The National Museum of Finland on Mannerheimintie in Helsinki was designed by Gesellius, Lindgren, Saarinen for the Board of Public Building. Construction began in 1905 and stopped in 1910, and the museum opened to the public in 1916. The architecture is called national romanticism, drawing on Finland's medieval churches and castles, while the interior is mainly Art Nouveau. A tower rises 190 feet (58 m).
Akseli Gallén-Kallela painted the entrance hall ceiling with Kalevala frescoes in 1928. A bear statue by Emil Wikström stands outside.
On January 23, 2006, a methane explosion in the Silver Room damaged 49 of more than 200 silver objects, and nobody was hurt. The room reopened in early 2007. The museum is closed for a renovation and expansion, with reopening estimated for 2027.
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