appeared in 1889. The founder of the original newspaper was Eero Erkko. He was determined to develop Finnish society along a democratic and liberal path and reflected his views in publications.

In connection with this, the newspaper ceased to exist in 1904 by order of the Russian Tsar. The editor-in-chief was not only fired, but also expelled from Finland. The Helsingin Sanomat publication initially continued the work of its predecessor and supported the Liberal Progressive Party. However, after the civil war, the new editor changed direction, focusing on crime and incidents. By 1920, the newspaper had become one of the largest in the country. By 1955, its subscribers had reached a quarter of a million.

But what interesting things can the museum offer to an ordinary visitor? An ancient printing press, which was used in the 18th and 19th centuries, is kept on its territory. Anyone can see it. The Printing Museum in Helsinki has a large archive containing thousands of old publications, brochures, and binders. The exhibits include parts of printing machines, various typesetting fonts, documentaries about printing, and unique photographs. Most of the texts on the exhibits have been translated into several languages, including Russian. The information provided reflects the history of freedom of speech in Finland and the development of journalistic activity.

In addition to the exhibition, the museum periodically organizes seminars and thematic events, as well as performances by the museum theater. Admission is free for everyone – the museum is maintained by the funds of the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper foundation. A visit to this place will be relevant for those interested in the process of publishing printed publications, and is also useful for general familiarization for school-age children.

TOY MUSEUM IN SUOMENLINNA:

It is understandable that children love toy stores, where the shelves are full of brightly colored goods. And in Helsinki there is a place where you can not only buy modern toys, but also get acquainted with a large collection of old ones. We are talking about the Museum of Dolls and Toys in the Suomenlinna fortress, built in 1911.

Since it is located on an island, you can only get to it by water transport, which is especially popular with children. The Suomenlinna Toy Museum collection contains antique dolls, teddy bears, wooden cars and toys, including wartime ones. There are exhibits from the 19th and 20th centuries, made of porcelain, plastic, papier-mâché, wood. Most of these materials are not used in the manufacture of modern toys. Of interest is the collection of dolls in national costumes, which were produced especially for the 1952 Olympic Games. Board games of the past are collected on one of the shelves.

Among them are the popular Monopoly, Colonization of Africa, and the Fight for Food (which was relevant during the war). Next to each exhibit there is a numbered cube, and near the entrance to the exhibition hall there is a stand with information about the exhibits according to the numbers. It is convenient that the data is duplicated in Russian. Children will be delighted not only by the abundance of unusual toys, but also by the corresponding design.

Many exhibits contain dolls and are complemented by an entourage – furnished with miniature furniture, household items. Visitors’ eyes open to small scenes from doll life. Photography is prohibited in the Helsinki Doll and Toy Museum. For an additional fee, you can order a guided tour, but only in English. There is a cafe on the premises where you can try a delicacy typical of the setting: tea with sweet buns or cakes. Please note that the exhibits are closed to visitors in January and February.

ESPOO AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM:

A 30-minute drive from Helsinki is Espoo Automuseo. This is the oldest and largest automobile museum in Finland. It is located in an old building – an architectural monument built in 1915. On the territory there are both permanent exhibitions and temporary exhibitions. And this means that with each visit you will find something new. It will be interesting for the whole family to admire rare cars. Boys will especially like it here, who will be able to climb into the interior of some cars, turn the steering wheel.

Most of the cars on display are still running, some exhibits can even be rented. Tours are conducted in Finnish, Swedish, English. In total, the museum presents about 100 cars, 20 motorcycles and the same number of mopeds. Among the permanent exhibitions in the retro car museum, the sports collection is interesting. Also on display are cars from the 1900s, with a design unusual for modern people. There is a large exhibition of Eastern European cars that were transported to Finland after World War II.

Among them are Soviet Moskvichs, Volgas, and Pobedas. The pride of the museum is the collection of early Mercedes cars. Family cars from the 1960s and 1970s are also interesting. There is a separate small exhibition dedicated to vintage sewing machines. It is worth noting that the museum is closed in winter (except for organized group visits), and the rest of the time its doors are open to visitors.

There is a cafe on the territory where you can order ready-made food or eat what you took with you. This is convenient: you can save on store-bought snacks and take something as healthy as possible for children. During holidays, the museum often hosts entertainment events – fairs, markets, lectures. Motorcycle and moped trips around Northern Espoo are organized. Every year, thematic exhibitions with elements of Finnish culture and traffic rules are held here. Helsinki itself also has a retro car museum, so you can visit both for comparison. Car lovers will definitely be delighted!

LAPLAND WORLD PARK :

Most of us associate Santa Claus with Finland. Well, which child would not dream of visiting the legendary Lapland? Meanwhile, in Helsinki there is an amazing place where it is winter at any time of the year. This is the winter world of Lapland. It is often called the southern residence of Santa Claus. Come here with your child to experience all the delights and joys of the Finnish winter. The unique Lappish village in Helsinki is located 15 minutes from the city center, on the territory of the large sports complex “Kivikon”. The ice pavilion has a Christmas atmosphere, visitors can enjoy winter entertainment, there is snow all year round and the temperature is maintained at -3°C, with absolutely no wind.

Helsinki Lapland consists of several ice igloos, a restaurant for 100 people, and a bar where everything (dishes, furniture) is made of ice. Adult visitors are offered alcoholic drinks to warm up. Don’t worry about the temperature differences outside and inside the pavilion. At the entrance, visitors are given warm overalls, boots and mittens. The organizers did not forget about the little guests either: there is clothing even for babies. The territory of the mini-village of Santa Claus in Lapland offers entertainment for children of all ages. Everyone without exception is attracted by the ice figures of reindeer and other characters, placed here and there.

They are beautifully illuminated, creating a sense of a fairy tale. And what kind of world of Lapland would it be without elves? On the territory of the complex, as in the Santa Claus village in Rovaniemi, there is an Elf School – there children are taught to make Christmas cards and gifts with their own hands. What else can you do in the World of Lapland? The youngest visitors can ride on plastic sleds from a small ice bridge. Older children can visit the cross-country ski trails, ride Finnish sleds or dog sleds with friendly huskies, snowmobiles, and participate in laser games. There is an equipment rental point on the territory. In winter, you can meet Santa himself here. He visits the village from 30.12 to 7.01. At this time, the park is open from 11:00 to 16:00, and only the New Year’s package is available.

In addition to visiting all the entertainment, its price includes meeting Princess Snow and Santa Claus. The rest of the time, children can just go to his house on the territory. Tourists who have visited here note that the place is interesting for children, but there is practically nothing for adults to do here. Perhaps just relax in the ice bar. It should also be taken into account that on weekdays there are few visitors on the territory, so sometimes not all available entertainment works. The winter park has a souvenir shop where you can buy a symbolic trinket as a keepsake. However, those who have already visited the village believe that the prices for many services are unreasonably high, and you should come here solely for the variety of children’s recreation. The center offers services for organizing and celebrating children’s birthdays. The staff speaks Finnish, English and Russian.

FINLAND AVIATION MUSEUM:

The Finnish Aviation Museum is located near the airport. You can walk there from the Vantaa terminal in 20 minutes or get there from Helsinki by bus or train. Both adults and children will find it interesting to get acquainted with iron birds of war and peacetime. The museum is called Suomen Ilmalumuseo and occupies 2 hangars. About 80 military and civilian aircraft are collected on its territory, here you can see parts and spare parts for them, gliders, simulators, control panels, models. When planning a tour of this museum with a child, please note that the hangars are not heated.

Hall of Military Aviation

It displays models of wartime and peacetime aircraft. It is interesting to compare their appearance. For example, there is a captured Soviet I-16 aircraft (the only one preserved in the world) and a modern Swedish fighter. The difference is, of course, colossal. The museum displays seaplanes of various makes, pre-war and modern training aircraft, and jet fighters. On board many aircraft you can see a blue swastika sign – it was previously a symbol of the Finnish Air Force. Visitors of any age will be interested in testing the simulator. You can sit in the cockpit and try to land a fighter with your own hands. Opposite the cockpit there is an interactive screen, so the landing process seems very realistic for the participant.

Civil Aviation Hall

The second hall contains old aircraft that were used by Finnish airlines and private individuals. Among them are passenger models, business class aircraft, training, sports, and aerobatic machines. Don’t miss the 4 helicopters and the sports training aircraft that made its first flight in 1961. The museum has a Douglas DC-3 aircraft, one of the oldest of its kind in the world. Of interest are the compact business-class models designed for 2-4 people. They were produced in the 1950s and 1960s. The second hall also features several simulators that will appeal to young visitors to the exhibition. You can climb into the cockpit, sit at the controls, and learn the basics of flying an airplane. There are three such simulators in the civilian hall. Real pilots trained on them, practicing emergency situations. For example, pilots of not only Finnish but also world airlines “flew” about 70,000 hours in the DC-4 cockpit. A large corner of the Aviation Museum is devoted to gliders that belong to German, Finnish, and Russian designers.

They were constructed in the 1930s-1960s. Gliding in Finland has been popular since the 1920s, which explains such a large-scale exhibition dedicated to non-motorized vehicles. The hall has a balcony with two exhibitions. One is dedicated to aircraft modeling and consists of several miniature models of aircraft, related Finnish literature, old devices and parts, and micro engines. The second is about parachuting and includes several dummies dressed in appropriate gear. The Helsinki-Vantaa Aviation Museum will be of interest not only to ardent fans of the air element, but is also simply useful for self-development for both children and adults. Besides, when else will you have the opportunity to be at the controls of airliners, even if they were produced quite a long time ago!