Choose from 26 Fun Things to Do in Stockholm
ShowingFilter 21-26 of 26 listings.
Skansen
Skansen is the world’s oldest open-air museum and zoo. Located in Stockholm, the museum was founded in the late 19th century by Artur Hazelius, originally as a branch of the Nordic Museum (Nordiska Museet). Today it illustrates the different ways of life prevalent in old-time, pre-industrialized Sweden.
The Basics
Hazelius originally built Skansen from 150 reconstructed historical buildings. Since then the museum has expanded dramatically, featuring houses and workshops where you can experience the making of traditional Swedish crafts such as butter-churning, weaving, shoemaking, and glassblowing. There is also a children’s zoo containing a wide range of Nordic animals such as bison, brown bears, moose, reindeer, and wolverines.
The museum is one of Stockholm’s top cultural attractions, and many city tours include a visit to Skansen. A Stockholm Pass provides free entrance to the museum, and cruise ship passengers can visit on a shore excursion from Nynashamn port. Hop-on, hop-off bus tours are also a good option for travelers who want to see the museum at their own pace.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Skansen is a must-see for history buffs and culture lovers.
- A variety of restaurants and food stands serve both traditional Swedish items and modern fare. You can also find dedicated picnic sites on Offerholmen (the small island in one of the ponds) and other sites throughout the museum park.
- Strollers are available for rent, and wheelchairs are available free of charge at all entrances.
- Most of the property is outdoors, so dress appropriately for the weather.
How to Get There
Skansen is located on the island of Djurgården outside the city center, and is accessible by public transportation. While parking for private vehicles is not available, guided tours typically provide round-trip transportation.
When to Get There
Skansen is open year-round, but hours vary seasonally. In the winter, the site’s central Bollnäs square is home to a popular Christmas market. Spring brings the Walpurgis bonfire and egg decorating, and in the summer Skansen plays host to folk dancing and concerts. Autumn features the celebration of harvest time and linen-making demonstrations.
Children at Skansen
Many of Skansen’s activities are specifically catered to children. There is a popular children’s zoo, where guests can ride ponies and even help out with farm tasks during the summer. Kids can also play with old-fashioned Swedish toys, go on fair rides, navigate a classic car track, or participate in summertime sing-alongs.
Address: Djurgarden 49-51, Stockholm 115 93, Sweden
Admission: Varies
From $ 24
Waldemarsudde
Originally the home of Sweden’s Prince Eugen, Waldemarsudde in Stockholm may be the country’s most beautiful art museum. In addition to being one of Sweden’s best known landscape artists, the Prince amassed a massive collection of works by both established and unknown artists over the course of 60 years. Today, more than 3,000 of his own pieces and more than 3,000 other works are housed at Waldemarsudde, with his collection of Swedish art from the turn of the 19th century considered one of the best in Sweden.
Waldemarsudde is set in a 70,000 square meter park surrounded by the Stockholm Harbor on three sides. It consists of a castle-like main building known as the Mansion, the original manor home known as the Old House, a Gallery Building and an old linseed oil mill. The ground floor of the Mansion has been preserved as it was when the Prince was alive, while the upper two floors are now used for temporary exhibitions or for displaying the Prince’s art. The Gallery Building hosts temporary exhibitions as well.
Practical Info
To reach Waldemarsudde, take tram number 7 to Djurgaden/Waldemarsudde. An audio guide is available in the gift ship for 20 SEK per person and guided tours are occasionally given in English on Wednesdays from July 6 to August 31. A restaurant known as the Prince’s Kitchen can be found inside the Mansion, serving hot meals, snacks and beverages.
Address: Prins Eugens väg 6, Djurgården, Stockholm, Sweden
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Thursday to 8:00 p.m. Closed on some public holidays.
Admission: SEK 120
From $ 25
Skeppsholmen
One of the largest of the Stockholm Archipelago’s 24,000 islets and skerries, Skeppsholmen is close to the channel leading out into the Baltic Sea and historically had great tactical significance to Sweden’s capital city. However, although its 18th-century Bergrummet complex originally played a military role, now it has been transformed into museums and cultural emporiums including the Museum of Modern Art (Moderna Museet), the East-Asian Museum (Ostasiatiska Museet) and the avant-garde Theatre Galeasen. Other sights on this peaceful backwater island include a 19th-century fortress; the elegant Neoclassical church of Skeppsholmskyrkan, which is now a concert venue; an historic shipyard where wooden boats are still made; and open-air installations of unique sculpture by Niki de Saint Phalle and her partner Jean Tinguely.
Accessible from mainland Stockholm by road bridge, Skeppsholmen is also connected to the neighboring islets of Blasieholmen and Kastellholmen by foot bridges. The island’s leisure facilities include restaurants and an upmarket hotel as well as a floating youth hostel on the yacht Chapman. The week-long Stockholm Jazz Festival also takes place on the island every July. These days Skeppsholmen is on the itinerary for Segway tours of Stockholm as well as hop-on, hop-off boat tours of the city.
Practical Info
Open 24/7. Admission free. Accessible by ferry to Nybroplan, Slussen or Djurgarden from Gamla Stan (Old Town); footbridge from Kungsträdgården; road bridge from the city center and bus no 65.
Address: Skeppsholmen, Stockholm 111 49, Sweden
From $ 56
Sodermalm
With a stream of new bars, restaurants and nightclubs springing up along the waterfront, the island of Södermalm, or ‘Söder’ as it’s known to locals, is quickly earning a reputation as one of Stockholm’s hippest districts, popular among the city’s younger residents. Entering Södermalm from Gamla Stan, the lively areas of Slussen and nearby Medborgarplatsen are the center of island life, interlinked by the principal shopping boulevard of Götgatan, and further south the affectionately nicknamed ‘SoFo’ district is know for its fashion boutiques, vintage stores and atmospheric cafés.
Although home to a cluster of museums, including the Stockholm City Museum, Södermalm has comparatively few tourist attractions and the scenic island is best known for its cliff-top lookouts and seafront promenades which offer dramatic views over the neighboring islands. Additional areas of interest include the charming coastal area of Fjällgatan, dotted with 16th-century wooden buildings, the 17th-century Katarina Kyrka church and the beaches of Tantolunden.
Address: Södermalm, Stockholm, Sweden
From $ 23
Millesgarden
Located on the island of Lidingö in the Stockholm Archipelago, Millesgarden is a spectacular sculpture park and art museum created by renowned Swedish sculptor Carl Milles in the terraced gardens of his clifftop house. He built a fanciful mansion at Millesgarden in 1907 and spent many years adding to his sculpture collection before donating it to the Swedish nation in 1936. Milles died in 1955 and is buried there along with his artist wife Olga.
The works are beautifully displayed against an ever-changing backdrop of the sea, with statuary featuring in ornamental pools, on columns and in spouting fountains. Containing many stellar examples of sculpture from medieval to modern, the collection is cleverly interspersed Milles's own sinuous creations in bronze, including his famous sculpture, Hands of God.
Although the sculpture garden is the premier attraction there, the Milles's flamboyant, red-roofed family home is also open to the public, where Olga's paintings are displayed alongside original castings of Carl's sculpture. The design of the house is eclectic, with Pompeii-influenced frescoes and mosaics in the Red Room, ancient musical instruments in the Music Room and rooms full of valuable antiques. Temporary exhibitions of contemporary art can be found in the Art Gallery and the smaller Anne's House in the grounds is packed with furniture designed by Austrian-born architect Josef Frank.
Practical Info
Herserudsvägen 32, Lidingö, Stockholm. Open May"“Sept daily 11am"“5pm; Oct"“Apr Tue"“Sun 11am"“5pm. Admission adults 150 SEK; students 120 SEK; younger than 18 free. Free with the Stockholm Pass. A 30-minute trip from central Stockholm; take the subway to Ropsten, then bus to Torsviks Torg plus a short walk.
Address: Herserudsvägen 32, Lidingö, Stockholm 181 50, Sweden
Hours: May"“Sept daily 11am"“5pm; Oct"“Apr Tue"“Sun 11am"“5pm
Admission: Adults: 150 SEK; Students: 120 SEK; Children: Free
From $ 73
King's Garden (Kungsträdgarden)
The King's Garden, also known as Kungsan, is a popular park in central Stockholm. It hosts open air concerts and other events in the summer and is home to an ice rink in the winter months. First of May demonstrations by Sweden's left-wing parties also take place in the park each year. The park's space can be divided into four distinct areas: the Square of Charles XII, Molin's Fountain, the Square of Charles XIII and the Fountain of Wolodarski.
The origins of the park date back centuries. A royal kitchen garden was gradually transformed into an enclosed pleasure garden in the 17th and 18th centuries. The walls of the garden were demolished in the 19th century and, in 1821, most of the garden was replace by gravel, creating the square now named for Charles XIII. Molin's Fountain was added in 1866, when it was the centerpiece of a Scandinavian art and industry exposition. The entire park was redesigned in 1990 to its present form and in 2004, nearly 300 new trees were planted and new pavilions and cafes were added.
The park is surrounded by notable landmarks, including the Stockholm Synagogue on the east side of the park and the Royal Swedish Opera, Saint James' Church, the Matchstick Palace and Sverigehuset (home to the tourist information center) along the west side.
Practical Info
Located in central Stockholm, the King's Garden is accessible from the Kungstradgarden Metro station.
Address: Jussi Björlings alle 5, Stockholm 103 91, Sweden
From $ 20