Stockholm has no shortage of major museums, but if you’re looking for something a bit different, there are plenty of smaller or more unusual options worth exploring. These places often focus on a single theme, person, or slice of history, and visiting them can give you a fresh perspective on Swedish culture.
1 Small and personal museums
These are intimate museums where you step into someone’s apartment or a small institution, often preserved much as they were.
Strindberg Museum
The Strindberg Museum is dedicated to the life and work of August Strindberg, one of Sweden’s most influential authors and playwrights. The museum is housed in his preserved apartment on Drottninggatan, offering a glimpse into both his creative world and everyday life in early 20th-century Stockholm.
Address: Drottninggatan 85
Website: https://www.strindbergsmuseet.se/english/
Anna Lindhagen’s Museum Apartment
This small museum preserves the former home of Anna Lindhagen, a social reformer known for her role in developing Stockholm’s allotment gardens. The apartment reflects everyday middle-class life in the early 1900s. It is only open by appointment or during special events, making it a bit of a hidden find.
Address: Fjällgatan 34
Website: https://wp.stigbergetsborgarrum.se/
Ersta Museum
Located at Ersta Hospital on Södermalm, this museum tells the story of nursing and the heritage of the Ersta diaconal institution. It’s compact but sheds light on an important part of Sweden’s medical and social history.
Address: Erstagatan 1M
Website: https://www.erstadiakoni.se/en/verksamheter/stay-and-meet/
2 Industry and heritage
These museums highlight Sweden’s industrial past and the trades that shaped daily life.
Almgren Silk Weaving Mill
The Almgren Silk Weaving Mill (K. A. Almgren sidenväveri) is a rare industrial heritage site in central Stockholm. Still equipped with its original looms, it offers an authentic look at Sweden’s textile industry in the 19th century.
Address: Repslagargatan 15A
Website: https://www.kasiden.se/en/
Snuff & Match Museum
On Djurgården you’ll find a museum devoted to two Swedish industries you might not expect: snuff and matches. Set in a historic building, it explores both the everyday use of these products and their role in industrial development.
Address: Djurgårdsslätten 51
Website: https://www.snusochtandsticksmuseum.se/en/
3 Hands-on and interactive
Perfect if you want a more active experience, these museums encourage participation and play.
Swedish Sports Museum (Riksidrottsmuseum)
Sports fans should head to the Swedish Sports Museum. It covers the history of Swedish sports but is unusual for its interactive approach. Visitors of all ages can try hands-on activities alongside the exhibits.
Address: Djurgårdsbrunnsvägen 26
Website: https://www.riksidrottsmuseum.se/
Paradox Museum
A playful space with optical illusions and interactive rooms. Far from being ”lesser known”, but if you’re after an unusual, playful museum experience, this one delivers, and is very different from a traditional museum visit.
Address: Sergels Torg 20
Website: https://paradoxmuseumstockholm.com/en/
Torekällberget (Södertälje)
An open-air museum about 19th-century life just outside Stockholm. Popular with families, especially in summer. Well known in Södertälje, but still off the radar for many Stockholmers.
Address: Källgatan 15, 151 45 Södertälje
Website: https://www.sodertalje.se/kultur-och-fritid/torekallberget/
4 Design and contemporary art
For those interested in modern culture, these spaces offer a focus on design and experimental art.
ArkDes
The Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design on Skeppsholmen, less crowded than Stockholm’s major art museums but fascinating if you’re interested in architecture and urban development.
Address: Exercisplan 4
Website: https://arkdes.se/en/
Accelerator
A contemporary art space at Stockholm University that often features experimental and interdisciplinary projects.
Address: Frescativägen 26A
Website: https://acceleratorsu.art/en/frontpage/
