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Arrival
Do I have to leave my coat in the cloakroom?
You can keep your coat with you, as long as it is dry. If it has been worn in the rain, you must leave it in the attended cloakroom, which is free of charge. The museum has lockers too. Our found goods point is in the cloakroom and we also use the eOmistaja.fi found goods service. You can also borrow small loaner bags from the cloakroom for the duration of the museum visit. Large bags must be left either in the lockers or in the service cloakroom.
When is it quietest in the Ateneum Art Museum?
Ateneum´s quietest times are usually after five on weekday evenings. The busiest times are typically from 10.00 to 13.00.
Is the Ateneum accessible with a pram?
All Ateneum floors are accessible with a pram. The accessible entrance to the building is on Ateneuminkuja. You can also park your pram at the beginning of the accessibility route, next to the Ateneuminkuja small lift. Small children can be carried in a sling on the front. You can also borrow strollers and baby carriers from the cloak room.
Are pets allowed inside the museum, Light court or Ateneum Bistro?
Only guide dogs and assistance dogs are welcome in the building. Let’s play with other pets outside the museum.
Can I leave luggage in the Ateneum?
We do not provide a luggage service. Our cloakroom does not accommodate suitcases.
Why have the admission stickers been abandoned?
There are several reasons for abandoning the stickers. First, the Finnish National Gallery and the Ateneum want to operate in a greener manner than before. In the future, instead of the sticker, the receipt for admission will function as the ticket. You cannot, however, get a receipt at the Museum Card point. In this case, the Museum Card will serve as the ticket.
In the museum
Why are backpacks or large bags not allowed in the exhibition galleries?
It is our responsibility to ensure that the works of art remain undamaged. When you walk around the exhibition, a backpack or a large bag may accidentally hit the works of art. It is also more comfortable to view art without a heavy bag. Small loan bags are available from the service cloakroom for the duration of your museum visit. Large bags must be left either in lockers or in the service cloakroom.
Do I have to be quiet in the museum?
Let the artwork speak. The best way to hear them speak is in a quiet environment that is respectful of everyone’s museum experience. Conversation and laughter belong in a museum, but if you need to take a long phone call, please use the rest areas in the stairwell, for example.
Why is running not allowed in the museum?
For safety reasons, running is not allowed in the museum. Giving a child a piggyback ride or carrying them on your shoulders is also prohibited in the exhibition galleries.
Can I take a walking stick or Nordic walking poles into the exhibition galleries? Can I wear ice cleats indoors?
Please leave ice cleats in the cloakroom and cover the spikes of walking sticks or poles with rubber tips to prevent our old wooden floors from being scratched. If you wish, you can borrow comfortable felt slippers from the cloakroom.
Why does the Ateneum no longer have separate toilets for different genders?
Before the renovation, the Ateneum had too few toilets in relation to the number of customers. As a result of the renovation, there are many more toilet cubicles than before. With the introduction of gender-neutral toilets, the facilities are more equal for all users, and there are fewer queues. There are still separate toilets for women and men in the Ateneum Hall lobby on floor 1.5.
Food and drink
Where can I drink and eat my own food at the museum?
To protect the works, drinking and eating are not allowed in the exhibition galleries. Please leave your water bottle in the cloakroom. There are tables at the museum’s Light court where you can eat your own food.
What is a good spot for breastfeeding?
For the safety of the works of art, even feeding little ones should be done outside the exhibition galleries. Breastfeeding is possible on the landings on the exhibition floors, in the Studio and The Flow of Time spaces located in the immediate vicinity of the exhibition galleries on the second floor, in the Ateneum Bistro café-restaurant, and in the common areas in the ticket sales hall and the Light court. There is a separate room with a sofa located on the same floor as our toilets for those who want privacy.
Photography
Can I take photographs and videos in the museum?
Photographing and video recording the exhibitions are allowed for private use, unless otherwise indicated. Unfortunately, posting pictures or videos on social media is not private use. Please photograph without a flash, selfie stick or tripod.
Looking for more information about arranging photo and film shoots at the Ateneum? Read more here.
Artwork
Why is touching the works of art not allowed?
The works of art are fragile and invaluable. In many cases, the damage caused by touch is not visible immediately but gradually becomes apparent later. Please keep a distance of at least an arm’s length between you and the works of art, display cases and walls.
Why are the exhibition galleries dimly lit?
Many of our works of art are sensitive to light. For example, paper-based works are so sensitive to light that they can only be on display in an exhibition for three months at a time. Enjoy the serene atmosphere and leave your everyday worries behind – now you are looking at the world through art.
With a group
Where do groups meet?
The group leader must register the group at Ticket Sales and get admission stickers for each member of the group, who should place the stickers in a visible place. If you have booked a guided tour or an exhibition intro, the group ticket desk in the Light court will guide you to the gathering point.
What should be considered when visiting the Ateneum with schoolchildren?
A teacher must be with the students the whole time during the visit. If you do assignments in the exhibitions, you may not leave the students unsupervised. In the exhibition galleries, pencils only are allowed. If you want to examine one work of art for a longer time, sitting on the floor is allowed and even recommended.
Who can guide at the Ateneum?
Only guides who are authorized and trained by the museum can guide at the Ateneum. Schoolchildren are warmly welcome to visit the exhibitions with their teacher.