In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Temppeliaukio Church is cut into a granite outcrop in the residential district of Töölö. The brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen designed it and it was completed in 1969. The circular sanctuary is capped by a copper dome lined with 22 kilometres of copper wire and lit by 180 vertical glass strips. Adult admission is €8 (temppeliaukionkirkko.fi); minors enter free. It is open daily except during Sunday morning worship, weddings and funerals. Or book a tour: an entry ticketad is sold on GetYourGuide from €8, and the Helsinki Card Cityad from €62 includes the church with other sights.
⚠️ Services come first. Temppeliaukio is an active parish church of the Töölö Congregation, so visiting hours can change at short notice for funerals, baptisms and weddings. On Sunday mornings it is open for worship only, and sightseeing starts at 12:00.
Ticket prices and concessions
Tickets are sold at the entrance desk in the vestibule at Lutherinkatu 3 and online through the Töölö Parish booking portal:
| Ticket Category | Price | Verification & Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (18+) | €8 | Single admission ticket; valid for entire visit |
| Youth & Children (0–17) | Free | Must be accompanied by an adult |
| Helsinki Card holders | Free | Card must be active; scanned at the counter |
| Finnish Museum Card (Museokortti) | Free | Valid physical card or app barcode required |
| Parishioners & Worship attendees | Free | During worship, prayer services & organ recitals |
The entrance desk takes cards and contactless phone payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay).
Tickets and passes
Entry ticket
From €8 · 4.4 stars from 652 reviews · entry ticket
Helsinki: Temppeliaukio Church Entrance Ticketad is an entry ticket to the church, an active church and concert venue.
Helsinki Card City
From €62 · 4.5 stars from 421 reviews · 24, 48 or 72 hours
Helsinki Card City: Museums, Tours, Public Transport AB Zonesad includes Temppeliaukio Church among its museums and sights, with tours and public transport in the city area.
Architectural design and construction
The rocky square where Temppeliaukio stands was set aside for a church in the 1930s, and two architectural competitions were halted by World War II. In 1961 a third competition was won by the brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, who proposed excavating the bedrock and making the rock itself the church instead of building on top of it.
Temppeliaukio Church. Photo: אלי שני, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Excavation began in February 1968. Workers blasted a circular cavity and removed thousands of cubic metres of stone. The architects left the fractured quarry walls exposed, so drill marks, natural cleavage planes and seeping water are still visible in the sanctuary.
The dome is 24 metres across, built of reinforced concrete ribs wrapped in a continuous spiral of reddish copper wire over 22 kilometres long. Between the rock rim and the dome, 180 vertical glass strips run out like spokes and bring daylight down the rock faces.
Inside the sanctuary: what to see
1. The natural granite altar and chancel
The communion table and chancel are minimalist. The altar is a slab of polished Finnish granite set against an unadorned rock fissure where water trickles down into a narrow gutter. A slender steel cross by the artist Kauko Moisio stands beside it.
Altar, Temppeliaukio Church. Photo: Suicasmo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
2. The pipe organ
The organ is mounted on the bedrock wall to the left of the chancel. Finnish organ builder Veikko Virtanen built it in 1975, with 43 stops, three manuals and 3,001 pipes. Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen designed the casework to suit the rock and the copper ceiling.
Organ, Temppeliaukio Church. Photo: Szilas, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
3. The copper gallery
Concrete stairs lead up to the beaten-copper gallery balcony, which looks down on the rows of seats, the dome and the contrast between rough rock and copper.
4. Acoustics
The irregular, unpolished rock faces scatter sound rather than reflecting it cleanly, and the church is a regular concert venue for chamber ensembles, choirs and contemporary recitals.
Opening hours and visiting schedule
Hours vary because it is an active parish church:
- Monday to Friday: Typically 10:00 to 17:00 (often extending to 18:00 or 19:00 during peak summer months).
- Saturday: Typically 10:00 to 17:00 (with occasional afternoon pauses for wedding ceremonies).
- Sunday: 12:00 to 17:00 (closed to tourists prior to 12:00 for the morning parish service).
Organ recitals or short musical interludes frequently take place around midday; these are included in the regular €8 admission ticket.
How to get there: walking and transit
Temppeliaukio Church sits at Lutherinkatu 3 in the inner-western district of Töölö:
- On foot: From Helsinki Central Station walk west along Kaivokatu, continue along Arkadiankatu past the Swedish School of Economics (Hanken) and turn right onto Fredrikinkatu, which leads into Lutherinkatu. It is 1.1 kilometres, about 12 to 15 minutes.
- By tram: Take tram 1 or 2 from Lasipalatsi or Central Station to the Sammonkatu stop (5 minutes, on a Zone AB ticket), then walk 100 metres east up Lutherinkatu.
- By metro: Go to Kamppi station, take the Fredrikinkatu exit and walk 700 metres north along Fredrikinkatu (about 8 minutes).
Nearby: Kamppi Chapel and Töölö cafes
- Kamppi Chapel of Silence (Kampin kappeli): 800 metres south on Narinkkatori square, a windowless, bowl-shaped chapel of bent spruce slats made for silence in the middle of the busiest shopping district. Admission is free.
- Cafe Regatta: 1.2 km northwest on the shore at Merikannontie, a red timber shack serving cinnamon buns (korvapuusti) and coffee beside Sibelius Park.
- Elite (Töölöntorinkatu 5): A restaurant open since 1932, long a haunt of Finnish actors, artists and writers. Order the vorschmack or pan-fried Baltic herring.
- Runeberginkatu: Bakeries and coffee roasters within two minutes’ walk of the church serve light lunches and cardamom pastries.
Etiquette
- Quiet: Photography without flash is allowed. Speak quietly and set your phone to silent before entering the vestibule.
- The rock roof: The granite outcrop above the church is a public park. Walk up the slope to see the copper dome from above, but take care in winter and wet weather, when the sloping bedrock is very slippery.
- Prams and wheelchairs: The Lutherinkatu entrance is ramped and the main floor is step-free; the copper balcony is reached by stairs only.
Common questions
How much are tickets for Temppeliaukio Rock Church?
Adult admission is €8 (temppeliaukionkirkko.fi). Minors enter free, as do holders of the Helsinki Card and the Finnish Museum Card and parishioners attending services. Tickets are sold at the entrance desk or online in advance.
Do I need to book Temppeliaukio Church tickets in advance?
No, the ticket desk at Lutherinkatu sells walk-in tickets all day. An advance online slot is worth having from June to August, to skip the queue when tour buses arrive.
What are the opening hours for Temppeliaukio Church?
Generally Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:00 (sometimes until 18:00 or 19:00 on summer weekdays) and Sunday 12:00 to 17:00. Sightseeing stops during the Sunday morning service (10:00–11:30), weddings, baptisms and funerals.
How do I get to Temppeliaukio Church from Central Station?
It is at Lutherinkatu 3 in Töölö, a 12- to 15-minute walk (about 1 km) northwest of Helsinki Central Station, or a 5-minute ride on tram 1 or 2 to the Sammonkatu stop and a 2-minute walk.
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