NEXT EXHIBITION: Mad about Helsinki

Opening on 6 June 2013, Mad about Helsinki is the new exhibition in the main building of Helsinki City Museum at Sofiankatu 4.

Mad about Helsinki will provide a unique overview of the city’s history to shed light on the past in an entirely new way. The exhibition is based on a poll that asked Helsinki residents to name their favourite places in the city and share their stories of life in Finland’s capital.

The themes of the Mad about Helsinki exhibition revolve around special places in the city that are close to the locals’ hearts, selected from over 1,000 responses to a recent survey. According to the results of the poll, the places that are dearest to Helsinki residents include popular historical spots such as Senate Square, Suomenlinna and Kaivopuisto Park, but also many lesser-known areas such as quiet seaside districts, peaceful suburban streets and people’s own homes. The exhibition presents these favourite places in the context of Helsinki’s past, making these beloved locations even more fascinating by giving them historical depth.

Mad about Helsinki tells the story of Helsinki from the 16th century to the present day in the form of multiple tales that represent the diversity of Helsinki’s residents and the city itself. The exhibition features twelve Helsinkians from different historical eras, including Mayor Lars Michelsson from the 16th century and Aurora Karamzin, the wife of a colonel who lived in the city in the 19th century, as well as steel spring bed industrialist Kalle Kärkkäinen, representing the 20th century. Their life stories and eye-witness accounts give visitors to the exhibition insight into how Helsinki grew from a small town of wood buildings into a European metropolis.

History of the museum building