Best museums to visit in Stockholm 2026

What is it? One of Stockholm’s most beautiful buildings and Sweden’s largest museum of cultural history. The palace-like Nordiska museet rises 153 metres above ground and has been a grand presence on Djurgården since its inauguration in 1907.

Why go? Experience 500 years of Nordic history through engaging exhibitions and an impressive permanent collection. Through unique objects, stories and environments, a constantly evolving history is brought to life.

The collections include everything from fashion, textiles and jewellery to folk art, glass and porcelain. Alongside historical perspectives, you’ll also encounter contemporary topics such as in the exhibition ‘ARKTIS – medan isen smälter’. It’s a sweeping portrayal of humanity’s relationship with ice and the dramatic changes currently taking place in the polar regions.

The building itself is also a destination in its own right. The museum was constructed between 1889 and 1907 with the vision of being a monument to Nordic culture – something reflected in its rich decorations and symbolism. Right in the magnificent entrance, you’re greeted with a warm welcome: Carl Milles’s giant statue of Gustav Vasa (1523–1560), the king who laid the foundations for modern Sweden.

Don’t miss: The now permanent exhibition ‘Dollhouses’, consisting of older dollhouses from the 19th and 20th centuries, presents eight miniature homes with period kitchens, rooms, bathrooms and beautifully detailed interiors.

Djurgårdsvägen 6–16, Stockholm. Getting here: Metro, red line 13 to Karlaplan and a 15-minute walk, or take bus 67 and tram line 7 to Nordiska museet/Vasamuseet. Tickets 170 SEK, children free.

What is it? Tekniska museet is beautifully located by the water on northern Djurgården and is next to the Ethnographic Museum and the Maritime Museum.

Why go? The museum offers experiences for all ages, tech enthusiasts and the socially curious alike. The exhibitions are informative without being heavy. How good are they? Well, they were awarded Museum of the Year 2025.

A major factor behind the win is Wisdome – a wooden science theatre where you can experience everything from microscopic cells to infinite galaxies. The museum’s latest addition, the exhibition ‘Drömlandet’, turns the focus closer to home. Here, we follow Sweden’s journey from a poor agricultural country on the edge of Europe to a world-leading tech nation.

Don’t miss: The museum has an adjoining playground at the front featuring a climbing structure made of geometric shapes and interactive, sensory sound experiences.

Museivägen 7, Norra Djurgården, Stockholm. Getting here: Bus 69 from Central Station to Museiparken. Ticket price 170 SEK for adults and children over 7. Open daily 09:00–21:00.

What is it? A contemporary art museum that also offers a fantastic nature experience in Stockholm’s beautiful archipelago.

Why go? Artipelag is well worth a trip out of the city, whether you travel by car, bus or public transport. While the art gallery is the main attraction, the site offers much more: an award-winning design shop, first-class food and beautiful sculpture trails with views across the archipelago. You don’t need to be an art lover to enjoy the atmosphere. And best of all? Walking along the waterfront, visiting the shop or simply taking in the architecture is completely free.

Don’t miss: There are several reasons to wander from the gallery into the forest. Here you can take part in a quiz walk or explore ‘Sculpture in Nature’, Artipelag’s permanent outdoor exhibition where artworks are placed along woodland paths.

Artipelagstigen 1, Gustavsberg. Admission: Up to 395 SEK for adults and 195 SEK for young people aged 12–18. Open daily 09:00–21:00.

What is it? A small, fun and well-curated museum in Gamla stan. After extensive renovation, Postmuseum reopened its doors in autumn 2024.

Why go? Sometimes it’s the most everyday things that connect us and speak to us the most. And what’s more ordinary than a pile of post on the hallway floor or in the letterbox? In the postal history exhibition, you’re guided through an interactive display featuring nearly 400 objects. Lined up at attention are the vehicles that transported letters and parcels through all kinds of weather across the centuries, from sailing ships on rolling seas to sputtering mopeds. Step into a post office from the ’80s, weigh a mail sack and try on uniforms.
Listen to stories about the importance of pen pals and humanity’s need to communicate. If you stay for lunch, it’s served in a grand yet cosy atrium.

Don’t miss: The children’s play area, Postis, is brilliant and so popular that you need to book a play slot on weekends.

Lilla Nygatan 6, Stockholm. Getting here: Nearest metro station is Gamla stan. Ticket price: Adults 19–64: 150 SEK. Children and young people 3–18: 50 SEK. Opening hours: Tuesday–Friday 11:00–17:00 and Saturday–Sunday 10:00–16:00.

What is it? A spectacular failure and tragedy that has been preserved – and people love it.

Why go? The story of the warship Vasa alone is enough to grab your attention. Gustav II Adolf, known as the ‘warrior king’, wanted to dominate the Baltic Sea and had the heavily decorated ship built to intimidate the enemy. It was a major investment, to say the least. But after just 15 minutes on its maiden voyage, Vasa sank due to faulty construction.

That could have been the end of the story – but not quite. Nearly 333 years later, the ship was salvaged and saw daylight again. When you visit the Vasa museum today, you’re met with a powerful sight; the well-preserved ship can be viewed up close, and the level of detail is striking. Surrounding exhibitions explore the construction, the disaster and life on board, offering a broader picture of Sweden during its era as a great power and the ambitions that ultimately led to catastrophe.

Don’t miss: Take the chance to watch the film about Vasa’s history and salvage, shown daily in the museum, and don’t miss ‘James Cameron – Challenging the Deep’, a temporary exhibition running until September 2027 – the director of Titanic and Avatar is also a deep-sea explorer and technology innovator.

Galärvarvsvägen 14, Djurgården. Admission 220 SEK (free under 18). Open daily 10:00–17:00. Getting here: Metro, red line 13 to Karlaplan and a 15-minute walk, or bus 67 and tram line 7 to Nordiska museet/Vasamuseet.

What is it? Royal fashion through the centuries.

Why go? At the base of Slottsbacken you’ll find the entrance to Livrustkammaren. Here, royal history takes centre stage, with objects that belonged to Sweden’s monarchs across several centuries. The collections include armour, weapons and magnificent ceremonial costumes – such as Princess Sofia Magdalena’s (Queen of Sweden: 1771–1792) enormous wedding dress, or the hat and mask worn by Gustav III at the fateful masquerade where he lost his life at the Opera.
The museum has been praised for being innovative and forward-thinking, with several engaging temporary exhibitions. And speaking of engagement: despite being a relatively small museum, its Instagram account is the largest of any museum in Stockholm, showcasing objects and stories with spot-on humour and a delightfully nerdy fascination.

Don’t miss: The museum’s largest exhibition is on the same floor as the entrance, but don’t forget to take the stairs or lift down to the royal historical carriages. The decorated vehicles are nothing short of magical.

Located at Slottsbacken 3. Open Tuesday–Sunday 11:00–17:00 (Thursdays until 20:00). Admission 150 SEK for adults, free for children and young people under 18. Getting here: Bus 76, 77 and 2 to Slottsbacken, or metro to Gamla stan.

What is it? Stockholm’s museum for modern and contemporary art. Here, art from the early 20th century onwards is exhibited, collected and preserved.

Why go? For around 300 years, Skeppsholmen was the navy’s island, but as the military moved out, cultural institutions moved in. One of them was Moderna Museet, which combines international heavyweights with strong Swedish and Nordic contemporary art. Its impressive collection includes more than 130,000 works across various techniques. Let’s do a classic name-drop and mention a few: Pablo Picasso, Ljubov Popova, Salvador Dalí, Meret Oppenheim, Robert Rauschenberg, Donald Judd and Irving Penn, among others.

There are lockers, a restaurant, a café, loan pushchairs for children and spacious areas with excellent accessibility. Outside the museum, there’s even more art, including the sculpture group ‘Paradiset’ (Le Paradis fantastique) by Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely.

Don’t miss: The museum shop is packed with souvenirs and must-have design, from accessories, books and art posters to children’s toys and socks. Didn’t manage to visit? Head to their own website and webshop. Phew – saved by the internet!

Exercisplan 4, Skeppsholmen, Stockholm. Ticket price: 170 SEK for adults, free for children under 19. Getting here: Nearest metro station is Kungsträdgården followed by a 15-minute walk, bus 65 goes to Moderna Museet and the Djurgården ferry takes you to Skeppsholmen.

What is it? Swedish music icons who became a global success and immortalised themselves with their own museum.

Why go? Even if you’re not a die-hard ABBA fan, you’re guaranteed to leave with a smile. If you are a full-on ‘dancing queen’, this is an amusement park of glitter, pop and platform boots.

It’s less a traditional museum and more a chance to keep the ABBA party alive. There are information panels, of course, but they’re interspersed with countless interactive stations where you can sing, dance and peek into the band’s studio – where the magic happened. Check out their iconic colourful costumes, browse through heaps of memorabilia and watch film clips from their time in the spotlight. Warning: you’ll be humming ABBA for the rest of the day!

Don’t miss: Take the chance to become ABBA’s fifth member on stage alongside holograms of Agneta, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid.

Djurgårdsvägen 68, Stockholm. Tickets 16+: 249–329 SEK, children (7–15): 100–120 SEK. Getting here: Bus 67 and tram line 7 to Liljevalchs/Gröna Lund, Djurgården ferry to Allmänna Gränd.

What is it? A museum about music, theatre and dance that suits all ages, but is especially fun for children and young people.

Why go? Next to Sweden’s national theatre, Scenkonstmuseet takes you behind the scenes. Here, music, theatre and dance are presented in a way that’s less ‘look’ and more ‘take part and create’. With interactive exhibitions, you dance your way to sound, try theatrical make-up and create your own music. And speaking of music – the museum houses one of the world’s largest instrument collections with over 6,000 objects.

Don’t miss: Before or after your visit, step over to the popular bakery and café Stora bageriet – there’s often a queue, especially on weekends and around lunchtime, but it’s absolutely worth it.

Sibyllegatan 2, Östermalm, Stockholm. Admission: Adults 160 SEK, children free. Getting here: Nearest metro is Östermalmstorg, bus 67 and tram line 7 to Nybroplan.

What is it? Sweden’s largest art museum, located on Blasieholmen overlooking the water and the Royal Palace.

Why go? In a classic museum setting – grand in every sense – art and design from several centuries are displayed along a timeline where ‘the masters’ and ‘the greats’ share space more democratically, a hanging that does the art justice. The various themes are instead complemented with deeper context and perspective.

Alongside Swedish and Nordic artists, there are virtuosos from around the world, but many Stockholmers have a particular fondness for Carl Larsson’s monumental wall frescoes in the stairwell, including ‘Gustav Vasa’s Entry into Stockholm’ and ‘Midvinterblot’.

The Nationalmuseum’s temporary exhibitions are carefully curated and have previously covered themes such as Christmas around the turn of the 20th century, Sweden through children’s eyes and Giorgio Vasari’s legendary drawings.

Don’t miss: After taking it all in, it can be nice to pause in the Sculpture Courtyard – an Italian piazza with sculptures from the museum’s collection. You can also try life drawing here once a month with an art educator who guides and inspires.

Södra Blasieholmshamnen 2, Stockholm. Admission: 160 SEK for adults or 80 SEK during the final hour, free entry on Thursday evenings. Getting here: Nearest metro is Kungsträdgården, exit towards the archipelago boats, a short walk from the museum.

What is it? In the heart of Gamla stan, the geniuses are celebrated.

Why go? The Nobel Prize is the world’s most prestigious scientific award, presented in honour of Alfred Nobel’s will to recognise achievements that have ‘conferred the greatest benefit to humankind’. We’re talking real heroes who change the world, such as Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, Robert Edwards, who developed in vitro fertilisation (IVF), and Malala Yousafzai, who received the Peace Prize for her fight for girls’ right to education.

At the Nobel Prize Museum, you get to know the man behind the prize and meet the laureates, but above all, it’s the big ideas that take centre stage. The aim is to inspire and leave visitors with the feeling: wow, it is possible to change the world we live in.

Don’t miss: Join one of the museum’s guided tours – they’re free and make it easier for anyone wanting to learn more, or for those who may have dozed off during science class. Prefer to go solo? Still pick up an audio guide.

Stortorget 2, Gamla stan. Adult: 160 SEK. Getting here: Nearest metro is Gamla stan.