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From 10 October 2025 to 1 November 2026, the Museum of Architecture and Design in Helsinki presents the exhibition Escape to Moominvalley, offering a unique exploration of the relationship between the celebrated Finnish artist and author Tove Jansson, her Moomins, and the worlds of architecture, the built environment, and design.

The museum’s new flagship exhibition forms part of the global celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Moomin stories, one of Finland’s most beloved cultural icons. Tove Jansson (1914–2001) originally conceived Moominvalley as a haven in times of war and uncertainty, and this very idea lies at the heart of the exhibition.

Moominvalley as a Reflection of the Real World

The exhibition offers a fresh perspective on the connections between Tove Jansson, the Moomins, architecture and design. The journey begins in the places that shaped Jansson’s life before leading visitors into the imaginative landscapes of Moominvalley.

Particular attention is given to locations that influenced Jansson’s creative vision, including her Helsinki studio home and the remote island of Klovharun, where she spent her summers. Through archival materials, personal belongings and photographs, visitors are invited into these intimate spaces, gaining a deeper understanding of the environment in which one of the world’s most cherished literary universes for children and adults was created.

At the heart of the exhibition is a reimagined Moominvalley, where familiar settings are viewed through the eyes of their inhabitants. Among the questions explored is the meaning of shared space, illustrated through the Moomin family’s bathhouse, which during winter becomes home to Too-Ticky and the invisible shrews.

Moominvalley as a Place of Refuge

The Moomin stories were written during the Second World War, at a time when Helsinki was under bombardment, and from the very beginning they reflected a world marked by uncertainty. The first Moomin book, The Moomins and the Great Flood (1945), tells the story of a family separated by disaster, searching for safety before finally finding a home in Moominvalley. For Tove Jansson herself, Moominvalley also became a deeply personal refuge.

In the same spirit, Escape to Moominvalley offers visitors a place of shelter while encouraging reflection on today’s challenges. Through themes of home and homelessness, solitude and community, security and insecurity, the exhibition asks what Moominvalley might mean in our own time—a world shaped by crises, displacement and constant change.

Alongside original material related to Tove Jansson, the exhibition also presents the work of contemporary architects and designers who explore ideas of survival, shelter, community and resilience, demonstrating that the questions which inspired Jansson remain strikingly relevant today.

The exhibition has been organised in collaboration with Moomin Characters, the company responsible for preserving and managing Tove Jansson’s artistic legacy.

Among the highlights are photographs of Tove Jansson with her cat Psipsina in her Helsinki studio in 1962, as well as images of her renovated studio home from the 1960s, offering visitors a rare glimpse into the spaces where the magical world of Moominvalley first came to life.