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The Winter Garden is a plant oasis open to all north of Töölönlahti Bay. Since its establishment in 1893, the garden has been open to the public free of charge.
The lush Winter Garden brings joy to visitors all year round, and seasonal flowering plants add variety to the floral splendour. At Christmas time, you can witness the blooming of the poinsettia, azalea and belladonna-lily. Easter is the time for wild daffodils and tulips to burst into flowers.
Christmas and Easter are special periods at the Winter Garden: the garden is decorated for Christmas on the First Sunday of Advent, and the season ends on Epiphany. During this period, the festive atmosphere is enhanced by a large Christmas tree, candles and, of course, Christmas elves. The Winter Garden is also impressively decorated for Easter. Many local residents still remember the gardens' cute Easter chicks, which have unfortunately not been seen since 2005, as the tradition had to be discontinued due to avian influenza. Nowadays the highlights of the Winter Garden on Easter include the small witches "flying" around in the garden.
This historic house of plants features more than 200 different plants that flourish in three rooms: the Cactus Room, the Palm Room and the Western Wing. The oldest plant is a camellia tree that is over 130 years old.
The Winter Garden, the Rose Garden in front of it and the plant production area behind the Winter Garden together form the City Garden. The plant production area is not open to the public. There is no café in the Winter Garden.
Contact information
Valid for the time being:
– Mon-Thu 10.00-16.00
– Fri closed
– Sat-Sun 10.00-16.00
Closed on fridays
Read more about the Winter Garden
The Winter Garden’s plant selection has been picked keeping in mind houseplant enthusiasts. In the garden, you can find almost all houseplants that have been popular in Finnish homes in the last century.
In the Cactus Room, visitors are be delighted by the extensive collection of cactuses and succulents. The room is dominated by aloes and jade plants with their tiny white flowers as well as numerous different types of cacti. Cacti flowers are at their most impressive in May–June and November–December.
The blooms of large agaves can sometimes even peek outside the building through the skylight. Orchids thrive on the wall, and their best flowering time is autumn. The lovely Coelogyne cristata blooming in February is the undisputed star of the orchids.
In the Western Wing of the Winter Garden, you can find a cosy place for socialising and tables where you can enjoy snacks or, for example, read.
Flowers that are characteristic of each season shine brightly on the flower tables. In addition, there are flowering potted plants in the Western Wing that are brought out according to the season.
The Wing’s specialty are the houseplants of the beginning of the 20th century: Natal lilies, Billbergia, Weevil lilies and North’s false flags remind Finns of their grandmother’s houses.
The view of the Palm Room is dominated by the southern magnolia, large monstera and palm trees. The room also houses the 130-year-old camellia tree, one of the oldest plants in the Winter Garden. The tree was brought to the Winter Garden from Villa Hakasalmi already in 1907.
The camellias bloom from October to mid-February, while the southern magnolia opens its large flowers in early summer. Many visitors’ favourites also include the carps in the fountain and the carnivorous plants that grow in a display case. The back wall is decorated by a mural by decorative painter Salomo Wuorio from 1893. The romantic fresco was revealed during a renovation in the 1970s.
There is an exciting explanation for the rope structures suspended in the room, as a lucky visitor may see aerial acrobat Ilona Jäntti practising near the ceiling.
In front of the greenhouse is a Rose Garden where roses in groups bloom from July to September. The edges of the garden are defined by lime trees cut into shape. The middle level of the Rose Garden and the foot of the stone wall has extensive perennial flower beds.
In addition, the upper terrace in front of the Winter Garden has a group of summer flowers and spectacular pot plantings. They add more floral splendour to the area from spring to autumn. The garden was designed by City Gardener Svante Olsson in 1924.
In the Rose Garden, walk along the sand corridors. The Rose Garden is fenced, and it’s locked for the night. The gates of the rose garden are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Rose Garden is open from 1 May to 31 October. At other times, the Winter Garden can only be accessed through the entrance in the Hammarskjöldintie street.
Instructions for visitors
The Winter Garden is located at the northern end of Töölönlahti Bay, next to the Olympic Stadium. There is no entrance fee to the Winter Garden, which is open all year round.
Souvenir photos for private use
In the Winter Garden, you can take souvenir photos without a tripod. If the photo is shared on Facebook or Instagram, for example, please mention the location.
Portrait photography
Portrait photoshoots by a photographer, such as wedding, graduation or family photoshoots, must always be agreed in advance – preferably at least two weeks before the intended shooting date. Photography sessions can be arranged during the Winter Garden’s opening hours. The photography session must not disturb other Winter Garden visitors. The use of tripods and similar equipment is forbidden
Media photoshoots, blog photoshoots and thesis photoshoots
In the Winter Garden, you can take photographs of editorial material, such as personal photos, as well as blog and thesis photos during its opening hours. The photoshoots must be agreed upon in advance at least two weeks before the intended shooting date. When contacting us, please describe the type of the photoshoot, the purpose of the photos/video and where they will be published.
Filming enquiries: stara.talvipuutarha@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program) or tel. +358 (0)9 310 39985
A guided tour of the Winter Garden, subject to a charge, can be ordered from the Helsinki Guides tour guides who are familiar with the history of the Winter Garden.
The price of the tour is EUR 120 + VAT per group per guide. The Sunday supplement is EUR 60 + VAT per group per guide. The tour takes about an hour. The maximum size of the group is 10–15 people. Groups larger than this will be divided into smaller groups, and each group will have its own guide.
Enquiries and orders: talvipuutarha@helsinkiguides.fi(Link opens default mail program)
Parking
The garden does not have any parking spaces reserved for customers. You can park on the garden’s side of the street on Hammarskjöldintie. You can park on these spots on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for up to four hours with a one-time payment. At other times, parking is not restricted. Paid parking spaces can be found, for example, at the Mäntymäki field in the vicinity of the Töölö sports hall.
Bicycle racks
A bicycle rack can be found on the upper terrace of the Winter Garden on the left side of the gate.
Cloakroom
Coat racks for outdoor clothing can be found next to the fish pool. Visitors are responsible for the clothes left in the coat rack.
Toilets
Toilet facilities are located in the immediate vicinity of the coat racks.
Snacks and refreshment
You can eat your own snacks both in the Winter Garden and outdoors on the upper terrace and the benches in the Rose Garden. There are tables and chairs on the upper terrace. In the Rose Garden, walk and sit only on the sand corridors. Please take other visitors into consideration when it comes to cleanliness, noise and unobstructed access. Do not trample the plants and always pick up your litter.
Dogs
Small dogs are welcome to visit the Winter Garden. Please check with the staff on site that your dog can come inside. Sometimes the Winter Garden is so busy that dogs cannot be brought inside.
Please note
- The Winter Garden is open to everyone. When visiting, please take other visitors into consideration.
- Touching the plants and removing parts of the plants is prohibited. There are also poisonous and irritating plants in the garden.
- Stepping on the planting areas is not allowed in order to keep the plantings in order.
- Private events cannot be organised in the Winter Garden.
- Strollers and prams are not allowed inside. There is a storage space for them in the yard. You can ask the Winter Garden staff to borrow a lock to lock strollers and prams.
- During performances and events, other than souvenir photography is prohibited.
Enquiries: stara.talvipuutarha@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program) or tel. +358 (0)9 310 39985
Location
The route to the main entrance
- The route to the entrance is smooth and sufficiently wide and illuminated and it uses movement-guiding surface material.
The main entrance
- The entrance stands out clearly and is illuminated.
- The doors connected to the entrance stand out clearly. Outside the door there is sufficient room for moving e.g. with a wheelchair. The door opens easily manually.
In the facility
- The customer service point is on the entrance floor.
- The doors in the customer service point stand out clearly.
- The customer service point has an accessible toilet on the same floor.
