The expanded and repaired National Museum may not be able to be opened: “Yes, that’s the way it is”

The National Museum the future looks bleak right now. It is very likely that the National Museum, which was closed a year ago in the fall due to a renovation and additional construction project, will remain closed for a long time.

According to the Finnish Museum Agency’s view, the museum may not be able to open at all after the construction work is completed in the spring of 2027. The reason is that, despite its wishes, the museum has not received compensation for the lost box office revenue during the renovation, nor overall funding for expanding operations.

Director General of the National Museum Elina Anttilan According to

“Yes, that’s how it is. Or it depends on what’s there. Sure, the doors can be opened, but there has to be content there, which means we have to build new exhibitions and put up old exhibitions that have now been taken down,” says Anttila.

It was also reported earlier Yle.

To the museum with the renovation, there will be, among other things, a restaurant run by a new operator and museum shops, as well as the necessary infrastructure.

“Also all the procurements that have to be done so that these activities can be carried out there. It’s a job that has of course already started and the funding we’ve been looking for has been lacking all along,” says Anttila.

“We only have two years to go, so we are already behind schedule. And now if the decision still doesn’t come, we can’t do this [toimiin] to undertake. That’s right, there’s nothing to open.”

Museum Agency started cooperation negotiations in August, at the end of which on Thursday it was announced that in addition to the closing of museums, the reduction and slowing down of expert and official services and the suspension of development projects.

The price of each closed month of the National Museum has been calculated to be 250,000 euros. According to Anttila, a large part of the amount is admission ticket income.

“Yes, it is the most important.”

According to Anttila, the politicians have been aware of the threat of closure for a long time, so it is not a last-minute pressure attempt.

“We have raised the issue every year in all funding presentations. The situation and need are clearly described. It has already been brought up that if there is no positive decision now, then unfortunately the matter is already being delayed so much that the opening will be moved forward,” says Anttila.

“Now the issue is becoming public through the fact that the decisions of the joint negotiations have been made public. But the same information has gone through other channels, in the explanatory sections of our official funding proposals.”

The National Museum revenues were around 1.7 million euros before it closed. Of that, admission ticket revenue accounted for 1.2 million euros.

The museum shop space, space rental and meeting services and ancillary services generated half a million euros.

“Now that the museum is expanding, there will be an additional 2,500 square meters of space intended for public activities, where there are either exhibitions or private events: conferences, fairs, parties, performances. The estimated additional income from all this activity is 1.4 million, so the estimated future income from the entire complex is 3.1 million,” says Anttila.

Consequently, the monthly loss of income will be more than 250,000 euros.

“It could be that the income is more, so there would certainly be more opportunities. But this is the calculated loss that comes every month when the opening is delayed.”