Suomenlinna Toy Museum

Suomenlinna Toy Museum has a great collection of old toys and dolls, teddy bears, toy cars and games, some of which date back to the 1800s. A little museum showcasing the long history of toys, visiting is a unique way to get acquainted with Finnish culture and tradition. No furbies or tamagotchis here, even Suomenlinna’s newest toys are over 50 years old.
Housed in a wooden villa on Iso Mustasaari Island, the cozy museum’s private collection is large and well displayed, and has over 100 antique teddy bears on show. Suomenlinna Toy Museum is interesting for both kids and adults, and there are guidebooks available so you can read about the toys’ stories and their previous lives. The house itself was originally built in 1911 by a captain who manned the headquarters of Viapori fortress. Aptly, one of the museum’s specialities is wartime toys and games.
The museum cafe and its outdoor terrace is almost as popular as the toys The cafe sells home-made pastries, coffees and teas. There’s also a toy store where you can buy authentic Steiff teddy bears.

Practical Info

Suomenlinna Toy Museum is open every day during summer, and on weekends during spring and fall. Tickets cost 6 EUR. To get to the island, you can take the public ferry to the main pier. The Toy Museum is then 500 m away. In summer, you can also take the waterbus to the Visitor Center pier, which is about 400 m away from the toy museum.