Children’s Town’s 10th anniversary opens Helsinki City Museum’s Christmas season
Welcome to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Children’s Town on World Children’s Day on Sunday 20 November. This also marks the start of the Helsinki City Museum’s Christmas season. Enjoy the holiday market, tree decorating, arts and crafts, guided tours and music, as well as the traditional Christmas atmosphere of Helsinki’s oldest wooden house free of charge.
Located in the oldest stone building in Helsinki and dedicated to Helsinki’s youngest residents, Children’s Town is an integral part of the City Museum.
Children’s Town’s Double Digits! birthday party will be celebrated on 20 November at 13:00–16:00. The festivities will include a visit from an old-timey Santa Claus, a festive disco, a puppet show and cake and juice.
Children’s Town has long been a popular venue for birthday parties for families with children. To celebrate the tenth anniversary, the museum is now launching its new Birthday at the Museum! party packages. The City Museum is working with the City of Helsinki’s Child Welfare to make these packages available to low-income families as well.
Holiday market, crafts and a peek into Falkman’s studio
The City Museum’s holiday market will be held on Saturday and Sunday 3–4 December at 11:00–17:00. The weekend will be filled with inspiring gift ideas, delicious treats and a relaxed atmosphere courtesy of a range of vendors and local producers. The vendors include Café Ursula, Helsinki Coffee Roastery, Mesila isä & poika, Rouva Rusakko, Paula From and the craftspeople of Pro Kädentaitajat ry, among others. The museum shop offers a variety of Christmas gift ideas, such as the books Helsinki väreissä and Tarinoita ratikoista. The museum’s bilingual tram-themed advent calendar is illustrated by Jonna Jylhä. Various Christmas treasures can also be found at Villa Hakasalmi, the Tram Museum and the shop of the Burgher’s House Museum.
During the holiday season, Children’s Town will be organising independent workshops for small Christmas decorations made from paper and cardboard. On 11 December at 12:00–15:00, there will also be a workshop in the museum lobby where you can craft mobile toys to take home with you. The toys will also serve as Christmas decorations. Visitors can also leave their own Christmas memories on the Christmas tree in the lobby.
Very few people know the oldest remaining artist’s studio deep within the City Museum, which the Swedish-born artist Severin Falkman (1831–1889) built for himself in 1872. Falkman’s studio will be open to the public on Sunday 4 December at 12:00–15:00.
Christmas cheer of eras past in the oldest wooden house in Helsinki
The Christmas season at the Burgher’s House will start on the Saturday before the first Advent on 26 November. The small wooden house, which is particularly popular during the holidays, is decorated every Christmas in the style of the mid-19th century. The Christmas event at the Burgher’s House will take place on 11 December at 12:00–15:00. The outbuilding’s chamber will feature a workshop for making Christmas tree decorations based on authentic 19th century instructions, and Lempikuoro’s double quartet will perform festive tunes in the courtyard.
Christmas season events at Helsinki City Museum:
Double Digits! Children’s Town birthday party and opening of the Christmas season
Sun 20 November at 13:00–16:00
City Museum holiday market
Sat–Sun 3–4 December at 11:00–17:00
Christmas Teams craft workshop
Sun 11 December at 12:00–15:00
Read more: helsinginkaupunginmuseo.fi/en/events
Christmas season events at the Burgher’s House:
Crafting Christmas tree decorations in the sleeping chamber
Sat 26 November, 3 December and 17 December at 14:00–15:00
Christmas event at the Burgher’s House
Sun 11 December at 12:00–15:00
Read more: ruiskumestarintalo.fi/en
Opening hours during the Christmas season:
Helsinki City Museum (Aleksanterinkatu 16)
Mon–Fri 11:00–19:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–17:00
Closed on 6 December, 24–25 December and 1 January
Burgher’s House (Kristianinkatu 12)
26 November–21 December 2022
Wed–Fri at 13:00–18:00
Sat–Sun at 11:00–17:00
22 December 2022–8 January 2023
Wed–Sun at 11:00–17:00
Closed on 6 December, 24–26 December and 1 January
Tram Museum (Töölönkatu 51 A)
Mon–Fri at 11:00–17:00
Closed on 6 December, 9 December, 24–25 December, 31 December and 1 January
Image: Children’s Town Double Digits! birthday party. Illustrations: Riku Ounaslehto / Napa Agency.
