Free in Helsinki

Separated outdoors – indoors, and events have their own page.

• View of Helsinki, Helsinki on an Evening Walk
• A Good Day in Helsinki
• Public Transport, Helsinki city bus numbers
• Free park lunch for kids, Free school lunch
• Free toilets or baby changing rooms
• Free Public Service Info, crisis phone numbers for children and youth in distress (or their parents needing advice)
• Free online language courses offered by the libraries
• Refreshing outdoors – Where to go in/around Helsinki (overview)
• Free Exercise Sessions in the Parks

Outdoors:

• Airplane spotting terrace at Helsinki-Vantaa (there is a little indoor area as well)
• Easy Sports for School Children
• Haltiala farm: animals, tractors and free picking of garden flowers and peas
• Fallkulla farm
• Hakaniemi Farmers Market
• Ice skating
• Korkeasaari zoo, not free but one can get a fair bit for the entrance fee
• Konala Activity Park
• Laajalahti Nature Reserve (Espoo)
• Linnanmäki Amusement Park with free rides
• Puppet Theatre in the rose gardens on sunny summer Tuesdays at 3 pm

Parks, Nature Areas:

• Alpine Park (Alppipuisto) – free live music on summer weekends, Art Park
• Espa Stage and Esplanad Park
• Family Trail in Tali – spot animals and outdoor gym
• Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden
• Kaivopuisto park and playground
• Kivikko, a Green Blast from the Past
• Marketta park is a big garden exposition park in Espoo, beautiful garden ideas, a sculpture park and playground also for kids.
• Nuuksio Nature Park, Espoo
• Outdoor pools in Helsinki (not free
• Playgrounds and outdoor toys
• Rhododendron park (Alppiruusupuisto/ Rhodo puisto) at the end of the Laajasuontie in Etelä-Haaga
• Taivaskallio “Sky hill” in Käpylä, a hill with a nice view, great for picnics, pond for dogs to swim in and old canons and canon ruins for kids to explore.
• Traffic Park – pedal cars in a miniature city
• Töölö on a Sunny Saturday: Lovely shore walk, cafe Regatta, rock climbing by the Sibelius Monument, park and playground
• Töölö Bay – great for Family Walks
• Vuosaari – beaches, play and outdoor activities (Uutela)
• Winter Garden – rose garden outdoors

Islands

• Camping on the island Kaunissaari
• Harakka island – art, island flora and nature events. The island is free but a return trip by boat cost 4e. Also an Island Adventure Programme for kids
• Lammassaari and boardwalks
• Mustasaari – Island with playground, beach, sheep, chicken, bunnies, bbq’s, nature (also covered areas). On swimming there
•  but cheap)
• Pihlajasaari, outdoor island to be reached by a short boattrip
• Pyysaari – a tiny island with restaurants and sailing boats at the end of a lovely outdoor area in the Eastern Helsinki
• Seurasaari – an island with squirrels, open air museum, Hattifatteners boats, events, and bbq. Spotted a fox there too
• Suomenlinna fort – A World Heritage Site easily reached by ferry from Helsinki.
• Tervasaari Island – park, playground, boats, dogs pond, picnic, mat washing

Indoors:

• Airplane spotting terrace at Helsinki-Vantaa has a little indoor area as well
• Annantalo and Vuotalo – cultural and art events/ workshops/ courses/
• Aquarium in Grocery Store
• Children’s Town in the Sederholm House – Museum where children can experience the past playing
• EasySports for School Children
• Family houses (on playgrounds) – meet ups, Finnish courses for mothers
• Free Digital Services
• Fire station on Helsinki Day
• Gardenia University Green house with cafe, nature school and events
• Hakasalmi Villa and the photo exhibition Brylcreem from Helsinki in the 50’s
• Ice skating rinks indoors with free skating times
• Kunsthalle Helsinki
• Libraries – books, CD’s, toys, story telling, Finnish chat groups. More about Library on Rikhardinkatu (centre) here
• Liikuntahulinat, “track and field hullabaloo” in Myllypuro (3e/adult)
• Lilla Luckan for children, eg. free movies, music plays and art sessions.
• Luckan for adults
• Luckan Integration for immigrants
• Movie Theatre Kino Engel 2 showing films and pictures of Helsinki
• Museums for free
• Nature House Villa Elfsvik, Espoo
• Programme at malls: Circus in Itis
• Puppet Theatre in the winter gardens on rainy summer Tuesdays at 3 pm
• Rock Church – worth to see, quite unique architecture of a church built into a rock in the centre of Helsinki
• Teurastamo – events in a former abattoir
• Tram Museum – even for toddlers
• Vuotalo – cultural events e.g. theatre and stand up comedy, library, baby kino
• Winter Garden