Linnanmäki

This is a dream come true for an American who grew up going to amusement parks in California where trash, junk food, and fat girls shoved into children’s size clothing prevail. Sweet, serene, adorable, and still fun (and FREE to enter), Linnanmäki is all that and more.
This is a place I am happy to take my infant son to and will be happy to take him to as an older child. The Panorama «ride» is free and gives you a quick but lovely panoramic (hence the name) view of the entire city! The rides are not overwhelming, the grounds are not chaotic and filthy (think Great America or Six Flags, NorCal or SoCal), and there are a lot of families and children vs. loud, foul-​mouthed teenagers. I recommend going when school is in session since it will be a much quieter scene.
The location is ideal — with idyllic park surroundings and nice views. i will probably have a much different opinion when I go during the crazy Summer month (s) but for now I have only the nicest things to say.

I have been to a handful of amusement parks in my time, and to be honest, Linnanmäki (aka Borgbacken) is not the best of the best. But what it does have going for it is that visitors can enter without having to pay an entrance fee. Then, they can choose to purchase a full-​day wristband, or buy rides individually.
I ended up visiting Linnanmäki after hanging out in the adjoining Alppipuisto Park. My companions and I had the idea to go up in the Panorama Tower, which is free to visit. As the name suggests, it gives riders a 360-​degree view of the city from above. We also then opted to try out the Vuoristorata rollercoaster, which is the most iconic ride in the park. Although it wasn’t the best wooden rollercoaster I have been on (the Giant Dipper is perhaps my favorite), it still is quite cool. Fun fact: it was the last rollercoaster in the world to be built with side friction technology.
All in all, I think Linnanmäki knows what it’s doing with allowing anyone to enter, because that means people will buy one-​off ride tickets, food, etc. If you are in Helsinki for a few days and nearby, consider checking it out and, at the very least, taking a ride up in the tower.

Well, Linnanmäki is not really a place for a small budget. As soon as you want to use any of the rides it quickly gets quite expensive. Think about if you just want to go on one or two rides or if you rather want to spend the whole day on the roller coasters. You can either buy single tickets or get a wristband for the whole day and unlimited use (all rides for 37 €). The nice thing about Lintsi, how the locals call it, is that the entrance is free. So if you want to inhale some amusement park atmosphere, just go there and wander around a bit.
You should check out the look-​out tower. It is for free and provides you one of the best views over the city.
You get to Linnanmäki either by car, with tram 3B or 3T or check here. The park will be open till October 21^st.