The number and variety of Stockholm museums ensure everyone visiting the Swedish capital will find one to their liking.
Interested in Vikings and warships raised from the dead? Head to the Vasa!
Fan of the 70's Swedish pop sensation ABBA? The group has a dedicated museum filled with memorabilia.
Prefer to learn about Nordic culture? Stockholm has several museums tracing the city and the country's history.
The question most visitors will face is not whether to go to a museum in Stockholm; it's which museums to go to first.
We've compiled a list of our favorite Stockholm museums to help you decide where to spend your time.
Opening hours are included; however, as these may change over time, please confirm them via the museum websites.
Tip: Save time and money by purchasing a Stockholm Pass. Admission to most museums listed below will be included, plus royal palaces, bus and boat tours, and much more.
Best Cultural Museums in Stockholm
1. Vasa Museum
Hearing the sad tale of this Viking warship is almost as enjoyable as seeing it in the flesh at the Vasa Museum.
The Vasa set off on its maiden voyage on August 19, 1628. It sailed for about 1,500 meters before sinking, taking all on board (an estimated 30 people) down with it.
The ship was rediscovered within the Archipelago in the late 1950s and was salvaged in 1961.
Since then, the utmost care has preserved the ship, which is now recognized as an integral part of Swedish history and cultural identity.
Seeing the warship in person is an experience not to be missed. It's no surprise that it is one of Stockholm's most popular tourist destinations today.
Opening hours:
- September 1 to May 31: daily, 10 am – 5 pm, Wednesdays 10 am – 8 pm
- June 1 to August 31: daily, 8:30 am – 6:30 pm
Address: Galärvarvsvägen 14, Stockholm
Price: Adults – 150 kronor ($15) / 18 years old and under – free. Admission is included with the Stockholm Pass.
Related: Fall Escape to Swedish Lapland
2. Spirit Museum
The small but fascinating Spirit Museum is dedicated to alcohol and the Swedish people's relationship with it.
It might be worth going to this Stockholm museum to eat at the restaurant, which looks out on the water (not a bad view). The food is said to be fantastic.
The Spirit Museum is adjacent to the Vasa Museum.
Opening hours:
- Monday to Wednesday: 10 am – 5 pm
- Thursday to Saturday: 10 am – 7 pm
- Sunday: 12 pm – 5 pm
Address: Djurgårdsvägen 38, Stockholm
Price: Adults – 100 kronor ($10) / Pensioners and students – 70 kronor ($7) / Age 15-18 – 50 kronor ($5) / 14 and under – free. Admission is included in the Stockholm Pass.
Related: Swedish Food – My Best Bites in Sweden
3. ABBA Museum
The ABBA Museum is both informative and interactive. Many of ABBA's famously glitzy performance outfits, along with album covers and awards, are on display.
You'll also see rooms featuring replicas of their manager's office and the music room in a house by the sea where Benny and Björn wrote many of the band's hits.
Best of all, patrons are invited to put their pride aside and get as involved as possible.
Dance in an ABBA music video, or test your karaoke skills in a voice booth.
You can even take center stage to sing and dance with (a visual projection of) the band themselves!
Opening hours: Daily, 10 am – 6 pm
Address: Djurgården 68, Stockholm
Price: It's cheaper to buy admission online, as over-the-counter tickets incur a service fee. Adults – 250 kronor ($25) / Children aged 7 to 15 (under 7s are free) – 95 kronor ($9.50)
4. Skansen Open-Air Museum
Skansen is the oldest open-air museum in the world.
One hundred fifty farms around Sweden were disassembled and moved to this dedicated space on the same island as the Vasa, ABBA, and Spirit museums.
Opening hours: Daily, 10 am – 3 pm
Address: Djurgårdsslätten 49-51, Stockholm
Price: Adults – 140 kronor ($14) / Students, seniors, groups – 120 kronor ($12) / Children aged 4 to 15 (under 3s are free) – 60 kronor ($6). Admission is included in the Stockholm Pass.
5. Nordic Museum
The Nordic Museum, located next to the Vasa, is Sweden's most significant cultural history museum. The exterior facade alone is worth a closer look.
Inside, there's a spacious, multi-level hall with galleries full of traditional Nordic clothes, jewelry, and household items.
Opening hours:
- September to May: daily, 10 am – 5 pm
- June to August: daily, 9 am – 6 pm
Address: Djurgårdsvägen 6-16, Stockholm
Price: Adults – 140 kronor ($14) / Seniors – 120 kronor ($12) / 18 and under – free. Admission is included in Stockholm Pass.
6. Nobel Prize Museum
In 1895, Alfred Nobel, a Swedish industrialist known for inventing dynamite, established the Nobel Prize.
He dedicated most of his estate (valued at nearly $500 million today) to awarding annual prizes for achievements in chemistry, literature, peace, physics, and medicine.
All the Nobel prizes are awarded in Stockholm, except for the Nobel Peace Prize, which is given in Oslo, Norway.
The Nobel Prize Museum honors the contributions of Alfred Nobel and all of the winners.
It's filled with examples of discoveries made by past winners, including some of the tools used.
Opening hours:
- September to May: Tuesday to Thursday, 11 am – 5 pm, Friday 11 am – 8 pm, Sunday 10 am – 6 pm
- June to August: daily, 9 am – 8 pm
Address: Stortorget (square) in Gamla stan (Old Town), Stockholm
Price: Adults – 120 kronor ($12), Students and Seniors – 80 kronor ($8) / 18 and younger – free. Admission is included in Stockholm Pass.
Best Art Museums in Stockholm
7. Fotografiska
Not to play favorites or anything, but Fotografiska is a special place. The gallery is on the smaller side and can be seen in next to no time at all.
That being said, giving yourself a good chunk of time at this Stockholm museum to savor the experience properly would be best.
It would be best to get there first thing in the morning. However, the prospect of spending a Friday or Saturday evening at the gallery is intriguing.
Opening hours: Sunday to Wednesday, 9 am – 11 pm, Thursday to Saturday, 9 am – 1 pm.
Address: Stadsgårdshamnen 22, Stockholm
Price: Adults – 120 kronor ($12) / Students and Seniors – 90 kronor ($9) / 12 and under – free. Admission is included in Stockholm Pass.
8. Nationalmuseum
The Nationalmuseum is Sweden's premier art and design museum, and it was recently renovated and re-opened to the public in 2018.
The permanent collection features art from the 1500s to the 1900s, and there are temporary exhibits that touch on more modern themes.
Opening hours:
- Tuesday to Wednesday: 11 am – 5 pm
- Thursday: 11 am – 9 pm
- Friday: 11 am – 7 pm
- Saturday to Sunday: 11 am – 5 pm
Address: Södra Blasieholmshamnen, Stockholm
Price: Free
9. Modern Art Museum
The Modern Art Museum is on the small island of Skeppsholmen, about a 10-minute walk east of the Nationalmuseum.
Walking across the bridge, you'll have fantastic views of Gamla Stan (the old town).
The museum's permanent collection features 140,000 works of art.
The glass-walled cafeteria offers beautiful city views if you're visiting around lunchtime.
Opening hours: Tuesdays and Fridays, 10 am – 8 pm, Wednesday to Thursday
Address: Skeppsholmen, Stockholm
Price: Free to view the Moderna Museet Collection. Admission is charged to visit temporary exhibits.
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As you can see, there's no shortage of Stockholm museums where you can learn about Swedish art, history, and culture. The museums on this list include the best the city has to offer.
If you exhaust these options, there are more museums and Royal Palaces you can visit by train in the surrounding area.
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This story was initially written by LC Hunter and later updated substantially by Dave Lee based on his trip in 2019. Dave received a complimentary Stockholm Pass from Visit Stockholm AB.
Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 66 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.
Planning a trip? Go Backpacking recommends:
- G Adventures for small group tours.
- World Nomads for travel insurance.
- Hostelworld for booking hostels.
- Rail Europe for train passes.
