Helium discharge experiments were carried out in the linear plasma device which is based on hollow cathode discharge. The variation of helium plasma parameters with experimental conditions and the spectral characteristics of helium discharge were studied. The plasma density and temperature in the experiment were measured by the plasma probe, and the spectral results were measured by the spectrometer. The results show that the plasma density increases with the helium injection flux and the magnetic induction intensity, but the plasma temperature does not. The spectral results show that the relative intensity of helium spectrum also increases with the helium injection flux and magnetic induction intensity, which is consistent with the density results. The relative spectral intensity of HeI is much greater than that of HeII, beneficial to the detection of neutral helium on the linear plasma device. These results accumulated experimental basis for the study of neutral helium density through the linear plasma device, then simulation study on helium ash in divertor area of the future fusion reactor.