Military Museum's Manege

The basics

As well as the two exhibition spaces, tickets also grant you entry to the WWII Submarine Vesikko, a 10-minute walk away. Finland’s annual Museum Card and the Helsinki Card include admission to both the museum and the submarine. Besides military hardware and uniforms, elements include a wooden WWII bunker that shows what life was like during the Winter War, when Finland fought off the Soviet Union amid savage conditions. Kids will enjoy the chance to test out bunk beds in mock barracks and try on military uniforms.

Things to know before you goThings to know before you go

• The Military Museum’s Manege is a good choice for history buffs, military aficionados, and families.

• Entrance to the Suomenlinna Fortress is free but there’s a charge to visit the Military Museum’s Manege: Under-18s go free, while students and pensioners enjoy discounts.

• Museum displays are signed in both English and Finnish.

• Allow 30 minutes–2 hours for visiting the museum, including the Artillery Manege, depending on your interest levels.

• The museum is on one floor with seats for resting and wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, but the entrance is rugged and angled and can be challenging to manage in a wheelchair.

How to get there

The Suomenlinna Fortress is a 15–20 minute boat ride from mainland Helsinki. The ferry runs year-round from Market Square (Kauppatori), which is on the popular tram 2 route or a 15-minute walk from Helsinki Central Station; in summer, there’s also a water bus. The Military Museum’s Manege is about a 0.5-mile (800-meter) walk from Suomenlinna’s main pier on Iso Mustasaari island. The fortress is car-free.

When to get there

During the winter season (October through April), the Military Museum’s Manege opens Wednesday through Monday, 11am–4:30pm, and closes on Tuesdays. During the summer season, it opens seven days a week, 11am–6pm. The submarine is only open during the summer season (May through September).

The Suomenlinna Fortress museums

Spanning some 200 buildings over six separate islands), the Suomenlinna Fortress offers enough to keep travelers happy over several days. Besides the Submarine Vesikko and the Military Museum’s Manege, it’s home to four other museums. The Suomenlinna Museum, the main museum, tells the story of the fortress over almost three centuries; the Ehrensvärd Museum highlights the fortress’s period under Swedish rule; the Toy Museum showcases toys and teddy bears; and the Customs Museum (open during summer only) focuses on customs and smugglers.