Museums in Stockholm – from vikings to ABBA

When travelling to Stockholm your agenda will be packed. This Nordic city will probably take you aback with all its shopping, food and culture – and what is a better way to explore Sweden than accessing some of the capital's best museums?

Whether you are fascinated by science, ethnology, fashion, paintings or the general lifestyle of the Swedes, there is always something that will enhance your stay. Stockholm has a wide variety of museums and some of them even provide a free entrance.

Here is a quick guide to the cultural wonders in Stockholm.

Vasa Museum

This museum is one of the most famous landmarks in Sweden. A unique experience that features the only preserved 17th century ship in the entire world. Vasa was a Swedish warship that sank during it's maiden voyage in Stockholm during 1628.

The ship was supposed to sail to Poland. However, 390 ft from shore she disappeared out of the blue. Due to heavy weight in the structure of the hull and a lack of stability, this beautiful vessel went under and spent almost 350 years under water until she finally was recovered.

The special conditions in the Baltic Sea managed to preserve Vasa and 1961, 333 years later, the ship was salvaged and restored. Now the Vasa Museum is one of the most visited museums in all of Scandinavia with over one million yearly visitors.

• Find tours related to the Vasa Museum
• The museums official website

ABBA Museum

The perfect museum for all fans of the iconic Swedish pop group ABBA. Take the chance to sing in a copy of the famous Polar Studios where they recorded their songs. You can also see their spectacular on-stage costumes. They changed a lot over the years between the 1970s and the 1980s.

With some luck you can even dance alongside the members on stage and meet the ABBA holograms. The ABBA museum is located on Djurgården and open almost every day. A visit normally takes somewhere between 1,5 to 2 hours.

All collected works from stage outfits to interviews are showcased in a contemporary building in Djurgården, where many others museums also are situated. Put on your dancing shoes and be swept away!

• Book tickets for ABBA the Museum
• Read more about the museum

Nordic Museum

The perfect place to visit for those wanting to understand Swedish cultural history. It's a very large museum with collections stretching back to around 1520 all the way to more modern times. Displays clothes, fashion, jewelry, furniture, photography, folk art, porcelain, toys and other interesting things used throughout the years in the Scandinavian region. Also has multiple temporary exhibitions that reflect life in Sweden from history to present day.
www.nordiskamuseet.se/en

Swedish Museum of Natural History

A museum dedicated towards nature and mankind's development. A must-visit for anyone wanting to learn more about earth, animals, plants and the universe itself. Often has fascinating exhibitions about dinosaurs and prehistoric animals. Was founded to promote interest in these topics and because of the high quality and great guided tours it keeps fulfilling this purpose. The museum also hosts Cosmonova which is an IMAX cinema using a 760 sqm dome to show amazing movies in 2D or digital 3D.
www.nrm.se/en/16.html

Livrustkammaren

A museum allowing visitors to discover Swedish Royal History. For approximately 500 years items possessed by Swedish monarchs and their family members has been collected and stored in this Royal Armory. For instance the costume worn by Gustav III as he was assassinated at a masked ball, the muddy uniform worn by Charles XII as he was shot dead in Norway 1718 and the elk-hide coat worn by Gustav II Adolf as he lost his life in the Battle of Lützen in 1632.
livrustkammaren.se/en

Swedish History Museum

Shows the story of Sweden's history from the very beginning to present times. This of course includes the captivating viking age, complete with treasures, weapons and religious items in one of Scandinavia's largest Viking exhibitions. Norse mythology in particular is very fascinating and can be much better understood after getting a guided tour.

The museum has a dedicated Gold Room just for showing historical silver and gold objects, carefully protected because of their high value. Also features exhibitions from medieval times in Sweden. The artwork is absolutely stunning and there is many objects from one of the most violent battles in Swedish history, the battle of Gotland in 1361.
historiska.se/home/

Skansen

Beautifully placed open-air museum at the island of Djurgården. Founded in 1891 by Artur Hazelius which makes it the first museum of the type in the entire world. Visitors can experience how the Swedish farmers lived between the 16th century and forwards. This includes housing, traditions, craftsmanship and much more. What also attracts people is that Skansen hosts wild Nordic animals at their grounds. You can spot wolves, bears and the elusive lynx.

During December, you can take a stroll in the Christmas market and see all the traditional handcraftings, whilst in the summertime, Skansen is famous for the popular tv-show “Allsång på Skansen”. This live show is held on Tuesdays between between 8pm and 9pm since 1979 and the audience can sing along with Sweden´s most respected artists and singers as well as some occasionally invited foreign talents. If you do not mind queuing for hours you might find the perfect seat and if you are lucky, you may even hold the microphone for a while.

Don't forget to buy some nice souvenirs in Skansenbutiken, a store close to the main entrance.
www.skansen.se/en/

Museums in Stockholm – good to know

Some of the museums in Stockholm have free admission. Among them are Etnografiska museet, Medelhavsmuseet, Armémuseum, Hallwylska och Nordiska Museet (see Nordic Museum above), Moderna museet och Livrustkammaren.

For other museums you pay for the tickets at the entrance or book them online, please go to the museums using the links above.

Psst. Here's a good piece of advice!

A lot of the most popular museums in Stockholm are included in the popular discount card Stockholm Pass. The card gives you access to for example Skansen, Vasa Museum, Nordic Museum, Nobel Museum and Fotografiska. It also includes must-sees as The Royal Castle, Drottningholm Castle, Gröna Lund and sightseeing tours on buses and boats.
» Read more and get the card here