Attraction
Skansen
The world's first open-air museum, opened in 1891 on Djurgården, with historic houses from across Sweden, Nordic animals and craftspeople at work.
Vasa Museum
Purpose-built museum on Djurgården housing the Vasa, a 64-gun warship that sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 and was raised 333 years later.
At a glance
- Type
- Maritime museum
- Area
- Djurgården, Stockholm, Sweden
- Official site
- vasamuseet.se
Good to know
- Free audio guide
- Restaurant with sea view
- Free entry under 18
- Combined ticket with Vrak
Why we recommend it
The Vasa Museum exists for one object, and it is an extraordinary one. The Vasa was a 64-gun warship that capsized and sank in Stockholm harbour in 1628, on her maiden voyage, within sight of the people who had come to watch her leave. She lay on the seabed for 333 years before being salvaged, and today she stands almost complete inside a hall built around her. The museum describes her as the world's only preserved 17th-century ship, and the scale is hard to grasp until you are standing next to the hull.
The current museum opened in 1990 on Djurgården and is now among the most visited museums in Scandinavia, with well over a million visitors a year. Viewing galleries on several levels let you study the hull, the gun ports and the carved stern from close up and from above. Around the ship, exhibitions explain how she was built, why she sank, how the salvage was carried out and what life on board a warship of the period involved.
A free audio guide with 15 tracks is available through your own phone, so bring headphones and a charged battery. The museum is also a working conservation project: the ship needs a new support structure to keep her stable for the future, and the museum invites donations towards it. The restaurant serves lunch, pastries and coffee with a view over the water, which is useful because there is not much else to eat at this end of the island.
The museum suits almost everyone, from children, who enter free up to the age of 18, to anyone with an interest in history, engineering or the sea. Allow around two hours. Large bags and wheeled cases are not allowed inside, so leave luggage at your hotel. Queues build in summer and at weekends, and the museum notes that tickets bought in advance do not give priority in the queue, so arriving at opening time is the best way to beat them. A combined ticket covers the Vasa Museum and the nearby Vrak, the museum of wrecks, and is valid for 72 hours.
The museum is on Galärvarvsvägen on the western side of Djurgården, a walk across Djurgårdsbron from Östermalm. ABBA The Museum, Skansen and the Nordic Museum are all a few minutes away, so it is easy to build a full day on the island around a morning here.
Vasa Museum FAQs
Why is the Vasa famous?
She is a 64-gun warship that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628 and was raised 333 years later, and the museum describes her as the world's only preserved 17th-century ship.
When is the Vasa Museum open?
It is normally open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 with a late opening until 20:00 on Wednesdays, but check the official website for seasonal changes before you go.
Do children pay?
No. Visitors aged 0 to 18 enter free.
Does buying a ticket online let me skip the queue?
No. The museum says that pre-purchased tickets do not give priority in the queue, so arrive early on busy days.
Is there an audio guide?
Yes. A free audio guide with 15 tracks runs on your own device, so bring headphones.
Can I bring luggage?
No. Large bags and wheeled cases are not allowed, although handbags and smaller backpacks are fine.
Is there a combined ticket?
Yes. A combined ticket covers the Vasa Museum and Vrak, the museum of wrecks, and is valid for 72 hours.
How long should I allow?
Around two hours is enough to see the ship from every level and look round the main exhibitions.
Is there somewhere to eat?
Yes. The museum restaurant serves lunch, pastries and coffee with a view over the water.