VISITING the collection
Pohjoinen Hesperiankatu 7
6th floor
00260 Helsinki
Finland
Opening hours
Wednesdays 2 pm–6 pm, Sundays 12 pm–4 pm, and by appointment for groups
Free admission
Free guided tours in Finnish on Wednesdays at 2:30 pm and Sundays at 12:30 pm.
Pre-booked group tours will be charged according to the price list.
We are within easy reach by public transport
Check the timetables: HSL
Pre-booked tour prices
Monday to Friday
EUR 70 (in Finnish or Swedish, incl. queer tours)
EUR 80 (other languages, incl. queer tours)
themed tours in Finnish or Swedish EUR 140
themed tours in other languages EUR 160
Saturdays and Sundays
EUR 90 (in Finnish or Swedish, incl. queer tours)
EUR 100 (other languages, incl. queer tours)
themed tours in Finnish or Swedish EUR 180
themed tours in other languages EUR 200
Payment by card at the museum. The Kirpilä Art Collection does not use e-invoicing.
Tour bookings can be cancelled up to one week before the date, except for tours booked for Saturdays or Sundays, which must be cancelled by 4 pm on the Friday of the preceding week: taidekoti@skr.fi. The full price of the tour will be charged for later cancellations.
Tours for school groups and in Plain Finnish are free of charge when organised Monday to Friday 9 am–4 pm and are free of charge. Outside of those times, these tours cost EUR 45. The fee for no-shows or cancellations made less than one week before the tour is EUR 45.
To cancel a tour booking, please email taidekoti(at)skr.fi.
We ask that groups arrive at the museum 10 minutes prior to the start of booked tours.
The museum is not available for event bookings.
Group enquiries and bookings:
taidekoti(at)skr.fi or +358 50 351 4337
our guides
Riitta Ojamaa
Riitta Ojamaa has started her journey in museums as a drama guide. With a background in teaching visual arts and a passion for painting, she brings a wealth of experience to her role. Riitta finds working with student groups particularly fulfilling, and she enjoys engaging in discussions and connecting with others through art.
Languages: Finnish, Plain Finnish
Eija Olsson
Eija Olsson, MA, is an “old-school” museum guide who likes to provide information on the collection, its artists, the artistic periods and styles, and the ways in which the artists and their works were received in their time. Olsson’s enthusiasm, passion and love for art are evident on her tours.
Languages: Finnish, Plain Finnish, Swedish, English
Photo by Riitta Supperi
Antti Solin
Antti Solin is a cultural historian who has worked long as a theatrical tour guide. Roleplay is set aside at Kirpilä, however, where guides and guests alike are welcome just as they are. Always intrigued by the historical and social context of artworks, Solin is particularly interested in topics related to gender and sexuality.
Languages: Finnish, Plain Finnish, English
Photo by Riitta Supperi
Groups and special tours
The Kirpilä Art Collection is also open to groups by appointment outside of its ordinary opening hours (Wed 2 pm–6 pm and Sun 12 pm–4 pm). Group visits comprise a guided tour lasting around 60 minutes. One tour group can have a maximum of 15 participants; larger groups must book and pay for two guides or tours. The minimum group size for the museum to open outside of its ordinary opening hours is around four visitors.
Besides ordinary tours, we also offer queer tours, where the collection is viewed from an unconventional, non-heteronormative perspective.
THEMED TOURS BY TOPIC:
Click on the bar to learn more about our themed tours.
Juhani Kirpilä – doctor, art collector, traveller
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FASCINATING ARTISTS
Yrjö Saarinen – Intensity! Explosions of colour!
Languages: Finnish, Swedish, English
Guide: Eija Olsson
Juhani Kirpilä was enthralled by colourful expressiveness and his collection includes sixteen works by Yrjö Saarinen, which are all bold and powerful with heightened intensity. They encompass all three of the motifs for which Saarinen is known: exuberant female nudes, childhood scenery from Tourujoki and floral still lifes.
Independent women artists at Kirpilä: Eva Cederström, Ester Helenius, Venny Soldan-Brofeldt and Dora Wahlroos
Languages: Finnish, Swedish, English
Guide: Eija Olsson
Juhani Kirpilä collected many works by women artists from the very start. In all, he amassed works by 32 women. This tour looks at the lives of four highly diverse women artists and their paintings in the Kirpilä Collection. Eva Cederström’s paintings are characterised by a simplistic style and limpid blue tones. Ester Helenius had an intuitive form of expression, with a rich use of colour. Her paintings are full of light, colour and intensity. Venny Soldan-Brofeldt’s imagery tended to originate close to home; she particularly favoured children and sea views. She was also active in the women’s movement. Dora Wahlroos studied in Paris and was committed to the naturalist tradition; initially more popular than Helene Schjerfbeck, she is known today especially for her portraits.
Brave and individualistic women artists at Kirpilä: Fanny Churberg, Meri Genetz, Essi Renvall and Elga Sesemann
Languages: Finnish, Swedish, English
Guide: Eija Olsson
This tour looks at the lives of four highly diverse women artists and their works in the Kirpilä Collection. Fanny Churberg studied in Düsseldorf and painted landscapes more skilfully and expressively than most men. Meri Genetz could be described as a colourist and one of the finest painters in the latter November Group. Essi Renvall is known as a skilled child portraitist and the sculptor of authors’ busts for the publishing house WSOY. Her best-known monumental work is Helsinki’s Statue of Peace from 1968. Elga Sesemann discovered her own style already while studying in the 1940s, and is known for her numerous self-portraits with thick applications of colour using a palette knife.
Sun and melancholy
Languages: Finnish, Swedish, English
Guide: Eija Olsson
The Kirpilä living room presents two Finnish painters from the early 1900s, Santeri Salokivi and Einar Ilmoni. While they were very different artists and personas, they have both earned their places in the Kirpilä Collection. Salokivi’s paintings are full of sunlight and positive energy. He is known for his impressionist sea views and rich colours. As something of a hermit and a highly original artist, Einar Ilmoni was the opposite of Salokivi. Ilmoni suffered from depression and nervous breakdowns, but his works, with their sparing use of colour, exude deep religiosity and peace.
Sculptures and sculptors in the Kirpilä Collection
Languages: Finnish, Swedish, English
Guide: Eija Olsson
The tour presents all of the sculptures in Juhani Kirpilä’s art collection, as well as their makers. Moving portraits (of Essi Renvall, Jean Sibelius, Ilmari Kianto and Tarmo Manni, among others), witty and splendid animal sculptures ranging from the Bat to the Gorilla, and modernist abstract sculptures form an ensemble that tickles the senses in Kirpilä’s homelike interior.
Juhani Kirpilä – doctor, art collector, traveller
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JUHANI KIRPILÄ - DOCTOR, ART COLLECTOR, TRAVELLER
Juhani Kirpilä as an Art Collector
Languages: Finnish, English
Guide: Antti Solin
Juhani Kirpilä (1931–1988) was not only a prominent physician but also a passionate art collector. His impressive collection can be admired at the Kirpilä Art Collection in Töölö, maintained by the Finnish Cultural Foundation. During his tour, guide Antti Solin provides fascinating insights into Kirpilä’s life and the stories behind the artworks he acquired.
Disappearing Nature and Its Depictions
A large part of the artworks at the Kirpilä Art Collection consists of landscape and still life paintings – dead nature. What does the art collection tell us about the Finnish relationship with nature? Are we focusing on what is essential for the environment when we look at landscapes? Which species depicted in the artworks are on the brink of extinction?
Languages: Finnish, English
Guide: Antti Solin
A Home for Art – Interior Design, Antique Furniture, and Oriental Carpets
MA Eija Olsson’s guided tour leads through the impressive rooftop apartment of the Kirpilä Art Collection, focusing on the unique interior design, antique furniture, and beautiful oriental carpets that define Kirpilä as a distinct art home. This experience offers a special opportunity to appreciate not only the artworks but also the context in which they are displayed, providing a deeper understanding of the interplay between art, design, and history.
Languages: Finnish, English, Swedish
Guide: Eija Olsson
The museum also offers tours for children and tours in Plain Finnish. Click here to read more about Plain Finnish tours. The duration of these tours is approximately 45 minutes. Tours are free of charge for school groups and for groups of students of Finnish language courses run by employment centres or as part of integration training, who come with their teacher. Visits to Kirpilä are suitable for the later stages of integration training courses, or for groups with corresponding Finnish language skills.
For these tours, the fee for no-shows or cancellations made less than one week before the tour is EUR 45.
Group enquiries and bookings:
taidekoti(at)skr.fi or +358 50 351 4337
Photograph by Riitta Supperi
School groups
The museum offers tailored tours for school groups, lasting around 45 minutes. The tours are free and must be booked in advance.
The Kirpilä Art Collection presents some of the extensive collection of Finnish art collected by rheumatologist Juhani Kirpilä (1931–1988). The former residential home, spanning eight rooms and 350 square metres, offers impressive experiences amid hundreds of paintings and sculptures. The atmosphere and spirit of this luxurious 20th-century home have been preserved in the original style of the décor.
We ask that groups arrive at the museum 10 minutes prior to the start of booked tours.
When arriving with school groups, please note that the museum is located on the top floor of a six-floor residential building. Only four people at a time may use the lift, so large groups should use the stairs. Please respect the privacy of the building’s residents while in the stairwell.
Typically for a 1930s apartment, the museum’s entrance hall is relatively small, fitting only about ten people at a time. In winter, especially, large groups must remove and put on their outerwear in smaller batches. Some students may wait in another room with a guide while others are getting ready. Visitors to the museum must wear socks or indoor shoes. Backpacks must be left in the entrance hall or office.
The maximum size for groups is around 15 persons; if your school group is bigger, please discuss this when making your booking. We recommend that more than one adult attend the tour with school groups.
On school tours, the guide will discuss the art collection and its collector, focusing on themes that are of particular interest to children. For example, there are numerous artworks depicting animals. The tour will progress according to the children’s areas of interest, so we invite them to be active in asking questions and sharing opinions.
The Kirpilä Art Collection is homelike, warm and unique, but it is still an art museum. Visitors may look at everything, but nothing may be touched without permission. There is a lot of valuable art on display, so all visitors must stay with the group and move about calmly. The teachers and other adults with the group are ultimately responsible for ensuring the proper behaviour of school children during visits.
Pre-booked tours may be cancelled free of charge at the latest one week prior to the date. The fee for no-shows and cancellations made less than one week before the tour is EUR 45.
Photograph by Riitta Supperi
BOOK A PRIVATE REMOTE GUIDED TOUR FOR YOUR GROUP
The Kirpilä Art Collection offers remote guided tours online.
On our remote tours, a guide will introduce you to the museum just like on an ordinary guided tour – but from the comfort of your own home! The tour will be limited to your group only, and you may ask questions and chat with the guide. Tours are available in Finnish, Swedish and English.
Remote tour prices for groups:
Tours in Finnish or Swedish
EUR 60 for 1–20 participants
EUR 80 for 21–30 participants
Tours in English
EUR 70 for 1–20 participants
EUR 90 for 21–30 participants
The duration of the tour is approximately 50 minutes. Participant numbers are limited to ensure the technical quality of the tour.
Contact us on taidekoti(at)skr.fi or +358 50 351 4337 to ask about available slots for tours!
Having paid for the tour, you will receive a link to the event by email, which you can share with your group.
Accessibility at the Kirpilä Art Collection
The Kirpilä Art Collection is not an accessible space. We are situated at the top of an apartment block, on the sixth floor. The collection is housed in a former home that takes up 350 square metres over eight rooms.
Arriving at the museum
The closest accessible car parking space that can be used with a disabled parking permit is located at Pohjoinen Hesperiankatu 17.
At the museum, there are five steps leading up to the front door, with a handrail on both sides. During our opening hours, 2 pm–6 pm Wednesdays and 12 pm–4 pm Sundays, the stairwell may be accessed by wheelchairs with assistance from the security guard, via the gateway and the back door. The route has five doors, of which the narrowest is 87.5 cm in width. Four of the doorways have a threshold with a height of 2–3.5 cm. If you call us in advance (tel. +358 50 351 4337) to let us know when you are coming, the security guard will be ready to receive you. If you will be requiring this alternative entrance route for a reserved guided tour outside of ordinary opening hours, please let us know at the time of booking the tour.
The museum has a doorbell by the building’s front door, labelled “Taidekoti Kirpilä”. It is located on the wall to the left of the door, at a height of 1.48 metres.
The building dates from 1934, and it still has the original gate lift (elevator), with a doorway width of 65.5 cm. The lift has a handrail on each wall. The measurements of the lift are as follows: height 225 cm, width 90 cm (the rails are at a height of 100 cm, and the space between them is 73 cm), and depth 127 cm (the distance between the back wall rail and the collapsible gate is 118 cm). The top lift button is 143 cm high. The buttons do not have tactile numbers.
Moving around the museum
The door to the museum itself is 83 cm wide, and it has a 4.5 cm threshold.
We ask that visitors remove their shoes or place protective covers over them in the entryway. There are chairs for this purpose at the entrance. The personnel at the museum can assist with storing clothing items, and the payment terminal can be brought to the customer in the case of any purchases (admission is free, but there are books and postcards for sale).
Every room has seats (armchairs and sofas with a seat height of 40–50 cm) for use by visitors.
There are oriental rugs on the floors, with anti-slip underlays. The doorways are wide enough for wheelchairs. Thresholds are a maximum of 2 cm high, and the narrowest doorway is 67.5 cm.
Lists of artworks are found in the rooms: there are no wall plaques next to the artworks themselves. The office will provide large-print lists on request.
Toilets / Restrooms
The museum has three gender-neutral toilets/restrooms for visitors, whose doorway thresholds are 9 cm, 4 cm and 3.5 cm high. Unfortunately, there is no fully accessible toilet. Door handles are at a height of 100 cm. The toilet doorway with the lowest threshold is 57.5 cm wide, and at its narrowest (between the radiator and the sink) the room is 52 cm. The biggest toilet has the highest threshold (9 cm). It has a doorway width of 67.5 cm, and at its narrowest (between the toilet seat and the radiator) the room is 82.5 cm.
Guide dogs
Assistance dogs are welcome.
Video material
The Kirpilä Art Collection YouTube channel has presentation videos and concert recordings. The presentations are subtitled, but the recordings are not.