Skansen Museum in Stockholm: Travel Back in Time

Skansen museum in Stockholm, Sweden, is a beautiful open-air museum that reproduces the 19th century Swedish life. It is located on the island of Djurgården and it is only 15 minutes by bus, tram or boat  from the city center. It was opened in 1891 by the ethnologist Artur Hazelius and it is thanks to him that now it is possible to appreciate this Sweden in miniature rich in traditions. I visited Skansen when I spent 3 days in Stockholm.

NOTE: this place is nice for families and people who want to travel back in time.

Skansen museum is always open and consists of 150 homes and farms. The entrance to Skansen is about 100-160 SEK according to the seasons. The admission is free with Stockholm Card.

Skansen Museum employees play the roles of people from past time, explaining the Swedish crafts and wearing traditional dresses. The shops are real and here you can buy any type of object (glass, iron and also delicious typical Swedish sweets). There is the shoemaker’s house (Skomakarhuset), which is a low cottage from the 18th century, with the roof covered with peat, laboratories of glass and ceramic, the hardware store, the pharmacy, the beautiful 18th century wooden church Seglora and the market square Bollnästorget.

House of the village are decorated just like those times, with objects and furnishing that do not seem to have been scratched by time. If you want to stop for a snack, stop at the small bakery of the village where you can see the baker at work and choose from many types of pastries and bread (baked according to old-fashioned way).

TIP: Do not miss the cinnamon buns!

There are also many restaurants but I do not recommend to have lunch here because the prices are a bit high. If you want you can have lunch in the many picnic areas in the Skansen park.

NOTE: Swedish are used to celebrate the summer solstice, the Walpurgis Night and Saint Lucia at Skansen. During the Christmas season, many events are organized. There is a Christmas market, traditional Swedish buffet and if it is snowing the atmosphere is really magical!

The museum has also a zoo that attracts children of all ages. They enjoy making friends with animals such as bears, reindeers, peacocks, chickens, squirrels and watching the keepers feeding the animals. Kids can also can take pony-riding for only 40 SEK (about €4).

This zoo is particularly instructive because it allows kids to come into close contact with the animals. Inside the Skansen, there is also the Lill-Skansen, another zoo dedicated to younger children, where you can find rabbits, cats, hamsters and pigs. The Lill-Skansen is included in the price.

There is also the Skansen Aquarium but it is not included in the Skansen ticket and you have to pay a plus of about 120SEK (about €3). It hosts fishes, crocodiles, turtles, monkeys, snakes, spiders and parrots. Visit it only if you have the Stockholm Card because the admission is free. It is nice for kids but not for adults.
Throughout Skansen there are many areas for children such as the small amusement park Galejan with rides.
I think that Skansen is a magical place not only for children but also for adults. You can visit it in half a day and at the end you can enjoy an amazing view of Stockholm near the old church. Visiting Skansen museum is one of the best things to do in Stockholm!

How to get the Skansen museum

There are 4 ways to get the Skansen museum:

• BY BUS: buses 44 stops at the main entrance of Skansen museum
• BY TRAM: line 7 at Norrmalmstorg Nybroplan Styrmansgatan or Djurgårdsbron. This tram takes you out to Djurgården and stops also at Vasa Museum.
• BY FERRY: it leaves from Slussen which is at the end of Gamla stan.
• ON FOOT: Skansen is noto so far away from the centre of Stockholm and walking on foot you can look at the beauty of the landscape around you

TIP: there is a cable car from one of the entrance. This is a good solution for disabled people. It is not always active. By the cable car you can enjoy the view of Skansen with its green hills, from the top and walking down the hills through the park.

Have you ever visited an open-museums like Skansen?

Salva