Museums in Stockholm aren’t hard to come by. The Swedish capital is one of Europe’s most museum-filled cities, with everything from history museums to modern immersive museums accessible to the public. If you’re planning on visiting Stockholm on a budget, there are even several interesting free museums in Stockholm too. Many of the best museums in Stockholm are within walking distance from one another, so you can pack a lot of them into your schedule.
Most people who visit Stockholm choose to spend the majority of their time walking around the cobbled streets of Gamla Stan. While Stockholm’s old town is very impressive, with a few museums of its own, there are plenty of other districts around the city to explore. Djurgården, for example, is an island very well known for its abundance of museums and you can easily spend a full day hopping between them all.
We spent 5 days in Stockholm and managed to visit quite a few museums in the city centre. Here are my recommendations for the best museums in Stockholm that go above and beyond what people come to expect from regular museums.
Best museums in Stockholm
ABBA The Museum
One of the best museums in Stockholm, if not Sweden, is ABBA The Museum. It’s an incredible interactive museum that allows you to become the fifth member of the group by singing their hit songs and performing on stage. Each room you pass through tells a different story, beginning with the background of each member and progressing into how they became ABBA. You’ll even have a few fun photo opportunities along the way!
ABBA The Museum is located on Djurgården and it’s surrounded by other unique museums in Stockholm too. I would recommend booking a timeslot in advance if you’re planning on visiting in the summer months because it’s a very popular attraction in Stockholm.
The Viking Museum
If you’re interested in learning more about the Viking way of life, then a trip to The Viking Museum is for you. This is another interesting interactive museum in Stockholm that’s fun for all ages. Inside you’ll learn more about the mythology surrounding the Vikings as well as what they did in their daily lives. A lot of the museum is focused around archaeological finds and bringing the stories of women and children, not just the men, to life.
At the end of the exhibition you can enjoy a short seated ride where you follow in the footsteps of a Viking in 10th century Europe.
Museum of Spirits
One of the most unusual museums in Stockholm has to be the Museum of Spirits. In fact, it might be the only museum that lets you walk around with an alcoholic beverage in your hand!
The museum is based around the drinking culture in Sweden and has a unique mixture of pop-culture and tasting experiences inside. As you make your way around the museum you’re encouraged to interact with certain elements and try to guess what flavour or spirit you’re able to smell. When we visited the Museum of Spirits there was a temporary exhibition about Sweden’s prohibition era which was interesting to read about.
Vasa Museum
The Vasa Museum is one of the most visited museums in Stockholm, as well as in all of Scandinavia. It houses the world’s only preserved 17th century ship which capsized in 1628, not far from where the museum stands today. Shockingly, more than 98% of the ship is in its original state and you can still clearly see all of the beautiful wooden carvings that adorn it.
You can’t physically step on the ship, but there are different floors that you can go on with various exhibitions that cover everything from its history to what life would have been like on board a ship in this time period. Each floor also provides you with a different close-up angle so you can see as much of the ship’s details as possible. The Vasa Museum is one of the best museums in Stockholm and it needs to be on everyone’s itinerary.
Skansen
Originally opened in 1891, Skansen is the oldest open-air museum in Sweden. It could easily take a full day to walk around all of Skansen – it’s huge. I would recommend setting aside at least 3 hours out of your itinerary if you just plan on seeing its highlights.
The open-air museum is set up like a miniature Sweden, with 150 buildings from different parts of the country transported here. There’s even a full replica of a town complete with shops and craftsmen in traditional dress showing off their trades. Skansen also features a zoo and two aquariums so there’s a lot to see and do here. This is one of the best museums in Stockholm and a great place to experience Swedish culture.
National Museum
The National Museum is the national art gallery of Sweden and it was originally founded in the 18th century. The museum holds the largest collection of portrait miniatures in the world, and it houses paintings from the Middle Ages up to the 20th century. For art lovers, this is the perfect museum in Stockholm to visit for a few hours. It’s also one of the more budget friendly things to do in Stockholm.
The Hallwyl Museum
If you enjoy getting off the beaten path, then I would recommend visiting The Hallwyl Museum. This is one of the lesser known museums in Stockholm that’s housed in an historic 19th century building. The museum was once the home of a count and his wife and it’s been beautifully preserved in its original state. It offers visitors a chance to step back in time and have a glimpse of what life would have been like for the nobility in Stockholm during the late Victorian period.
Fotografiska Museum
The famous Fotografiska Museum is located in the historic Södermalm district, just a short walk along the waterfront from Gamla Stan. It was founded in 2010 and it’s housed inside a former customs house which dates back to the early 20th century. The museum is known for being one of the largest meeting places for contemporary photography in the world, with four large exhibitions and several smaller ones. It’s also open very late so visiting the Fotografiska Museum is one of the top things to do in Stockholm at night.
Swedish History Museum
There are a lot of museums in Stockholm that are history-based, but if you want to learn more about the history of Sweden in particular then a trip to the Swedish History Museum is a must. Some history museums can be pretty dull to walk around, but the exhibitions at the Swedish History Museum are incredible, with plenty of modern and immersive components that bring the artefacts to life.
It was founded in 1866 and focuses on the culture and archeology of Sweden from the Mesolithic period to the 21st century. However, the origins of the museum can be dated back to the 16th century with various Swedish monarchs adding to their private collections over the centuries.
Avicii Experience
One of the best museums in Stockholm if you’re interested in music is the Avicii Experience. It was opened in 2022 in memory of the Swedish artist who tragically passed away, and it really is a must-see in Stockholm. It’s not a large museum, so it should take you approximately an hour to walk around.
It has similar interactive elements to ABBA The Museum, including remix stations, a DJ booth, and a simulation room where you can experience his high-paced lifestyle. The museum also highlights the importance of raising awareness of mental health problems. You won’t find another museum quite like the Avicii Experience.
The Royal Armoury
The Royal Armoury is located in Gamla Stan, inside The Royal Palace. It features various artefacts from Swedish royalty and military history, as well as a few royal carriages in the vaults. The museum was founded in 1628 by King Gustavus Adolphus who wanted to show off his clothes from his campaign in Poland. This makes it the oldest museum in Stockholm so it’s definitely worth visiting, especially if you’re already planning to step inside The Royal Palace.
Museum Three Crowns
If you purchase a ticket for The Royal Palace, entry to the Museum Three Crowns is included. The museum is dedicated to the original palace that was destroyed by a fire in 1697. Inside, you’ll see artefacts that were saved from the fire as well as newly created models of the old palace. Visiting Museum Three Crowns is a great way to learn more about the ups and downs of The Royal Palace in Stockholm.
Nobel Prize Museum
There are a lot of things to do in Gamla Stan, including visiting one of the best museums in Stockholm – the Nobel Prize Museum. This museum was opened in 2001 to coincide with the 100th year anniversary of the Nobel Prize. Inside the museum visitors can learn more about the Nobel laureates through artefacts that have been donated by the winners. This is quite a small museum in Stockholm and there are guided tours available in English throughout the day.
How many days to spend in Stockholm?
During our 5 days in Stockholm we managed to visit some incredible places around the city, including many of the best museums in Stockholm. This short list only touches the surface when it comes to museums in the Swedish capital. Each museum offers something different for visitors, and many now feature modern elements and self-guided audio tours which makes going to these museums in Stockholm even more enjoyable.
If you’ve visited any of these museums in the past, or you’re in the process of planning your trip to Stockholm, I’d love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment below or reach out via email or social media. And don’t forget to follow my latest travels on Instagram too.
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