Villa Gyllenberg

The basics

Whether you’re coming for the art—which runs from the European Renaissance to Salvador Dalí and beyond—the antiques, or the books, there’s a charge to visit Villa Gyllenberg: Under-18s go free, and students and pensioners enjoy a small discount. Besides special exhibitions on Finnish art themes, the museum hosts regular classical concerts and curiosities such as displays of eurhythmics. After a pandemic-era renovation, the house museum gets dressed up for Christmas in high 1950s style.

Things to know before you go

• Villa Gyllenberg is an excellent choice for fans of art and music alike.

• Taking the coastal bike route to Villa Gyllenberg during summer can be beautiful.

• The small café has a sea-view terrace that opens during summer.

• The museum's new section, including the gallery and café, is accessible to everyone, with a wheelchair-friendly bathroom and an elevator. The house museum has steps and a staircase.

How to get there

Villa Gyllenberg sits on Kuusisaari, an island in western Helsinki about a 4-mile (7-kilometer) drive from Helsinki Central Station. The easiest way to get there is to take the metro to Aalto University (M1 and M2) and then catch bus #510 or #52. The museum has parking for cars and bicycles.

When to get there

The museum is open 12–5pm on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It closes occasionally for changes in exhibitions. Summer is a charming time to visit for the sea views.

Helsinki’s best house museums

House museums are a great way to experience a city’s history, and Helsinki offers more than just Villa Gyllenberg. Aino and Alvar Aalto designed the Aalto House in the 1930s to house their private residence and office, and it remains a classic of fresh, linear Nordic design. In contrast, the Mannerheim Museum, once home to Baron Mannerheim, Marshal of Finland, is set up as the great strategist liked it during the early 1940s, complete with gilded paintings and rococo soft furnishings.