Free things to do for kids in Helsinki

What free activities are available for children in Helsinki? Where can kids get in for free and how can you spend a low-budget city break in Helsinki? This “Free things to do in Helsinki” article tips ideas from a child’s perspective.

The article’s cover image is from the Winter Garden.

The article was first published in 2023 and updated on 26 April 2026.

Museums where under-18s get in for free

Media Museum Merkki (formerly Päivälehti Museum) has free entry for everyone.
Helsinki City Museum and Children’s Town by Senate Square always have free entry for all ages.
Tram Museum in Töölö has free entry for everyone.
Burgher’s House in Kruununhaka can be visited for free. Open only during the summer season and in connection with events at other times of the year.
Seurasaari Open-Air Museum has free entry for under-18s. Seurasaari Open-Air Museum is open during the summer season 2026 from 15 May to 15 September 2026. You can roam outdoors on Seurasaari freely all year round for free; only the museum buildings charge an entry fee. Don’t forget Pukkisaari halfway across the Seurasaari bridge!
National Museum has free entry for under-18s. The museum is closed for a major renovation. The museum will reopen in 2027.
HAM Helsinki in Kamppi offers free entry for under-18s.
Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma has free entry for under-18s.
Ateneum has free entry for under-18s.
Amos Rex at Lasipalatsi offers art experiences free of charge for under-18s. The museum is closed due to a changing exhibition from 7 April to 12 May 2026.
Hotel and Restaurant Museum at the Cable Factory has free entry for under-18s.
Many home museums also have free entry. For example, the Amos Andersson Home Museum, the Mannerheim Home Museum (under-12s free) and the Kirpilä Art Home. Note, however, the varying opening hours and any other special arrangements.
Remember museum free-admission days too!

Please note that many museums are closed on Mondays! However, not the Helsinki City Museum, Tram Museum, Media Museum Merkki, TAHTO or Amos Rex (closed on Tuesdays).

Free things to do in Helsinki

Entry to Linnanmäki amusement park is charged from the 2026 season onwards, but the park still has six free rides suitable for small children.

Haltiala Farm has free entry, and at the farmyard you can see at least cows, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs during the summer season. Read more in the Animals in the City article!
Fallkulla Domestic Animal Farm has free entry. Opening hours vary by season. Read more in the Animals in the City article !
Helsinki has lots of great playgrounds and play parks where you can play and explore. Playgrounds also organise guided activities during opening hours, and play equipment and, for example, toilet facilities may be in use; play parks are places for independent play.
Tips for Helsinki’s best playgrounds and all Pienten Helsinki’s playground articles can be found behind the link . Also remember the free summer meals in playgrounds !
Helsinki City Winter Garden north of Töölönlahti is open year-round and offers experiences in splendid old greenhouses. You can also have a picnic here and enjoy your own snacks under the palm trees. Koi swim in the Winter Garden’s fountain, and the carnivorous plants in the display case are sure to raise many questions in a little adventurer’s mind. In late summer, the Winter Garden’s rose garden is at its most beautiful. Opening hours vary by day of the week.
Children’s Traffic City is not operating in summer 2026, and a new traffic city will open at Rastila campsite in autumn 2027. For the time being, you can still ride your own vehicles independently in the old traffic city on Nordenskjöldinkatu, and for example the traffic lights are in use.
Skate container at Eläintarha Skate Park is open during the summer season.
Helsinki Central Library Oodi , between Helsinki Railway Station and Töölönlahti, is a nice place to pop into with children. A large children’s library section, play opportunities, a secret fairy-tale room, and in general just Oodi’s architecture and the central library’s many possibilities offer things to do for all ages. On Oodi’s second floor there are computers, gaming opportunities, various machines and devices, as well as bookable spaces for your own work. A Helmet library card is free.
Helmet Libraries are open and free places for everyone. Nearly every Helmet library has a children’s section, and in addition to children’s books there are often also toys, games and events and activities for children. Also remember Helmet’s children’s reading challenge! There are 37 libraries in Helsinki and two children’s library buses.
The Nordic Library is under renovation and will reopen in September 2026. The Nordic Library on Kaisaniemenkatu has books and other materials in all Nordic languages. The library also has its own children’s and youth section, as well as a comprehensive selection of children’s books and, for example, films in Finnish. You need a Nordic Library card, which is free against proof of identity.
At Helsinki’s outdoor swimming pools, the Swimming Stadium and Kumpula, under-7s get in for free, as do almost all of Helsinki’s indoor swimming halls. Pirkkola summer swimming spot Plotti is always free for all ages.
Also remember Helsinki’s numerous beaches and playground paddling pools .
Uutela Kota in Vuosaari offers a different kind of picnic experience by an open fire. The rest area, maintained by volunteer kota guardians, is open mainly on Sundays, and during the winter season also on holidays. More detailed opening hours for the kota can be found on Uutela Kota’s Facebook page .
On HSL public transport, under-7s travel for free. An adult travelling with a pram and a child under 6 also gets to travel on public transport (including the Suomenlinna and Kruunuvuorenranta ferries) for free for safety reasons.