HAM Helsinki Art Museum

The basics

At the heart of the HAM’s permanent collection is the Leonard and Katarina Bäcksbacka Collection, prominently featuring pieces by Tove Jansson. While heavily focused on contemporary and modern Finnish art, the museum’s exhibitions do occasionally feature international pieces, as well as older Finnish masterpieces. The museum actively and regularly puts on temporary exhibitions and began hosting the Helsinki Biennial in 2021. It also provides guided tours of its exhibitions and workshops for aspiring artists. Travelers will often visit the Helsinki Art Museum while using a city card, where admission to the museum’s exhibitions is included in the card.

Things to know before you go

• The museum offers free admission on the last Friday of the month, as well as for specific public holidays or events, such as International Museum Day and the Night of Arts.

• Visitors to the HAM’s Tennis Palace will enjoy barrier-free entry and its exhibitions, including elevator access to its ticket counter on the building’s 2nd floor.

• Wheelchairs, strollers, and a baby carrier are available for loan to museum visitors.

• Amenities at the Tennis Palace include a cloakroom, childcare room, and several cafes/restaurants.

How to get there

HAM is located in the central neighborhood of Kamppi, a comfortable walk from popular city attractions such as the Kamppi Chapel. Travelers can take the M1 and M2 metro services to Kamppi station, the 2 tram to the Kampen tram stop, and the 1 and 4 trams to the Luonnontiet.museo tram stop, all a short walk from the museum.

When to get there

With the museum closed on Mondays and locals more likely to visit during the weekend, you’ll find between Tuesday and Friday to be the quietest time to go. Summer in Helsinki is usually the city’s busiest time of year for tourists, so you can expect the Helsinki Art Museum to be busier than usual then. A great time to visit HAM is during winter, as it lets you escape the cold.

The Leonard and Katarina Bäcksbacka collection

The centerpiece of the Helsinki Art Museum’s collection is the pieces donated by Leonard and Katarina Bäcksbacka, prominent local art dealers. Upon their deaths, their sizable collection of Finnish paintings and sculptures were donated to the City of Helsinki. The Meilahti Art Museum, now part of the Helsinki Art Museum, was founded in 1976 to showcase its collection of over 500 works of art from the early 20th century.