Vasa Museum

Step inside Stockholm's Vasa Museum to walk around a massive 17th-century warship that sank in 1628 and remained underwater for 333 years. The ship's wooden hull rises through six floors of this custom-built museum on Djurgården island, with hundreds of carved sculptures depicting mythological figures, warriors, and royal symbols. As you circle the vessel, you'll discover exhibits about maritime life, naval warfare, and the complex operation that raised this remarkable ship from Stockholm's harbor.

Exploring the Ship

Walk around the 69-meter warship from the keel to the top of the sterncastle across six viewing platforms. The preserved wooden hull contains more than 98 percent of its original materials, including hundreds of intricate sculptures that tell stories of Swedish royal power in the 1600s.

Museum Exhibits and Experience

Watch a 15-minute film about the ship's story, available in multiple languages. Each floor contains artifacts from the wreck and detailed displays about 17th-century Swedish society. You'll learn about shipbuilding techniques, meet the crew members who perished aboard, and see how engineers lifted Vasa from the seabed in 1961.

Best Times to Visit

Plan your visit for early morning or after 3:00 PM to find smaller crowds, particularly during summer cruise season (May-September). The museum caps visitor numbers at 1,600, creating long queues between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM. In winter, come on Wednesday evenings when the museum stays open until 8:00 PM and reduces admission prices after 5:00 PM.

Getting to the Museum

Find the museum on Djurgården island, a 30-minute walk or 10-minute bike ride from central Stockholm. Take tram number 7 to the Nordiska museet/Vasamuseet stop. Admission costs 170-200 SEK (free for visitors under 18), and the museum accepts only card payments.

Museum Facilities

Connect to free Wi-Fi and download audio guides to your mobile device. The museum includes a restaurant serving lunch and Swedish fika, plus a shop selling maritime-themed items. Outside, you can see four additional historic ships: the icebreaker Sankt Erik, lightvessel Finngrundet, torpedo boat Spica, and rescue boat Bernhard Ingelsson.