Riihimäki: Glass Culture, Museums and Cultural Routes

Riihimäki tells its story through glass, art and Finnish hunting traditions. The Finnish Glass Museum brings Finnish design together with a long history of glassmaking; other museums offer their own perspectives on art and everyday life. The Riihimäki Cultural Route adds a choice of two signposted trails. You can shape your stay around the themes that interest you most.

Riihimäki at a glance

• The Finnish Glass Museum has been housed in a renovated glassworks building in Riihimäki since 1981.
• It presents more than 4,000 years of glass history and 300 years of the Finnish glass industry.
• The Riihimäki Art Museum collection comprises almost 2,500 objects and works of art.
• The Museum of Wilderness Heritage preserves, among other things, more than 20,000 hunting-related artefacts and almost 170,000 photographs.
• The two routes of the Riihimäki Cultural Route start at the railway station and end at the Finnish Glass Museum.

Glass and art from different perspectives

At the Finnish Glass Museum, a specific place meets a broad historical sweep: the museum is housed in a renovated glassworks building, where it has been based since 1981. Its exhibitions trace the history of glass across more than 4,000 years, while also exploring the 300-year history of the Finnish glass industry. For visitors interested in design, this historical perspective offers more than a look at individual objects: it encompasses both glass as a material and its significance to Finnish industrial history.

The museum’s collection comprises around 40,000 objects. Most are Finnish household, design and art glass from the 18th to the 21st century. This focus makes the changing design of glass over several centuries a connecting thread: everyday objects sit alongside design and art glass, and the collection spans earlier centuries through to the recent past. If you are considering Riihimäki for its glass art, you will find both an overview of the material’s long history and a specific focus on Finnish works.

The Riihimäki Art Museum offers a different perspective on art history. Its overview features works by Finnish artists from the first half of the 20th century; the collection comprises almost 2,500 objects and works of art. Together with the Glass Museum, it offers distinct themes for a visit: glass, design and industrial history, or Finnish art from a particular period. These are two independent approaches, not two parts of the same collection.

The Riihimäki Art Museum also hosts changing exhibitions, lectures, workshops, concerts and other events for visitors of all ages. Its programme therefore goes beyond the collection and includes a range of event formats. For families planning a cultural stay, the age information is a useful guide; which event suits your interests will depend on the programme at the time.

Hunting history and wilderness heritage

The Museum of Wilderness Heritage focuses on Finnish wilderness heritage culture, past and present. It collects, researches, preserves and presents this subject. Its permanent exhibition provides a general overview of the ten-thousand-year history of Finnish hunting and shows how its role has changed over time: during this history, hunting evolved from a means of subsistence into a leisure activity. The focus is therefore not only on hunting itself, but also on how its significance has changed.

The scale of the museum’s collections adds another dimension to this subject: they include more than 20,000 hunting-related artefacts and almost 170,000 photographs. Objects and images represent different types of collection material. In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum presents several exhibitions and events each year for local and national audiences. Its programme follows an annual cycle and is not aimed exclusively at a local audience.

The cultural themes are clearly distinct: the Finnish Glass Museum is devoted to glass history and Finnish glass, the Riihimäki Art Museum to Finnish art from the first half of the 20th century, and the Museum of Wilderness Heritage to hunting and wilderness heritage culture. Visitors with a range of interests can therefore discover Riihimäki from several perspectives, rather than limiting their stay to a single museum theme.

Cultural route on foot or by bike

The Riihimäki Cultural Route consists of two routes. Both start at Riihimäki railway station and end at the Finnish Glass Museum. The longest route is just over four kilometres long; the routes can be covered on foot or by bike. Signs mark the entire route and also indicate distances. This means that for navigation along the way, you have not only a starting point and a destination, but also signs showing distances.

The route information is current as of September 2026; details may change over time. For planning your visit, the main distinction between the two routes is that they share the stated endpoints, while the distance of just over four kilometres applies specifically to the longer route. That length should therefore not be attributed to both routes. Whether on foot or by bike, the cultural route is one way to cover the distance between the railway station and the museum actively.

The Työväentalomuseo in the Peltosaari district offers another point of reference. It is about 500 metres from Riihimäki railway station and the city centre. The approximate distance is given for both reference points and describes the museum’s location, not walking time.

Which theme suits your stay?

When looking for a hotel in Riihimäki, the themes you want to experience during your stay can be a useful starting point. Glass art and the Finnish glass industry lead to the Finnish Glass Museum; Finnish art from the first half of the 20th century is the focus of the Riihimäki Art Museum. Hunting and wilderness heritage culture are the focus of the Museum of Wilderness Heritage. These distinctions can help you plan your cultural stay without merging the different museums into a single theme.

You can also choose how you want to explore: the Cultural Route connects the railway station with the Finnish Glass Museum via two signposted routes that can be covered on foot or by bike. The Työväentalomuseo, by contrast, offers a specific point of reference in the Peltosaari district, about 500 metres from the railway station and the city centre. These details answer different questions: one concerns a route between two endpoints, the other a museum’s location.

If you would like to explore other destinations in addition to Riihimäki, you can also find Tyrväntö, Humppila, Hauho, Hausjärvi, Janakkala, Peränne, Tammela and Loppi here.

Frequently asked questions about Riihimäki

What can you expect at the Finnish Glass Museum?

The museum brings together more than 4,000 years of glass history and the 300-year history of the Finnish glass industry. Its collection consists mostly of Finnish household, design and art glass from the 18th to the 21st century.

What is the route of the Riihimäki Cultural Route?

There are two routes; both start at Riihimäki railway station and end at the Finnish Glass Museum. Signs mark the entire route and also indicate distances.

Can you cycle the Cultural Route?

Yes. The routes can be covered on foot or by bike. The longest route is just over four kilometres long.

Where is the Työväentalomuseo?

The museum is in the Peltosaari district, about 500 metres from Riihimäki railway station and the city centre.

For the broader travel overview: Kanta-Häme.