10 Best museums in Stockholm

Sweden's capital, Stockholm, also known as the Venice of the North, is known for its great art centre. There are more than 60 museums to be found in its streets. In them, you will have the opportunity to learn about the history and culture of the city, see photographic exhibitions, works of modern and contemporary art, among other expressions.

Taking a tour of the city's museums is, without a doubt, one of the best things to do in Stockholm. You can visit the traditional Shipwreck Museum or Vrak, to discover the secrets of the Nordic waters; or the Viking Museum, where you can delve into Swedish history. You can also visit the modern ABBA Museum, the open-air Skansen Museum, the Fotografiska Museum and many more.

The Viking Museum is a must-see destination during your stay of at least 2 days in Stockholm. You can discover Swedish culture through interactive attractions, photo exhibitions, ancient artefacts and much more. You will feel like you have been transported back to the Viking Age.

During the tour through the museum's rooms you will see:

• The three Viking ships, dating back to the 9th century.
• The theatrical performances, with re-enactments of the Viking Age that will give you an insight into their influence on Norse Europe, trade, expeditions and more.
• The exhibition of Viking costumes, in which the characteristic woollen tunics worn by theVikings, war helmets, etc. stand out.
• The collections of ancient artefacts. Many of them found in burial chambers.

In addition to enjoying all these exhibits, tickets to the Viking Museum in Stockholm give you access to the Viking train. This is an interactive attraction with a series of special effects and sounds that will amaze you as you delve into the history of these legendary warriors.

Useful information

• Price: from around €19 per person.
• Opening hours: 11:00 to 17:00 Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 to 18:00 Saturday to Monday.
• Location: Djurgården Island or Museum Island.

It doesn't matter whether you visit Stockholm in January, mid-year or December. If you are an enthusiast of the flavours and aromas offered by spirits, then the Spirits Museum is for you. There, you will learn about the culture behind Swedish alcohol making: history, distillation, production, its connection to humanity.

This is a popular museum among tourists because it combines the world of spirits with art. You will learn how the distillation process is carried out to create spirits such as rum, vodka and gin. You can also do some tastings.

You will also find permanent exhibitions, which show the works used by Absolut Vodka for its advertising campaigns. In total, there are about 850 works (graphic art, paintings, installations, etc.) belonging to about 500 artists such as Andy Warhol, Kenny Schar, Ola Billgren, among others.

Tickets to the Spirits Museum in Stockholm will also give you access to the souvenir shop, where you can buy the bottles of your choice to take the taste of Stockholm home with you. You can also visit the restaurant area for lunch or dinner.

Useful information

• Price: the price is approximately 15€ per person.
• Opening hours: Thursdays to Tuesdays from 11:00 to 18:00, Wednesdays from 11:00 to 19:00.
• Location: Djurgården Island or Museum Island.

If you are enthusiastic about action figures, comic books, board games, stuffed animals, dolls, trains and more, then a visit to the Toy Museum in Stockholm is a must. You will feel like a child when you see the impressive collections here.

Whether you are alone, with friends or have travelled to Stockholm with children, this museum is the ideal place to have fun while learning about the evolution of toys that have made history. You'll be enveloped in a picturesque atmosphere with a touch of nostalgia.

In the exhibition halls you'll see some 40,000 objects. All of them are organised chronologically and thematically. You can play arcade classics such as Atari's Space Race, Pinball, Namco's Pac Man, among others.

Also, you should know that tickets to the Toy Museum are included in the Stockholm Tourist Card. Therefore, you could get a considerable saving on the entrance fee by purchasing the pass.

Useful information

• Price: the price of admission to the museum starts at 15€ per person.
• Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 17:00.
• Location: Svensksundsvägen 5, 111 49, Stockholm.

Stockholm has many museums, but one that breaks with tradition is the open-air Skansen Museum. This is a zoological park that you should incorporate into your itinerary for at least 3 days in Stockholm and experience rural life in this region before industrialisation.

When you arrive at this museum, you'll find farms and houses that evoke the Sweden of centuries past. You will be greeted by locals in traditional costume, who will tell you about the history of the land. You will also have access to a series of stations where you will see up close how some of the region's representative activities were carried out .

For example, you will learn about Swedish shoe making, the stages of hand-blown glass making , the process of butter churning, the art of traditional weaving and so on. And, in the zoo area, you will see some reindeer, elk, bison, grizzly bears and other animals.

Tickets to the Skansen open-air museum in Stockholm also allow you to participate in one of the most anticipated Swedish moments of the day, the fika. You will pause for some snacks and hot drinks. All this while admiring the scenery.

Useful information

• Price: the average entrance fee is €18 per person.
• Opening hours: 10:00-15:00 on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:00-17:00 from Friday to Sunday, and 10:00-16:00 on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• Location: Djurgården Island or Museum Island.

Another place in Stockholm where you will have a great cultural experience is the Nobel Prize Museum. You will discover the legacy left to humanity by the laureates of the Nobel Prize since 1901. All this in favour of peace, science and literature.

Inside the museum, you will find permanent and temporary exhibitions, where you will learn about the history and contributions of great figures. Such is the case of the German physicist Albert Einstein; the defender of civil rights, Martin Luther King; the American journalist and storyteller, Ernest Hemingway, among others.

Tickets to the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm will give you access to an audio guide with which you can take the tour at your own pace. You can also request a guided tour with an expert. Either way, you will enjoy an enriching experience with projections, interactive exhibits and much more.

Useful information

• Price: approximately €16 per person.
• Opening hours: from 9:00 to 20:00 between June and August. From September to May it is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 5pm, Fridays from 11am to 8pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 6pm.
• Location: 2 Stortorget Square, 103 16 Stockholm.

Expressions such as dance, theatre and music have a special place in Stockholm's Museum of the Performing Arts. Here you will find a series of permanent and temporary exhibitions, which will help you experience what happens on and behind the stage.

The museum is housed in a historic building dating back to the 17th century, which for some 300 years was used as a bakery and liquor store. Its rooms house an important collection of around 50,000 objects: manuscripts, musical instruments, stage costumes, set models and much more.

You can reach this destination easily, whether you go on foot, by private car or via the Stockholm sightseeing bus tours. Just purchase tickets to the Swedish Museum of Performing Arts in Stockholm and start enjoying the various art forms.

Apart from the exhibits, there are approximately 20 interactive stations at your disposal. You can put on a costume, put on your make-up, get on stage and wait for the curtain to rise to unleash your creativity and be the star of your own play. You can also create your own tracks and visit the music hall of fame.

Useful information

• Price: the average ticket price is approximately €15 per person.
• Opening hours: 11:00 to 17:00 Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 to 17:00 Saturday and Sunday. Closed on Mondays.
• Location: Sibyllegatan 2, 114 51 Stockholm.

If you want to defy logic and the laws of physics, you should reserve a space in your itinerary to visit the Paradox Museum in Stockholm. You'll feel like you're in another world where everything is upside down and breaks with reality.

You'll be immersed in a series of sensory and optical illusions offered through approximately 70 exhibits, some of which include the following:

• The tunnel, where your aim is to keep your balance while everything around you spins.

• The upside-down room. When you enter, you will feel like you are floating.

• The paradox sofa, where you will see your torso separated from your legs.

• A talking piano, with which you can have an interesting conversation just by pressing its keys.

Without a doubt, with tickets to the Paradox Museum in Stockholm you will have the opportunity to stimulate your senses and raise your perception level with respect to reality. After this unforgettable experience, you can continue your tour of the city. Perhaps join one of the best boat tours in Stockholm or visit other museums.

Useful information

• Price: the entrance fee starts at €23 per person.
• Opening hours: 9:00 to 21:00 Saturday to Tuesday, 10:00 to 19:00 Wednesday and Thursday, and 10:00 to 21:00 Friday.
• Location: Sergelgatan 20, 111 57 Stockholm.

On the island of Djurgården, about 15 minutes' drive from central Stockholm, you will find the Shipwreck Museum, which houses the historic ship Vrak. Here you will find various exhibits that will give you an insight into the secrets of the deep Baltic Sea and what life was like on board the ship.

The museum consists of two floors. One floor exhibits all the findings from the shipwreck, while the other floor gives you access to maritime archaeological discoveries. A tour of the exhibits here could be one of the best tours in Stockholm.

You will have an immersive experience through the interactive collections with holograms and photographs, which bring together some 40,000 objects preserved under the sea. In addition, you will watch a film that will allow you to learn about the construction of the ship in the 17th century, the sinking in 1628, its rescue in 1961, and the restoration process of more than 95%.

Also, with tickets to Vrak, the Shipwreck Museum, you can visit the restaurant area, to taste some cakes and drinks. There is also a souvenir shop with unique items relating to the history of the shipwreck.

Useful information

• Price: the entrance fee is approximately €18 per person.
• Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 17:00.
• Location: Djurgården Island or Museum Island.

The legendary Swedish Europop band ABBA has a space dedicated to it in the city of Stockholm. This is the ABBA Museum, where you can learn all the details about the beginnings of this group, which at the time was a true worldwide musical phenomenon.

Throughout this visit, you will see a large collection of iconic costumes worn by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid (members of ABBA) in their concerts, perfectly preserved. You will also see some stage sets and have the opportunity to have your photo taken with wax dolls of the four singers, among other things.

Also, you should know that the museum offers a virtual reality room, but the tickets for ABBA The Museum in Stockholm do not include this activity. Therefore, if you want to enjoy this tour, you will have to pay an additional fee at the time of the visit.

Useful information

• Price: the entrance fee starts at approximately 22€ per person.
• Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 18:00.
• Location: Djurgårdsvägen 68, 115 21. Stockholm.

During their stay in Stockholm, photography lovers have an unmissable date at the Fotografiska Museum. You will enjoy the work of contemporary artists, who highlight different approaches to art, culture, social, environmental, landscape, urban, and more.

Some of the artists whose work is featured at the museum are:

• Sarah Moon. Of French origin and specialising in fashion.
• Sally Mann of American nationality and whose work is characterised by showing the nudity of both the body and feelings.
• Annie Leibovitz, born in the United States and known for her portraits with narrative and movement.

With tickets to Fotografiska in Stockholm you will not only see the compositions on display, but you can also take advantage of the building's prime position in the city centre to get an amazing view of the surrounding area, which is ideal if you are exploring Stockholm at night.

Useful information

• Price: the value of this ticket is at least €18 per person.
• Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 23:00.
• Location: Stadsgårdshamnen 22, 116 45 Stockholm.