Culture and experiences in Riihimäki – 15 inspiring tips

In this article, we present the most inspiring cultural destinations in Riihimäki. Plan a memorable cultural tour with the tips below!

Immerse yourself in art and history at museums, galleries, and outdoors

1. The Finnish Glass Museum

The Finnish Glass Museum is a high-class museum by international standards: it is one of the most prestigious glass museums in the world, which also includes the Corning Museum of Glass in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The Glass Museum has both permanent and temporary exhibitions that offer impressive experiences with the best of Finnish and international glass art. The museum also allows you to learn about the over 4-year-old history of glass and the 000-year-old tradition of Finnish glassmaking.

2. Glass studios Lasismi ja Mafka & Alakoski

From the Glass Museum, you can continue your journey to the Old Glass Factory, where the glass studios Lasismi and Mafka & Alakoski maintain the valuable tradition of blown glass. The studios produce art and consumer glass for sale, and you can watch the glass blowing process right on site!

Would you like to try glassblowing yourself? Both Lasismi and Mafka & Alakoski offer experience nights where participants can design and blow their own glass artwork.

3. The Museum Center Riemu

Riemu Museums is a place for those who are interested in both visual arts and cultural history. The museum center in Riemu houses the Riihimäki Art Museum and the Riihimäki City Museum in the same premises, which you can visit with the same admission ticket.

4. The Hunting Museum of Finland

How did hunting change from a profession to a hobby? What kind of magic and beliefs have been associated with hunting over the years? How have hunting methods and hunting equipment developed from the Stone Age to the present day? You can find the answers to these and many other questions in the Finnish Hunting Museum's exhibitions, which tell the nuanced story of the history of Finnish hunting.

5. The National Workers' House Museum

The Workers' House Museum offers an insight into the history of the labor movement over a period of over a hundred years. The museum also hosts small-scale summer exhibitions. The museum is open on summer Sundays until the end of September. The opening ceremony is traditionally held on May Day.

6. Gallery Tärinä

Come to the free art exhibition at Galleria Tärinä! The art gallery organizes monthly changing art exhibitions that delight people of all ages time and time again. The gallery's exhibitions feature works of art by amateur and professional artists from the Riihimäen Kuvataiteilijat ry, as well as by parties outside the association.

7. Statues ja murals

You can also take a cultural tour in Riihimäki for free – there is free art on display in outdoor spaces all over the city. For example, visit the Glassblower statue, which is the central symbol of Riihimäki, the “Most Beautiful Woman in Riihimäki” statue, or Lapsenlikka, the Hero Statue, and the Topparoikka statue, a monument to the railway builders.

In Riihimäki you can also spot murals. For example, on the wall of Hotel Seurahuone there is a Maija Isola mural depicting Marimekko designer and Unikko patterns. The wall of the art museum and the police department is decorated with a communal Riihimäki mural designed by Edwina Goldstone. Walking through Riihimäki is like an adventure, where you can see street art around every corner!

Experience joyful and emotional moments in theaters

8. Riihimäki's Youth Theater

Many famous actors come from Riihimäki, and the city is known for its high-quality theatre. Riihimäki Youth Theatre is the largest youth theatre in Finland, and it organises impressive, thought-provoking and hilarious performances all year round. It's worth coming to see it – even if you happen to be watching a performance by a future star actor or a top comedian without knowing it!

9. Riihimäki Theater

The Riihimäki Theatre's program offers a diverse range of shows all year round: comedy, drama, musicals, concerts, drag shows, stand-up, children's plays and much more. This small but stylish and warm-hearted theatre is definitely an experience worth visiting once or twice!

10. Riihimäki's Summer Theater

The humorous program of the Riihimäki Summer Theatre delights both locals and visitors from further afield every summer. The program includes comedy for adults and a children's play by the Youth Theatre. The Summer Theatre also features stand-up comedy and drag shows, among other things.

11. Kino Sampo

The Kino Sampo cinema is one of the oldest cinemas still in use in Finland. The association that maintains the cinema aims to offer high-quality experiences alongside commercial cinema.

Kino Sampo screens films in series during the summer, autumn and winter. Each series includes five adult and five children's films.

Immerse yourself in the world of music at outdoor concerts

12. Free concerts in the summer: Granit's summer gigs, Riihimäki Summer Concerts ja Riihimäki block gigs

Riihimäki hosts several free music concerts, especially in the summer. Granit's popular summer gigs have brought Finnish artists and the joy of music to the center of Riihimäki for a few years now.

The chamber music event Riihimäen Kesäkonsertit, held at the beginning of June, has been delighting music lovers for over 40 years. The summer concerts feature top Finnish and international musicians and renowned bands. During the festival week, both paid and free performances are held in different parts of the city. The main concert venue is located in the exhibition environment of the Finnish Glass Museum, which uniquely combines visually impressive glass art and high-quality chamber music.

A new addition to Riihimäki's musical cultural life are the block gigs, which are also free. The idea behind the block gigs is to bring music concerts around the city, so the venues change every week. It is possible to watch performances by bands representing different musical styles in parks, parking lots and squares, for example!

13. Riihimäki Music Institute concerts

Riihimäki Music Institute, which offers basic music education, organizes high-quality student concerts and warm-hearted community singing events every year. Admission to the music institute's events is mostly free.

Admire the local culture and architecture

14. Cabin block

In Riihimäki, you can step into the idyllic atmosphere of the past in the Cabin Block, located next to the Finnish Glass Museum. This is a residential area that the Riihimäki Glass Factory, which operated from 1910 to 1990, had built for its employees to take care of their well-being. The area's charming houses and park-like landscapes have remained almost unchanged, even though the glass factory has not been in operation for over 30 years. In addition, new detached houses and terraced houses that fit the milieu have been built and are being built in the Cabin Block.

15. Station area and railway park

Another setting that exudes a sense of bygone times is the Railway Park, which is the oldest of the parks in Riihimäki. Its construction began in the 1850s, and it was originally built as a residential area for railway builders. This area, located next to the railway station, has been designated as a culturally and historically valuable environment, and many of the buildings in the area are protected. Today, the buildings are privately owned.

Experience the atmosphere at diverse cultural events

Finally, let's mention the inspiring cultural events in Riihimäki. For example, in September there is a festival celebrating the Riihimäki community: Riihimäki Day. The celebration highlights the culture of Riihimäki, and the city is filled with a diverse program. For example, there is free admission to museums. In addition, Night of the Arts, also held in September, offers experiences in art and cultural events organized by the city's residents themselves.

You shouldn't miss Glass Day, which is one of the highlights of the year for glass enthusiasts! This is a collector's event held in January and June, where perhaps Finland's best selection of consumer glass, art glass and collector's glass is for sale. The event attracts over 100 vendors and thousands of visitors each year. Admission to the event is free.

The Finnish Glass Biennale held in June 2025 also brought the magic of glass to Riihimäki. The week-long event is planned to be held every other year. It consists of exhibitions, glassblowing demonstrations, workshops, guided tours and expert discussions, among other things. Many of the program items are free of charge. Glass art and cultural tourism lovers should stay tuned to find out when the next glass festival will be held!

Riihimäki is an excellent travel destination in Finland, as there is plenty of choice when you are looking for cultural gems to admire! In addition, Riihimäki is easy to get to, as you can easily get there by car or train from all over Finland. You can get around the city on foot or by city bike almost everywhere - after all, Riihimäki is a city of fifteen minutes! All the necessary services and cultural attractions can be found within a three-kilometer radius.

Which of the destinations presented in the article do you want to experience?