Moderna Museet

Moderna Museet is Sweden's national museum of modern and contemporary art. It opened on 9 May 1958 on the island of Skeppsholmen and has a strong international collection. The present building, designed by the Spanish architect Rafael Moneo, opened in 1998 after the museum had spent several years in temporary premises, and it sits low among the older naval buildings of the island, with views across the water to Strandvägen and Djurgården.

The collection covers art from the early 20th century to today. Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Henri Matisse, Marcel Duchamp, Louise Bourgeois and Niki de Saint Phalle are all represented, as is a model of Tatlin's Tower. One of the best-known works is Robert Rauschenberg's Monogram, the stuffed goat with a tyre, which is the centrepiece of a long-running display drawn from the collection. Other current collection shows look at surrealism, Swedish art from 1945 to 1979 and recent acquisitions, so there is plenty to see even between major exhibitions.

Temporary exhibitions in autumn 2026 include a retrospective of the Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian and Jan Håfström's The Lost World, with an exhibition by the Sámi artist Aage Gaup opening in November. The programme changes several times a year, so check what is on before you go. Video works are shown in a small cinema space, and a study gallery presents rotating selections from the collection.

The museum suits art lovers and curious visitors who enjoy being surprised. Visitors aged 18 and under enter free, and admission is free for everyone on Fridays from 18:00 to 20:00. The museum is closed on Mondays, opens from 10:00 to 18:00 on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and stays open until 20:00 on Tuesdays and Fridays. Tickets are cheaper online. If you only have an hour, focus on the collection displays, which give a broad overview of art since the early 20th century. Allow two hours for a fuller visit, and leave time to walk around Skeppsholmen, which is pleasant in any season.

The main entrance is at Exercisplan 4 on Skeppsholmen, reached on foot over the Skeppsholmsbron bridge from Blasieholmen, a few minutes from Nationalmuseum and Kungsträdgården metro station. Skeppsholmen's quiet paths and waterfront make a good walk before or after a visit.