Free Museums in Stockholm: Top 12 to Visit in 2025

Stockholm has a reputation as an expensive city but until 2023 visiting museums was one of the few free activities you could do.  Unfortunately, due to a major change in government funding, lots of previously free museums in Stockholm have now had to start charging.  What a great shame.  However, the good news is that, despite this, it is still possible to find some fascinating free museums in Stockholm in 2025.  I’ve compiled this list to help you make the most of your budget whilst visiting the city.

This guide includes a wide variety of free museums in Stockholm, covering subjects from sports to the Swedish parliament.  Some museums restrict free entry to certain times and for others entrance is always free.  I’ve included all the important details for these Stockholm museums, like opening hours, nearest metro stop and details of when each museum is free.

Some posts on this site contain affiliate links to products or services I’ve found useful. If you make a purchase through these links I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). This helps keep the travel blog running, so thank you.

Medieval Museum (Medeltidsmuseet)

Stockholm’s Medieval Museum is one of the most beautifully located free museums in the city. It sits on a small island just north of Gamla Stan, opposite the Parliament building, and with a view out across the waters. On entrance to the museum, a short film provides useful background to the contents and the construction of the building, which was meant to be a car park at one stage. After this, you head through a tunnel and out into the museum proper.

Here you can discover how the city developed during the middle ages and explore some of the features of a typical medieval town. The museum includes full-size models of houses, yards and a monastic garden. As well as having fun ‘meeting’ the inhabitants (mannequins illustrating typical dress and occupations) there’s also the remnants of a huge naval boat occupying a large part of the space. The display of shoes is one of the most interesting exhibits in the museum.

Swedish Parliament (Riksdag)

One of the best free museum finds in Stockholm is the guided tour of the Riksdag. There are only 28 spaces available on the English tour so turn up early to be sure of a place. At the time of my visit, on a grey winter day, all the spaces had filled up before the official start time.

A friendly guide escorts you through the Swedish parliament on a whirlwind one hour tour whilst entertaining you with an explanation of the political system. A key feature of the tour is the opportunity to sit in the current Parliament chamber, which is striking for it’s modern design and electronic voting technology. 

The tour continues on through the older, more impressive, building, including the luxurious interior of the old entrance hall, inner rooms and the main entrance which was the former bank of Stockholm and is still operational as a post office.

This is a great way to learn about Sweden’s political system and find out how it differs from your own. Unlike the UK system, in Sweden parties are seated geographically, so politicians from opposite ends of the ideological spectrum spend four years sat together at the same table. I like to hope that’s a positive experience.

A favourite part of the tour was a visit to the women’s room. Sweden was the last Nordic country to give women the vote and it’s great to see a focus on female contribution to the political sphere.

Free guided tours of the 4000 artworks are also available on Mondays (in Swedish only).

City Museum (Stadsmuseet)

If you’re seeking to get a general understanding and overview of life in Stockholm throughout the ages then the City Museum is an excellent choice to add to your list of free museums to visit. Here you’ll find a sizeable but not overwhelming amount of information covering what life was like for inhabitants, from the city’s founding in the mid-13th century right up to more recent times.

What makes this one of my favourite free museums in Stockholm is that it mixes detailed explanations with some fun interactive exhibits and displays. I’ll admit I’m a sucker for hats and capes to try on. I loved pretending like I’m a 20th-century Swedish opera star.

Whilst here look out for one of the most interesting, but macabre, exhibits in the museum, the ‘last drink cupboard’. This piece of furniture is from the tavern where prisoners stopped en route to being executed and chose their last ever glass of the strong stuff.

Download this self-guidedStockholm scavenger hunt for a cheap way to get to know the city. Go at your own pace and discover interesting facts about Stockholm’s history as you explore places that you might not otherwise find.

Artipelag

Situated a little further out of Stockholm city than the rest of this list of free museums, Artipelag is definitely worth the journey. The huge modern building looks like it has landed in the countryside but somehow manages not to look out of place. It houses art exhibitions, a shop, a top floor restaurant and one of the best cafes in Stockholm.

A visit to Artipelag is a chance to enjoy art in nature and a great way to see a part of Stockholm away from the bustling centre.

Take in the 12 modern sculptures placed amongst the natural landscape, including a giant glistening golden solar egg and the fragile yet imposing Ainsa IV by Jaume Plensa. Whilst it’s possible to join the walk for free, as it’s sign posted from the car park, the official map and guide to the sculpture trail costs 50 SEK.

How to Travel to Artipelag

To get to Artipelag via public transport you can take the direct bus provided by the museum, which leaves from the central bus station, T-Centralen. To find the departure gate, enter the bus station and check the bus departure screens for the gate number. The bus gates are well sign-posted and if arriving to T-Centralen by metro the interchange from metro to bus is easy and takes around 10 minutes.

Alternatively, you can take the public bus #474 from Slussen which runs more frequently and is cheaper (39 SEK) but requires a change of buses at Värmdö, to pick up the #468 bus which will drop you right outside Artipelag. If buses sound like too much hassle, you can always take an Uber whilst in Stockholm.

Journey time for both the direct bus and public bus is around 30 – 40 minutes. I did both options and found them equally convenient. Note that cash is not accepted on the buses but tickets can be bought via the SL journey planner app or paid for via contactless card on the bus (one ticket per card).

The Living History Forum (Forum för Levande Historia)

The changing exhibitions in this small museum ask us to reflect on what we have learnt from the Holocaust. The building itself is located in the beautiful old town of Gamla Stan.

National Sports Museum (Riksidrottsmuseum)

The National Sports Museum in Stockholm is the perfect free museum for all the sports fans out there. It holds a range of Swedish sports heritage objects and highlights the impact of fashion on sporting clothing and how equipment has developed over the decades.

If you’re feeling inspired by all the athletic achievements you can test your own sporting ability by having a go at rock-climbing and sprint starts in the SportsLab and find out what’s actually going on with your body as you exercise.

Hallwyl Museum (Hallwylska Museet)

One of the more opulent free museums in Stockholm is the former winter home of the von Hallwyls’, who were a family of Swiss nobles. This turn of the 19th Century building houses the antique collection which Mrs Hallwyls enjoyed amassing. Her aim was to catalogue and display the huge number of items, with the house providing the museum in which to display them.

The collection includes the petite wedding dress of Wilhelmina Hallwyls and a lot of gold bling. Guided tours in English are available which show you even more of the house. Don’t miss a visit to the drawing room and the stables whilst you’re here.

Modern Art Museum (Moderna Museet)

This fabulous art museum is located on Skeppsholmen island. If modern art is your thing then head over to Moderna Museet on a Friday evening, when entrance to this Stockholm institution is free.

Works from across the globe are displayed in the spacious building, including pieces by such masters of the art as Dalí and Picasso. Don’t forget to check out the museum shop.

Liljevalchs

Located on the ‘museum island’ of Djurgården, Liljevalchs is one of the most conveniently located free museums in Stockholm, right next to a tram stop and close to plenty of other museums, including the fabulous ABBA museum (sadly not free). 

Fascinating and thought provoking large scale exhibitions are arranged throughout the year. As an example, the recent Nobel Prize related ‘Eternal Life’ was a beautifully curated and well laid out exploration of the themes of life and death.

The museum space expanded in 2021 to include the neighbouring Liljevalchs+ building and is home to a fabulous shop and restaurant.

Kulturhuset Stadsteatern

This cultural and public space at Sergels Torg is right in the centre of Stockholm. It’s worth a visit to view the imposing glass tower at the centre of the square, which is lit up at night. The Kulturhuset building houses a whole range of cultural activities, including dance and music concerts. There are also regular exhibitions displayed in galleries 3 and 5, which offer free admission, usually on Thursdays.

Army Museum (Armémuseum)

A visit to the Army Museum in the middle of Stockholm provides an opportunity to explore Sweden’s military history. Here you can discover what living conditions were like for soldiers and view the large array of armoury. The collection covers older military campaigns, propaganda and modern warfare. Displays are in English and Swedish.

The changing of the guard march also starts from the courtyard outside the front of the Army Museum (daily, April to September). You can’t miss the entrance to the museum as you walk by as there’s a great big tank displayed on the forecourt.

Jewish Museum (Judiskamuseet)

Another of the free museums in Stockholm, the Jewish Museum, is located in the oldest synagogue in Sweden. The small museum takes visitors on a journey through Swedish-Jewish history. The collection spans over 1500 items and featured objects on display include photos, letters and a beautifully crafted pulpit.

Stockholm Museums that are Not Free from 2025 Onwards

The following popular museums may still come up in older lists of free museums in Stockholm.  Unfortunately, as of January 2025 they are not free.  However, under 19 year olds will still be able to get free entry to most of these museums.

A trip to Stockholm’s iconic Vasa Museum, is sadly not free. Get up close to the world’s only intact 17th-century warship. Save time andbook your ticket in advance. This also gives you the flexibility of being able to cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

Dance Museum (Dans Museet)

Maritime Museum

Medelhavs Museet

National Museum

Natural History Museum

Nobel Prize Museum

Save time and book yourNobel Prize Museum ticket in advance.

Nordic Museum (Nordiska Museet)

Skansen Open-Air Museum

The Royal Armoury 

The Royal Palace

Discover other great museums in Europe with my guides to Madrid Free Museums and Museums in Cambridge: 5 of the Best.