Stockholm's best museums

Dancing Queen, Knowing Me Knowing You, Mamma Mia – the Swedish pop group ABBA has had a huge impact on the popular music and these legends has a music catalog that few other Swedish (or international) artists can match. And if you love ABBA or just want to learn more about Sweden’s perhaps most famous music export will definitely have your fill at ABBA The Museum in Djurgården.

ABBA The Museum is an incredibly interactive museum that’ll keep you busy for hours. Singing, playing quizzes, standing on stage with avatar versions of the band, mixing original music, and seeing how you look in their old stage costumes are just a few examples. The restaurant adjacent to the museum serves top-class food. And don’t miss the audio guides (available in over ten different languages) where you can listen to the band members’ personal stories and memories from their careers. Thank you for the music, ABBA – and thank you ABBA The Museum for an unforgettable museum experience. Walk in, dance out, as they describe it.

The Viking Age is one of the most mythical eras in Nordic history, and now you can experience this exciting time in Djurgården. In an old boathouse between the Vasa Museum and Gröna Lund, you’ll find The Viking Museum – Vikingaliv, Stockholm’s modern Viking Museum. Here, both children and adults can learn more about the Vikings and how they lived while being treated to an entertaining experience where, in addition to objects, you can also take part in film, audio, scents, and fictional characters. Educational and fun at the same time!

There is always something going on at The Viking Museum – Vikingaliv, and the museum has an extensive program of activities for all ages. Of course, you can also go on guided tours available in English and Swedish. And don’t miss Ragnfrid’s Saga – the museum’s most popular feature. It’s an 11-minute dramatic Viking journey where you can see both plunderings in the West and slave trading in the East. The journey is offered in several languages. After the museum visit, you can enjoy great food at the restaurant Glöd with a fantastic view towards Skeppsholmen, and visit the museum shop where you can shop for handmade interior details, toys, books, and more.

The Nobel Prize Museum, which you’ll find in the beautiful Börshuset on the square Stortorget in Old Town, is an inspiring museum in Stockholm dedicated to the ideas that have made the world a better place. Here you get to meet and be inspired by Nobel laureates from the present and the past – freedom fighters, writers, and scientists. Primarily, the Nobel Prize Museum isn’t a museum about Alfred Nobel or the prize itself, but about the big ideas and the creative brains behind them (but, of course, there’s also an exhibition about Alfred Nobel himself).

Since the Nobel Prize is known worldwide, the Nobel Prize Museum is a popular attraction in Stockholm and has a given place on many people’s to-do lists in Stockholm. Of course, a large part of the visitors are tourists, but many Stockholmers also come here. And there’s a lot to see and do for all ages, it’s not only adults hungry for knowledge who like it here, but it is also a great museum for children. The playful Bubble Chamber and an experimental workshop are two popular children’s activities. The museum offers a solid program with lectures, talks, tours, events, and workshops. In addition, you can go to after work and concerts. A visit to the renowned and popular Bistro Nobel restaurant is also recommended if you want to have lunch or coffee after your visit.

Despite Sweden’s tortured relationship with alcohol, this hidden gem on Djurgården embraces the good nectar, not only covering the history, manufacture, and consumption of booze but also exploring drinking songs and holiday traditions. The Museum of Spirits is a museum, art gallery, tasting room, bar, restaurant and shop in the same place.

ViewStockholm recommends the tasting tray that you can buy in the bar, including three snaps and one punch. Our second favorite feature is the hangover room. We dare you to try it. And don’t forget to check out the Absolut Art gallery!

If you love photography art, this is definitely Stockholm’s best museum for you. Located in a former customs house designed by legendary Swedish architect Ferdinand Boberg, Fotografiska opened in 2010 with the Annie Leibovitz exhibition A Photographer’s Life. It’s only gotten better from there: at any given time there are four unique main exhibitions, along with 20 smaller exhibitions annually. Fotografiska is also home to an academy, bistro, bar, café, and multiple event spaces – and it has some of the best views in Stockholm.

Founded in 1891, Skansen is the world’s first open-air museum and is the perfect way to enjoy a beautiful day outdoors and at the same time experience one of Stockholm’s best museums. In addition to five centuries of living Swedish history, there is a zoo that allows native animals such as reindeer to live in natural surroundings, as well as houses and farmsteads brought here from all over the country. There are also regularly scheduled festivals and workshops (such as glassblowing). Take the tram to the top and begin your exploration.

After being temporarily closed for several years, Spårvägsmuseet (Stockholm Transport Museum) – one of Stockholm’s most popular museums for both children and adults – has reopened. Previously located in Södermalm, the museum is now housed in the emerging Gasverket area in Norra Djurgårdsstaden. In the beautiful and grand brick building from 1893, designed by Ferdinand Boberg and worth a visit in itself, the city’s transport history has a fabulous new home. The collections showcase travel, travelers, and Stockholm – in the past, present, and future – in an exciting and playful way that appeals to visitors of all ages.

Spårvägsmuseet displays many of the fantastic vehicles that have run in Stockholm for over a hundred years. You can go on an exciting journey through the history of public transport on water, streets, and tracks. The permanent exhibition showcases 13 vehicles – from motorized and electric traffic to horse-drawn carriages and boats – and you’ll also meet several other parts of public transport. Uniforms, tickets, subway art, and advertising are just a few examples. You can go on guided tours, and there are several fun activities, including the younger children’s favorite, the mini subway. If you get hungry during your visit, there’s a café serving food, coffee, and drinks. And don’t forget to visit the museum shop, which is full of great products.

Avicii Experience is, as the name reveals, a museum about Tim ‘Avicii’ Bergling. The museum is an interactive tribute exhibition to one of the greatest music creators of our time and an exciting experience for everyone – both the super fans and those who want to learn more about one of Sweden’s most famous and beloved artists. Here you get to know the artist Avicii better but also the person Tim Bergling. Join this icon’s journey from a withdrawn music enthusiast in his childhood room to a famous superstar performing concerts all over the world.

You can visit Avicii’s musical world and see his fellow musicians, producers, and songwriters. You also get the opportunity to discover unpublished music and stories that have never been told before. Read, interact, explore and create – this is a museum where you can spend plenty of time. You’ll find Avicii Experience in the middle of Stockholm city, more specifically in Space, a digital cultural center and physical meeting place for the digital generation.

Enjoy Stockholm’s best museums

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As you can see, there are many great museums in Stockholm to choose from. We wish you a pleasant visit!

Photo credit: © yegorovnick/Shutterstock.com