Moomins in Helsinki: A ‘Troll’ through the city
What do green spaces, the seaside and Moomins have in common? Helsinki! The Finnish capital is the birthplace of Tove Jansson, a renown artist and creator of the Moomins. 2025 marks 80 years since the first Moomin story, we welcome fans and art lovers alike to explore Helsinki with a touch of Moominvalley magic!
Adventure awaits – Moomin experiences in Helsinki
The Moomins might not be city folk (they live in a valley), but there is plenty you can explore in Helsinki to get into a Moomin state of mind.
Tove Jansson’s Helsinki
What could be a better way to celebrate the Moomins’ 80th anniversary (in 2025) than walk in the footsteps of Tove Jansson? Her childhood home and many places that she loved about Helsinki and that inspired her work so greatly.
Helsinki Art Museum (HAM): Tove Jansson – Paradise
HAM has long been the home to Tove Jansson’s magnificent fresco paintings. Now, a new exhibition, Tove Jansson – Paradise, explores her work and creative process on a larger scale, including paintings with Moomins. You’ll also find some beautiful, sustainable and very artsy Moomin products (such as collectable posters of the exhibition) at the museum shop! The exhibition is open until 6 April 2025.
The Design Museum Moomin exhibition late 2025
Ending the Moomin 80th anniversary year, the Architecture and Design Museum explores how Tove Jansson shaped spaces through her perception of architecture and design, from her art all the way to the Moominhouse.
The exhibition opens on 10 October 2025.
Moomin Shop Esplanadi in central Helsinki
The Moomin flagship store in the picturesque street of Pohjoisesplanadi hosts the world’s largest assortment of Moomin products. With regular visits from Moomintroll, keep this store in mind for things to do in Helsinki with kids.
Moomin café at Helsinki Airport
Moomins too love a good ‘lettukestit’ – (pancakes with some strawberry jam)! If you’re flying to or from Helsinki, why not pass by Gate 40 and enjoy a Nordic treat in Moominvalley-like surroundings?
Moomin books in Helsinki
It all started with a series of novels, long before the Moomin boom.
The two Moomin Shops in central Helsinki are good spots for Moomin book lovers. You might also want to visit the Akateeminen bookstore by Stockmann department store – they have all ten volumes of Moomin comics!
If you want a library with the most Moomin books, Oodi is a safe bet. From original novels to newer children’s books, Helsinki’s biggest library near the Central Railway Station holds dozens of Moomin titles in several languages.
If you want true literary Moomin history, the antiquarian bookstore C.Hagelstam in Fredrikinkatu is your treasure trove. You’ll find old editions of Moomin books and other literature by Tove Jansson.
Moomin boat trip from Helsinki
True fans know the significant role of the sea in the Moomin stories came from Tove Jansson’s love for the Baltic Sea. Whether you’re a Moomin devotee or just love admiring the waters, you can explore the Helsinki seaside throughout all seasons.
You can take a boat to Suomenlinna, Lonna and Vallisaari from the Market Square. Suomenlinna is home to a wonderful toy museum that displays some of the oldest Moomin products.! To explore the idyllic Pihlajasaari you can board from Merisatamanranta near Kaivopuisto park, or Ruoholahti.
Some say the Söderskär lighthouse in the Porvoo archipelago served as inspiration for Moominpappa’s lighthouse… 1,5 hours from Helsinki, you can get there on a daily cruise departing from Kauppatori or Vuosaari.
Moomins
What do Helsinkians and Moomins have in common?
The Finnish way of life served as inspiration for the Moomins – it’s no wonder we feel close to these round trolls.
There’s something that unites all Helsinkians – we’re very much in touch with nature here. The sea, the flora and fauna are just as important to us as our sauna time (please don’t make us choose!).
Like Helsinkians, the Moomins wouldn’t trade the outdoors for anything. The Moomins remind us that life’s best moments come from the smallest moments. A soft breeze, a bird song, or prickly grass on your feet – somewhere like Kaivopuisto Park with wonderful sea views.
The Moomin stories are all about togetherness and tolerance – everyone is welcome in the Moominhouse. And everyone is welcome in Helsinki. You and You and You. All of us.