Vellamo for families

Welcome, children and families! Vellamo has activities for families with children year round. Admission is always free for visitors under the age of 18!

To make your day run smoother

*The entrance and exhibition spaces have automatic doors. You can use the lift to access the lobby on the second floor where you can buy tickets. You can also use the lift to move between exhibition floors.

*The childcare room is located by the entrance lobby.

*We have two pushchairs our visitors can borrow. They can be found in the cloakroom.

*Free admittance for people aged under 18.

Read more about our accessibility here.

Engaging experiences

Permission to play!
In Play Town, you can throw yourself into the world of playing houses, market stalls or even hop on a tractor. And if you want to get out on the water, get into a boat. It’s also worth trying your luck at fishing! Or perhaps you would like to immerse yourself in the world of browsable books. Our facilities can entertain visitors for hours!

More information about Play Town is available here.

Permission to touch!
The exhibition spaces have several activity points where you are encouraged to touch and try things out.

*The favourite spots of our mascot Ship Dog Vellu are marked with his image. Raise your anchor, relax on the cabin bed or play a game of ship sinking. In the Boat Hall you can send messages with flags and learn how to tie knots.

*The digital elements of the Fateful Svensksund exhibition are sure to impress visitors of all ages.

A pike swimming on the wall leads visitors below the surface and to the artifacts found in a shipwreck. Can you find the same artifacts in the Battles section of the exhibition?

You may get your teen interested in visiting our museum by telling them about the Smoke on the Waves virtual presentation; link to the trailer is here. The performance by Zoan Oy is suitable for people aged 12 and over.

The interactive scale model of the Ruotsinsalmi sea fortress shows what lies below our feet when we walk around in Kotkansaari, the centre of modern Kotka. The scale showcases the residents and daily life of the sea fortress during its short-lived period of prosperity.

*At the activity point of the Coast Guard Museum, you can drive a real hydrocopter. You can also learn maritime security by putting on a life jacket and reviewing the inspection equipment of boats.

When hunger strikes

In the Maritime Centre Vellamo, hunger is vanquished by the restaurant Laakonki that is open in accordance with the opening hours of the museums. Café products are available all day, on weekdays there is a delicious lunch buffet. At the weekends and on holidays, the restaurant offers a plentiful brunch.

For children the price for lunch and brunch is about half of the normal price and children under the age of 3 eat for free when accompanied by adults.

You can access the webpage for the restaurant Laakonki here.