The Helsinki City Museum records and preserves the tangible and intangible heritage and cultural environment of the Helsinki metropolitan area. Visitors to the museum discover both the bright and dark sides of the city´s history, learn about the roots and cultural background of its inhabitants and garner experiences to enrich their lives.

The museum covers the history of the entire Helsinki area by living and evolving together with its residents. With its seven branches located throughout the city, it is a veritable database on the history of Helsinki, providing visitors with comprehensive information while also taking into account their needs and wishes.
The history of Helsinki and its people throughout the ages is told through the museum´s various collections, which have been assembled by donations and acquisitions according to a systematic collection policy. Its historical collections currently number 400,000 objects, one million photographs and 6,000 art objects.

The museum´s mission is to bequeath to future generations a suitable collection of material to document the development ofliving conditions in Helsinki.The present day is represented by objects, photographs, art and archive material of the city´s most essential and important cultural phenomena and features.

Helsinki´s official building protection authority is also a part of the museum and its tasks include the issuing of statements and research, documentation and preservation work related to the city´s cultural environment. This dissemination of knowledge and increasing the value of buildings of various ages are of great importance to the authority, which also provides advice on planning repairs and help in finding experts.