Museum of Civil Defence - Helsinki’s Hidden History
- Mika Vepsalainen
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Join us for a visit to the Museum of Civil Defence and you will have a unique, immersive journey into one of the most important and timely topics of our era: civil preparedness.
Founded in January 1941, the Helsinki Civil Defence Association has spent over 80 years educating citizens and strengthening readiness for both ordinary and extraordinary situations. Today, their mission continues through this remarkable museum experience.
During the visit to their Civil Defence Museum, located in a real bomb shelter from WWII, you can step into the city's history by exploring Helsinki’s civil defence efforts from the Second World War (1939–1944) to the present day. You will discover authentic artefacts from the years of war including detailed exhibits, and a fully re-created wartime bomb shelter complete with sound efffects
You will also see closely some rare equipment of post-war times, such as technical devices and materials used in post-war civil defence and learn how they shaped the city’s safety. You might wish to pay attention to the layout and equipment of a present day shelter at the museum, too - these days, it might not be a bad idea to know a bit about these things.
There is no museum shop but take home free brochures and booklets to continue your learning. The museum is fully accessible (including restroom facilities) and located just a short walk from Helsinki city centre. There is no museum café but a walk back to the centre will show you some nice cafés afterwards to reflect on what you’ve learned. There is no museum shop, but you can take some brochures and a booklet about civil defence with you, unfortunately, most of them in Finnish only.
Museum of Civil Defence
Siltavuorenranta 14, 00170 Helsinki