Suomenlinna museums: which are worth visiting?

Which museums are there in Suomenlinna?

Suomenlinna has five museums: the Suomenlinna Museum, the Ehrensvärd Museum, the Military Museum, the submarine Vesikko and the Customs Museum. The Museum Card and Helsinki Card cover all five.

The table lists the museums and what our sources say about them. Opening hours vary by season, and not all museums have their hours included here; check suomenlinna.fi for up-to-date information before your visit. If a source does not mention something, the table states this.

If you only have time for one museum, the Suomenlinna Museum is the natural choice: it is open year-round, covers the entire history of the island and is located on the shore of Artillery Bay, where the waterbus also stops in summer.

Is the Suomenlinna Museum free?

Not usually: the museums charge admission. Entry was free on Museum Day, 6.6.2026, when all five museums were free from 11:00 - 20:00.

The information shown in the search about a free museum in Suomenlinna refers to Museum Day. According to suomenlinna.fi, on 6.6.2026 all five museums were open free of charge from 11:00 - 20:00. On other days, you need a ticket, Museum Card or Helsinki Card to enter the museums.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that Suomenlinna itself is free. The island is a district of Helsinki, open every day of the year, with no entry fee. The fortifications, Great Courtyard, dry dock and King's Gate can all be visited free of charge. You only pay for the ferry to the island and the museums. If you visit on Museum Day, allow plenty of time: five museums and the Blue Route in one day make for a long day.

Is the Museum Card valid in Suomenlinna?

Yes. According to suomenlinna.fi, the Museum Card and Helsinki Card are accepted at all five museums in Suomenlinna.

If you have a Museum Card, you do not need a separate ticket for the museums in Suomenlinna. The same applies to the Helsinki Card. You do not need a Museum Card for entry to the island itself, as there is no admission fee; for the ferry, you need an HSL AB ticket unless you have a Helsinki Card.

Helsinki Card City is a convenient package for travellers: according to the listing, it includes HSL’s AB zones, including the Suomenlinna ferry, and museum admissions. The card is available for 24, 48 or 72 hours and activates on first use. According to the listing, a printed PDF card is required for public transport, so print it before boarding the ferry. More on the ferry is in the guide Suomenlinna ferry.

Ferry to Suomenlinna and museum entries with the same card for 24, 48 or 72 hours; the card activates on first use.

Helsinki Card City: HSL AB, Suomenlinna ferry and museums · 24, 48 or 72 hours · free cancellation

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What is there in the Suomenlinna Museum?

Suomenlinna Museum covers the island’s history from the 18th century to the present day. The museum screens the 25-minute widescreen film Suomenlinna Experience in multiple languages every half hour.

Suomenlinna Museum is in the Suomenlinna Centre on the shore of Artillery Bay. The exhibition covers the island’s history from the 18th century to the present day. According to the listing, the Suomenlinna Museum ticket includes the museum and film, is valid for one day and the museum is accessible.

• Film: 25-minute widescreen film Suomenlinna Experience, every half hour and in many languages.
• Last entry: 30 minutes before closing.
• Location: Artillery Bay waterfront, where the FRS waterbus also stops in summer.

The film is a good start before the Blue Route, as it provides background to everything you see outside. For a broader overview of the fortress’s history, see the guide History of Suomenlinna.

Suomenlinna Museum and the Suomenlinna Experience film, valid all day; accessible entry according to the listing.

Suomenlinna Museum ticket and Suomenlinna Experience film · Valid for the day · free cancellation

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What are the opening hours of the Military Museum in Suomenlinna?

The Military Museum (Maneesi) is open 1 May - 30 Sep Mon - Sun 11:00 - 18:00 and 1 Oct - 30 Apr Wed - Mon 11:00 - 16:30, closed on Tuesdays. Check times before visiting.

The Military Museum’s opening hours are divided into summer and winter seasons. In summer, 1 May - 30 Sep, the museum is open daily 11:00 - 18:00. In winter, 1 Oct - 30 Apr, it is open Wed - Mon 11:00 - 16:30, and closed on Tuesdays.

Opening hours may change, so check them before your visit. If you come on a Tuesday in winter, plan your day to visit other museums or focus on outdoor sites. The Museum Card and Helsinki Card are also valid for the Military Museum.

When is the submarine Vesikko open?

Vesikko is open as a museum during the summer season. It is Finland’s last surviving submarine.

The submarine Vesikko is one of Suomenlinna’s five museums and a summer-season highlight. It is Finland’s last surviving submarine. For exact season dates and opening hours, check suomenlinna.fi before your visit, as they are not listed here.

The Museum Card and Helsinki Card are valid for Vesikko, as well as for the other museums in Suomenlinna. If you visit the island in winter, plan your museum visits around the other museums.

What other museums and indoor attractions are there in Suomenlinna?

The Ehrensvärd Museum and the Customs Museum are two other museums on the island, and the church is an indoor attraction from June to August. Each has its own opening hours.

The Ehrensvärd Museum and the Customs Museum are among Suomenlinna’s five museums, and the Museum Card and Helsinki Card are valid for them too. Our sources do not provide details on their exhibitions or opening hours, so check suomenlinna.fi before your visit.

Suomenlinna Church is not a museum, but like the museums it has its own practices and a June - August season. The church was built in 1854 as an Orthodox garrison church, has been Lutheran since 1918, and since 1929 its dome has served as a lighthouse. The lighthouse dome is visible from outside all year round.

How should you plan a museum visit in Suomenlinna?

Start at the Suomenlinna Museum and its film, then walk the Blue Route and pick another museum along the way. In summer, the waterbus takes you directly to Artillery Bay, right by the museum.

HSL ferry takes you to the main pier in about 15 minutes all year round, and you can use an AB ticket or Helsinki Card. From May to late September, FRS waterbus return ticket runs from Market Square’s Keisarinluoto pier to Artillery Bay, next to the Suomenlinna Centre and museum. The waterbus has its own tickets, and HSL tickets are not valid. Differences between the ferry and waterbus are covered in the guide ferry or waterbus.

• One museum: Suomenlinna Museum, the film and the Blue Route fit into half a day.
• Two or more: set aside a full day and check each museum’s opening hours, as they vary by season.
• Museum Day: in 2026 it was on 6 June, when all five museums were open free of charge from 11:00 - 20:00; check the date for the following year on suomenlinna.fi.

There is no luggage storage or cash machine on the island, but public toilets are available year round, and in summer restaurants and cafés are open.

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