Vasa Museum
★ 4.8🇸🇪 StockholmSuggested visit 2-3 hoursBest season Year-round; summer pairs best with a Stockholm archipelago trip
MuseumHistoric siteFamily friendly
Home to the warship Vasa, which sank on her maiden voyage in 1628. With 98% original timbers intact, she is the only fully recovered 17th-century warship in the world.
Overview
Measuring 69 metres with 64 guns, Vasa capsized on 10 August 1628 barely 1,300 metres into her maiden voyage. Salvaged in 1961 and conserved over decades of careful drying and reinforcement, she is displayed at the centre of a purpose-built museum. Six gallery levels let you study her from keel to masthead, alongside exhibits on the crew and 17th-century shipbuilding.
History
Built by Dutch shipwrights for King Gustav II Adolf, she capsized because an extra gun deck left her top-heavy. Her recovery became one of Sweden's most important archaeological projects.
Highlights
- •The intact hull with 64 original guns
- •The elaborate stern carvings
- •Six encircling gallery levels
- •Exhibits on the crew and their belongings
Practical tips
- •Watch the film first for the full context before touring the ship
- •Book a timed ticket online in high season
Practical information
- Best time
- Year-round
- Tickets
- About SEK 190 for adults
- Opening hours
- 10:00-17:00 (Wednesdays until 20:00)
- Local food
- Swedish shrimp sandwich and meatballs at the museum restaurant
- Getting around
- Tram 7 or bus 67 to Nordiska museet; about a 25-minute walk from the old town.
- Visa
- A Schengen visa is required; apply about one month in advance.
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