Find art and culture museums in Stockholm 2024
Publish date: 1 November 2024
Renaissance masters, Swedish national romanticism, or modern pioneers. Stockholm's art museums display an eclectic canvas of beautiful art.
Stockholm is home to many great art museums. To visit Stockholm is to visit one giant museum, and everywhere you look there are interesting buildings, from decidedly contemporary to houses that date as far back as the late 13th century.
Here's a selection of artful attractions.
Art museums in central Stockholm
Central Stockholm, meaning the districts of Östermalm, City/Norrmalm, Södermalm, Vasastan, and Kungsholmen, has a diverse ecosystem of museums and exhibition halls.
- Bonniers Konsthall – Exhibition hall in central Stockholm, founded by the Bonnier family. The main focus is contemporary art, with many exhibitions by lesser-known and up-and-coming artists.
- Carl Eldh's Studio Museum – Studio museum located in sculptor Carl Eldh's (1843-1954) workshop. The museum is full of his sculptures, sketches, and drawings truly letting visitors step into Eldh's creative process. Open April-October for regular visitors, and November-March for pre-booked visits.
- Fotografiska – Fotografiska opened in Stockholm in 2010 and has since expanded with satellites in Tallinn, Berlin, Shanghai, and New York. A center for both accessible and experimental photography, the Stockholm branch is also popular for its award-winning museum restaurant.
- Index – The Swedish Contemporary Art Foundation – Both an exhibition hall and workshop/studio space where artists are invited to work on their projects and interact with the audience through special events, discussions, and more.
- Konstakademien – Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts – One of Sweden's royal academies, established in 1775. The academy promotes the arts through various grants and programs and hosts temporary exhibitions.
- Kulturhuset Stadsteatern – One of Stockholm's most important cultural hubs. Kulturhuset has several smaller exhibition halls - apart from the libraries, cinema, and theatre – that host a variety of exhibitions.
- Moderna Museet – Moderna has one of northern Europe's largest modern and contemporary art collections, with works by Derkert, Dalí, Christo, and Rauschenberg. You can also find several sculptures and installations in the museum's surroundings on Skeppsholmen.
- Nationalmuseum – The place for Swedish art and design. Nationalmuseum's vast collection of 670,000 objects (not all on display at once, though) includes paintings, sculptures, furniture, pottery, and design objects. Parts of the museum's collections are exhibited at The Gustavsberg Porcelain Museum on Värmdö.
- Sven-Harry's Art Museum – Named after its founder, builder, and art collector Sven Harry Karlsson, Sven-Harry's uniquely displays its permanent collection; the top floor is a recreation of Karlsson's villa on Lidingö.
- The Cell – A joint venture between The National Museum of Technology and Science, and The Karolinska Institute. The Cell aims to explore and explain scientific advances, through thought-provoking art exhibitions.
- Swedish Museum of Performing Arts – Formerly known as The Music -and Theater Museum until it changed its name in 2017. The Swedish Museum of Performing Arts shows life on, and behind, the stage, and invites visitors to get funky in its interactive exhibition.
Museums of history in Stockholm
Museums of history in Stockholm
More of a history buff? Stockholm offers several deep-dives in such diverse topics as Far Eastern civilizations, toys, and naval history.
History at the museum
Arrow iconArt museums on Djurgården
While technically a part of central Stockholm, Djurgården is worth a paragraph of its own due to the many attractions and museums here. Several of which are dedicated to the fine arts.
- ABBA The Museum – A museum wholly dedicated to one of Sweden's most beloved music exports. Learn how Anni-Frig, Björn, Benny, and Agnetha met and how their music conquered the world.
- Liljevalchs Konsthall / Liljevalchs+ – Beloved gallery on Djurgården that opened in 1917. The annual Spring salon has become the obvious highlight. Liljevalchs+, an annex focusing on contemporary art, opened in 2021.
- Prince Eugen's Waldemarsudde – Former home of the famously art-loving Prince Eugen (1865-1947), paternal grand-uncle to King Carl XVI Gustaf. The Prince gifted the palace and its art to the Swedish government in his will, and the museum opened in 1948, showcasing his works, private collection, and other temporary exhibitions.
- The Thiel Gallery – Much like the nearby Waldemarsudde, The Thiel Gallery is a former private residence – belonging to businessman Ernest Thiel (1859-1947). Thiel sold the villa and his art collection to the government in 1924. The museum opened in 1926 and boasts an impressive collection of classic art. Its Edvard Munch collection is one of the world's largest.
- Spritmuseum & The Absolut Art Collection – The Absolut Art Collection (located at Spritmuseum) consists of 850 works by 550 artists with one unifying theme; the iconic Absolut Vodka bottle. The museum's art programming also includes temporary exhibitions, primarily of contemporary and modern art.
Museums of Science in Stockholm
Museums of Science in Stockholm
Learn about the laws of physics, natural history, and chemical reactions at Stockholm's scientific museums and attractions.
Science museums in Stockholm
Arrow iconArt museums in the surrounding areas
Several popular galleries and museums are in the surrounding areas, often in unique and surprising environments.
- Accelerator – Located at Stockholm University's Frescati Campus, Accelerator is a forum for art and science. Accelerator's artistic team collaborates with cutting-edge artists and university researchers to address current social issues.
- Artipelag – Nature and fine art meet at Artipelag, an exhibition hall in the inner Stockholm archipelago. Artipelag has a diverse programming of contemporary art but is also popular for the art trail surrounding the museum. Strömma operates an Artipelag tour during summer, for visitors who want to take the scenic route.
- Botkyrka Konsthall – Located in Fittja, south of central Stockholm, Botkyrka Konsthall is a buzzing cultural hub. library and art gallery. The program focuses on contemporary art and Botkyrka Konsthall also offers a residency program for international artists. There's also a permanent exhibition about Tumba-born Swedish artist Sven "Xet" Erixson.
- Fullersta Gård – Dating back to 1651, Fullersta Gård is the oldest settlement in Huddinge, south of Stockholm. The villa curates temporary contemporary art exhibitions and has a library of art books. You'll also find two permanent exhibitions about famous Huddinge residents; author and journalist Karin Boye and illustrator Ewert Karlsson.
- Färgfabriken – The art gallery Färgfabriken is located in a former paint factory (hence the name), just south of Stockholm. The gallery focuses primarily on contemporary art but is also an event space for popular happenings like Färgfabrikens Christmas Market and Konstfack's Spring Exhibition.
- Konsthall C – An Independent art center in Hökarängen, just south of central Stockholm, housed in a former industrial laundry. Konsthall C features an exhibition hall and studios for working creatives, a shop, and more.
- Kulturkvarter Snösätra – Nature meets urban art. Snösätra in Rågsved is a former industrial area that has been turned into a graffiti haven, bordering on the Rågsved Nature Reserve. New pieces are unveiled annually, during the Spring Beast Festival in May.
- Marabouparken – Former chocolate factory turned contemporary art gallery in Sundbyberg, north of central Stockholm. The surrounding sculpture park is one of Sweden's best-preserved functionalist environments and is a great place for a sunny art walk.
- Millesgården – Carl Milles's (1875-1955) villa on Lidingö Island was transformed into an art gallery and museum after the sculptor's death. Temporary exhibitions vary from contemporary design to art, while the permanent studio exhibition shows visitors his home. The terrace sculpture park's views are stunning as well.
- Tensta Konsthall – Buzzing cultural hub and contemporary art gallery in the northern suburb of Tensta. Tensta Konsthall started as a grassroots initiative but has become an important venue for international and local contemporary artists alike.
Don't forget about the metro – art in the Subway
As you might have noticed by now, Stockholm's art museums are strewn all around town. Luckily the best way to travel between them is an art exhibition in itself; The Stockholm Subway System.
While most of the photogenic stations (like Kungsträndgården and Hallonbergen) are on the metro's blue line, virtually every station has some kind of artfully decoration.
Read more in our guide about art in the subway.