Helsinki fire museum presents the versatile history of the rescue services

The Fire Museum is a museum specialising in the history and traditions of rescue services in Helsinki. Come along on a nostalgic journey throughout the decades and find out more about the diverse and eventful past of fire fighting services in Helsinki. 

The purpose of the Fire Museum’s operations is to:

• Communicate traditional knowledge of the department’s history.
• Provide guidance and teaching on questions relating to the history of fire fighting services, and educate visitors about fire safety related issues.
• Preserve and restore fire fighting and emergency medical services equipment housed at the museum.
• Research, collect, and document material connected to the history of fire fighting services, and preserve traditional knowledge.
• Provide diverse support for the preservation of the sector’s traditions.
• Provide an overview of the Rescue Department’s current operations.

The Fire Museum is located in the Erottaja Rescue Station, which was completed in 1891 and is still in use today. The building, which was originally Helsinki’s main fire station, was designed by architect Theodor Höijer. The historical atmosphere and the long traditions of the second oldest municipal professional fire brigade in the Nordic countries, having been operating since 1861, create a worthy setting for the fire museum. At the museum visitors can learn more about Helsinki’s fire and rescue services, as well as the history and development of ambulance services and emergency medical services through old equipment as well as pictures, scale models and videos presenting the department’s operations. The majority of the collections comprise equipment used by the Rescue Department or contract fire departments. Furthermore, the Fire Museum also provides fire safety information and displays the Rescue Department’s modern-day operations. A special duty of the Fire Museum is to familiarise those training to be fire fighters with the secrets of the fire services’ history.

The Fire Museum is run as a professional museum, and its staff have been trained and are familiar with the special characteristics of the museum sector.  The Fire Museum is a customer service point where customer contact takes place and personnel aim to tailor each museum tour to suit the individual group.

The Fire Museum covers a space of almost 600 square metres in the internal courtyard of the Erottaja Rescue Station. The Museum serves customers during its regular opening hours, and groups by agreement on the group visiting days.

If they wish, guided groups may visit the station’s tower, which offers beautiful views almost all the way to Tallinn.  The museum vehicles are, for the most part, stored at the Roihupelto Civil Defence Shelter, and it is also possible for groups to visit this location and find out more about our vehicle collection and the usage history of the vehicles.

Museum visits

The museum is open on Wednesdays and Sundays from 12.00 to 16.00.

Group guests are received on Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment. Inquiries and reservations: 040-334 5304.

Entrance fees:

Adults €5/person, students, pensioners and unemployed €2, children under 15 free.

Group visits €80/group (min. 15, max. 20 people), smaller ones groups by agreement.

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