The Biological Museum is located on Neitsytpolku 1, Turku. Our closest neighbours are Turku City Theatre and Music Hall Fuuga.

By bicycle or walking

The museum is located near the city centre, close to the Aura River. The walk from the Market Square to the museum is about one kilometre via the Theatre Bridge.

By bus

The nearest bus stop is Samppalinna School (Samppalinnan koulu) on Itäinen Pitkäkatu. Buses 3, 58 and P1 stop here. The distance from the bus stop to the museum is about 550 metres.

By car

There is one accessible parking space at the top of the hill next to the museum entrances. Along the Neitsytpolku street, there are a few off-street parking spaces for two hours on a disc. There is a car park between the City Theatre and the museum, but on weekdays it usually fills up first thing in the morning.

Accessibility

The museum is located on a hillside. A steep, asphalted pathway leads from the street to the museum yard, with a handrail running along the right-hand edge.

There is one parking space at the top of the hill. It is reserved for guests with disabilities.

The main entrance to the museum is on the right as you enter the yard. A paved path leads from the handrail to the main entrance. Before the door there is a foot grille and two steps up. The door is left-handed, non-automatic and rather heavy. The door has a threshold 3 cm, or approximately 1.18 inches high.

The two accessible entrances to the museum are located at the rear of the building. The first entrance leads to the ticket office, the museum shop and the accessible toilet area. The second entrance leads directly to the exhibition space. The door to the exhibition area has a threshold 2 + 1.5 cm or approximately 1.4 inches high. Both entrances are locked and staff will open when you press the bell at the first entrance.

There is space for pushchairs at the barrier-free entrance.

Info and ticketing, museum shop and toilets

The ticketing desk and museum shop are on the left as you enter from the main entrance. There is visual and auditory access to the main entrance from the ticketing desk .

There is a coat rack and free storage boxes at the ticketing office. The height of the coat rack is 110/160 cm, or 43/63 inches. The toilet is located directly opposite the main door.

When entering from the accessible entrance, staff will direct you to the ticketing desk and museum shop. The accessible toilet is located immediately adjacent to the accessible entrance.

The museum ticket office has an induction loop.

Assistants, interpreters and support staff for visitors with functional and mobility impairments are admitted free of charge. Guide and assistance dogs are also welcome.

In the exhibition

Entering from the main entrance, the exhibition space is on the right. There are three stairs up to the exhibition space. The handrail is on the right hand side of the staircase.

The exhibition space is entered through two adjacent doorways. The door has a low threshold. As you enter through the door, a tactile map of the exhibition space is a few steps away.

An accessible entrance leads directly into the exhibition space.

The exhibition is located on one floor. A narrow corridor runs around the exhibition space, with exhibition content on both sides. In front of the dioramas there is a stand for children, which may make viewing from a wheelchair difficult. Otherwise, there are no thresholds or stairs in the exhibition space.

The exhibition space has dim general lighting. The dioramas and other exhibits are illuminated by spotlights. You can borrow a torch or magnifying glass from the ticket office to help you see.

The exhibition can also be explored by means of audio guides and sensory points. Sensory points are tactile elements, scents, or sounds associated with the dioramas. The textual content of the sensory points is also presented in braille.

The exhibition space has seating for resting. As you enter through the main doors, there are two wooden benches on the wall immediately to the right. A narrow bench with a seating depth of 20–25 cm, or approximately 9 inches, circles the wall of the exhibition corridor.

Outdoors

A granite-lined pathway lined with knob stones runs around the museum building. The width of the path is 100–140 cm, or approximately 3 to 4.5 feet. Along the path there are a few paved rainwater gutters, 2 cm or one inch deep. There are no other obstacles to movement. The lower edge of the sloping exhibition signs along the route is 90 or 35 inches cm high.

In the courtyard of the museum there is a paved terrace area with seating groups. Wheelchair access to the table is free.