Linnanmaki Amusement Park

Linnanmaki – Helsinki

Linnanmäki offers something for everyone. If you do not have the stomach for the rides you can still spend a wonderful day in Finland’s oldest amusement park by taking in the magical spirit of the merry making – funfair music, cries of excitement and perhaps of horror, smell of popcorn and candyfloss – and taking part in some of the other attractions such as the games arcade, restaurants and cafés, candy and gift shops.

Of course, you will always find the gentle rides too. Rinkeli and Panorama will offer you a magnificent view of the park and over the capital city of Helsinki where as Maisemajuna will give you a gentle tour around the park across the heights.

Panarama view

Helsinki View

Ferris Wheel

The entrance to the park is free. So, if you only want to experience the magic of the park or join in the merrymaking with the family or grandchildren you are able to do so for free of charge. And you never know what you might see in the park on the day of your visit.

We entered the park with 2 adults and 3 over the moon excited children, aged 10, 7 and 5. It was the family’s first visit to an amusement park of this scale. It was going to be a day on their terms.

You buy your ride tickets at the Ticket Sales Desks and ticket machines where you choose between wristbands and single ride tickets. The rides, and therefore the wristbands, are categorised according to the visitor’s height. Isohupi is for those over 120 cm (however, some of the rides require a minimum height of 140 cm), Pikkuhupi for those under 120 cm, and Minihupi for under 100 cm. Wristbands are valid for one day and if you decide to spend the day in the park, then it is definitely worth buying the wristband instead of single tickets.

At the Ticket Sales Desks you can pick up an information leaflet that gives you a map of the area with all the rides and other amenities in the park. To start with, we took a look at the map and made a plan how we will go about the park. We wanted to see every single ride the park had to offer.

Strategy Planning Meeting

Linnanmäki can boast about having the largest supply of rides in the Nordic countries. We all found our favourites. It being a sunny, warm day the water rides offered refreshment. Hurjakuru takes you through an adventure with rafting and waterfalls. It was enjoyed by all except by our smallest one who did not join in the fun.  Vonkaputous takes you through a rougher ride ending up in a pool of water with a maximum speed of 65 km/h, guaranteed to make you wet.

Rapid Ride

Water Plunge

Our oldest child is 10 and over 140 cm, so in that sense he could have entered every single ride in the park. Us parents were glad that he is a ‘sensible’ child and did not fancy a ride in the wildest ones Linnanmäki has got to offer. We were happy to leave rides such as Kieppi, Ukko, Raketti, Kirnu and Salama for the other visitors in the park. We did not feel the necessity for such an adrenalin kick.

Spin for Fun

Enjoy the Wild Side Ride

Vuoristorata – the rollercoaster – is the park’s most visited ride, an all time favourite. It was also my personal favourite as well as our 10-year-old’s. The two of us also tested Mustekala, which was just enough to give us pleasant dizziness and tickle in the tummy.

tummy tickle

Linnanmaki Rollercoaster

Our girls entered most of the Pikkuhupi and Minihupi rides. Ponny ride, racing cars, carousel etc. Vekkula also ranked high in our family. It is a house full of corridors and rooms with fun effects – try to walk through a sloping room, moving floors and a hanging bridge. The absolute highlight is the speedy wooden slide at the end!

walk the wheel

Vekkula

down the shute

We entered Linnanmäki an hour after its opening and left 7 hours later – content but rather tired, especially our 5-year-old who had been on her little feet plus full of excitement all this time.

During the school holidays and weekends the queues to the rides may get long. But if you reserve a whole day for the amusement park you will get a chance to experience the rides you want.

Linnanmäki  Amusement Park – http://www.linnanmaki.fi/en/