Children's Culture Around the City

Helsinki City Culture Centers Through the Eyes of Families with Children

This article is part of a commercial partnership
with Helsinki City Culture Centers.

Article cover image: Martin Brown

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Helsinki City Culture Centers Annantalo, Stoa, Vuotalo, Kanneltalo, Malmitalo and Caisa are open places for all city residents to pursue hobbies and enjoy a diverse range of art and culture offerings. Distributed around the city, the culture centers also serve as open meeting places: relax on the sofa groups in Stoa's foyer, explore Vuotalo's rotating exhibitions, or arrange to meet at Annantalo, the home of children's culture, instead of at a shopping center!

Have you already visited Helsinki City Culture Centers? Culture centers offer diverse programming throughout the city and also serve as living rooms for Helsinkians, making cultural experiences possible on weekdays and weekends alike. The program offerings are for all ages and tastes, often at very reasonable prices or even completely free. From a family and children's perspective, culture centers are hidden gems: In a Pienet Helsinki survey, unfortunately few followers knew that culture centers offer plenty of wonderful events for children and that the centers' doors are open almost daily. It's been easy to walk past culture centers if you weren't already familiar with their activities and events. I remember walking past Annantalo with my first child, wondering if we could just pop in, but I didn't have the courage then. Fortunately, we received an invitation from a friend that spring to Annantalo's exhibition opening, and as a result, the building and its activities opened up to us in a completely new way. Hopefully this will also encourage others to visit culture centers and stop by exhibitions, cafés, or pursue weekly activities with their child. For example, Annantalo's Naperokino is open almost every Friday, and the exhibition space on the building's second floor almost always features one or two free exhibitions accessible to all, which have been created with children's input and often with children themselves.

Helsinki City Culture Centers have also succeeded in creating genuine classic events that our family looks forward to. Pienet Helsinki's background team supports at least Malmitalo's Vaippakansa Carnivals, Stoa's All Saints' Day "Spooky Cocoa for Kids" event, and the wonderful art consultation activities. We have also enjoyed many concert experiences in the city's culture buildings and pursued both exercise and art together with our children. Fun memories are also connected to, for example, the Lion Disco held at Annantalo, where our toddler danced along with other small and big lions to the beat of music.

Culture centers are meeting places in addition to event venues: in addition to cultural experiences, they offer hobby opportunities, guidance and advice, and several culture centers are home to city libraries and adult education center teaching spaces. You can also just drop by.

The doors to culture centers are open daily (except for holidays and possible summer exceptions), many events are open without advance registration, and the ticket prices for paid events are very reasonable. Several culture centers also have a cinema where you can see movies for under ten euros.
The centers' organizers are also happy to hear new ideas and wishes from their customers.

Almost all culture centers have cafés or restaurants: for example, Annantalo's Skidilä Café is a child-friendly meeting place for friends with a play area, at Stoa you can enjoy North African lunch on weekdays in a very child-friendly atmosphere with the restaurant owner asking how you're doing, and at Malmitalo's foyer café you can grab a snack even while visiting the library.

The trump cards of Helsinki City Culture Centers are functional facilities, high-quality cultural events, extremely diverse cultural offerings from a children's perspective, and accessibility: all of the city's culture centers are easily accessible by public transport. Those traveling with small children have also been delighted that strollers and carriages always have secure storage and accessibility issues have been well considered in the facilities. At music classes in Stoa, the doorman's help often warmed hearts, and at Vuotalo the accessible restroom's care facility door was almost always opened without asking.

Much happens in culture centers this spring as well. Pienten Helsinki waded through the culture centers' extensive spring program and collected event highlights for children and families under one link. Read more: Highlights from the Culture Centers' Spring Program 2020

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Culture Centers in Brief

"So step in boldly, you are more than welcome!"

Annantalo

From a children's perspective, definitely worth visiting is Annantalo, located at Annankatu 30 in downtown Helsinki, which is an oasis of children's culture. You can visit the building even in passing, as the doors are open daily from morning to evening (except on holidays). On the first and second floor exhibition spaces, there are almost always changing exhibitions created with children's input, with free admission. In the corridors of the old building (completed in 1886, previously serving as a Swedish-language elementary school on Annankatu), there is plenty to marvel at and seating for even the smallest visitors for feeding and rest breaks. Snacks and a cup of coffee can be had from Annantalo's Skidilä Café when needed.

Annantalo's program includes courses, hobbies, open workshops, performances and diverse children's culture. Many events are free, some have a small admission fee or require advance registration. Hobby activities are mainly paid art activities, with more information available here.

During summer months, Annantalo's program expands to the building's front and back yards, where various programs are organized for small and somewhat older children. A-stage summer music classes and summer dance music classes (= dance music class) are worth experiencing!

From Annantalo's front and back yards you can find stroller parking places under a shelter, and an elevator next to the second back entrance if your baby happens to sleep in the stroller during your visit. Annantalo hopes that strollers are left outside to wait whenever possible, as the old building is not designed to be completely accessible and space is limited. 

Annantalo Children's and Youth Art Center
Annankatu 30
Open: 
Monday to Friday 8 a.m.–8 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Special opening hours on holidays and during summer season
www.annantalo.fi

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Caisa

Culture Center Caisa is located in Kallio, in the Leipätehtas spaces of the inner courtyard known as the Elanto block. Caisa promotes the development of Helsinki into a diverse city through art and culture, and its program reflects multiculturalism and diversity. From a children's and families' perspective, Caisa offers international cultural performances for younger audiences as well and organizes, for example, popular art workshops for small children. 

Culture Center Caisa
Kaikukatu 4 B
www.caisa.fi

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Kanneltalo

Kanneltalo, right next to Kannelmäki train station, is a diverse cultural operator in North Helsinki. Kanneltalo organizes art workshops and theater performances for children, among other things.
Kanneltalo also houses a city library, café and youth facilities.

Kanneltalo
Klaneettitie 5
Open:
Monday to Thursday 8 a.m.–8 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Sunday Closed
Special opening hours on holidays and during summer season
www.kanneltalo.fi

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Malmitalo

You'll find Malmitalo next to Malmi train station and the shopping center complex, on the Ala-Malmi side. Malmitalo's cultural offerings for children are abundant and events for small children are organized almost weekly.
Malmitalo also has a restaurant, Malmi Library and adult education center spaces. Additionally, the building houses other youth and hobby activities.
Malmitalo's own cinema, Kino Helioksen, occasionally features the latest children's films in its program.

Malmitalo
Ala-Malmin tori 1
Open:
Monday to Friday 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Special opening hours on holidays and during summer season
www.malmitalo.fi

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Stoa

Located in Itäkeskus, Culture Center Stoa is a versatile cultural building: under the same roof you'll find, in addition to extensive cultural offerings, the Itäkeskus Library, adult education center, Arbis teaching spaces and a youth center. Stoa is also known for its Café Stoa, which serves North African buffet lunch and welcomes even the smallest visitors with great warmth. Stoa's events expand especially during summer months to the culture center's courtyard, which underwent a transformation in 2019. 

Culture Center Stoa
Turunlinnantie 1 
Open:
Monday to Thursday 8 a.m.–8 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Special opening hours on holidays and during summer season
www.stoa.fi

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Vuotalo

Vuotalo, next to Vuosaari metro station, a swimming hall and shopping center, is known in addition to its extremely wide range of cultural offerings for the excellent children's section of the Vuosaari Library located in the building. Special mention should be made of Vuotalo Library's children's section design, as not even the smallest library visitor can sneak away unnoticed.
In the foyer exhibition space you can marvel at rotating exhibitions and at Vuosali, for example, Cinema Vuotalo's film offerings. Vuotalo's program has also emphasized Swedish-language children's cultural offerings.
In addition to the library, Vuotalo's other operators are the adult education center and the foyer's cozy book café.

Vuotalo
Mosaiikkitori 2
Open:
Monday to Thursday 8 a.m.–8 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Special opening hours on holidays and during summer season
www.vuotalo.fi

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Helsinki City Culture Centers

ANNANTALO
CAISA
KANNELTALO
MALMITALO
STOA
VUOTALO

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