Linnanmäki opened on 27 May 1950 in Helsinki’s Alppila district, making it the oldest amusement park in Finland. It is owned and operated by the Children’s Day Foundation, a non-profit organization that has funneled the park’s earnings into Finnish child welfare programs for more than seven decades, donating over €130 million to charitable causes over its history.
Spread across roughly 7.5 hectares, Linnanmäki draws about one million visitors each year and offers around 42 rides, including eight roller coasters. Its most famous attraction, Vuoristorata, is a wooden side-friction coaster that opened in July 1951 and still runs today with an onboard brakeman, making it one of the oldest continuously operating wooden coasters in the world.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Alppila, Helsinki, Finland
- Operator: Children’s Day Foundation (non-profit)
- Opened: May 27, 1950
- Size: About 7.5 hectares (19 acres)
- Annual Visitors: About 1 million
- Signature Attraction: Vuoristorata, a wooden coaster opened in 1951
- Roller Coasters: 8, including Vuoristorata and Taiga
The Ride Experience
Vuoristorata remains the park’s centerpiece: a 24-meter-tall, 960-meter wooden coaster that reaches about 60 km/h and still employs a brakeman riding in the last car, a rare touch of old-school coaster operation. For modern thrills, Taiga opened in 2019 as an Intamin launched steel coaster, and at 52 meters tall, 106 km/h, and 1,104 meters long with four inversions, it holds the Finnish records for tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster.
Linnanmäki also houses Linnunrata, an indoor coaster built inside a former water tower reservoir and the only indoor roller coaster in Finland, alongside a Sea Life aquarium, the only one of its kind in the Nordic countries.
A Park Built on Charity
Unlike most theme parks, Linnanmäki was founded as a fundraising venture: the Children’s Day Foundation has used ride and ticket revenue to support Finnish children’s welfare work since the park’s opening in 1950. Entry had been free since 2002, but starting with the 2026 summer season the park introduced a paid Area Entrance Ticket costing €5, with children under three still admitted free; the fee is waived automatically for anyone holding a wristband, ride ticket, or season pass, and entry remains free on Helsinki Day (June 12).
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Roller Coasters at Linnanmäki
Every Linnanmäki coaster ThrillZing has covered — stats, ride experience and history for each:
Linnanmäki FAQs
Is Linnanmäki free to enter?
Entry was free from 2002 through 2025, but starting with the 2026 summer season Linnanmäki charges a €5 Area Entrance Ticket for visitors without a wristband or ride ticket. Children under three enter free, and admission is free on Helsinki Day (June 12).
What is the oldest ride at Linnanmäki?
Vuoristorata, a wooden side-friction roller coaster that opened in July 1951, is the park’s oldest major ride and still operates with an onboard brakeman.
What is the newest major coaster at the park?
Taiga, an Intamin launched steel coaster that opened in 2019, is the newest signature ride and holds Finland’s records for tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster.
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Photo: Simbe / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.