Skansen open air folk museum is a must do in Stockholm. When you hear museum you usually think big old building with lots of paintings, sculptures and things to read inside, right ? But have you been in an open-air folk museum before ?
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What is an open-air folk museum ?
Open-air folk museums or ecomuseum showcase reconstituted traditional buildings. It is basically a living village of reconstructed houses and public buildings dating from 2, 3 or 5 centuries ago. The village is animated by real life people portraying the typical arts and crafts of the country.
They usually are huge and organise events throughout the year. It is a great place to learn more about the traditional arts and crafts of a country and travel through time to relive the life and customs of yesteryear.
If you don’t know it yet – I am quite the museum nerd. Yes, I love getting lost in museums and cultural sites. But, I love when museums are fun and really entertaining whilst still being educative. Well, if you are into that as well : Open air folk museums have to be on your bucket list !
Why is Skansen Museum a must do in Stockholm ?
Skansen Museum is was founded in 1891 and is the world’s first open air museum. It depicts 5 centuries of Swedish history and architecture with dressed up people interpreting traditional household tasks, crafts and work.
It was a bright sunny day of July when I visited, the nature was filled with colourful flowers and the sun was finally out after a few days of rain. It was the perfect day to visit.
I walked around the colourful houses without looking on the map, just like if I was enjoying a walk in a local town in countryside Sweden. Since I was going to visit only Stockholm and not any other part of Sweden, it was for me a great occasion to discover the Swedish countryside all at once.
I walked by a group of ladies wearing traditional clothing and having a cup of tea in a garden. They were so photogenic everyone was stopping to take a picture with them.
Next to another house I stumbled upon another man wearing traditional clothing, this time he was watching over a fire and apparently making some kind of soup in a big pot.
I took a path less busy, leaving the animated streets with families and strollers to look for some tranquillity in the shadowed forest. I walked by many wooden houses painted in red and surrounded by colourful flowers.
After a quick look at my map I realised Skansen is also a zoo and proceeded to say hi to the animals. Lucky me I got to see mama bear and her babies fooling around right next to the fence.
The animals all looked pretty relaxed as they were getting really close to the fence. Everyone was able to get pictures and observe them.
But zoos are not really my thing, even though I could have stayed for hours watching the cute baby bears. Instead, I enjoyed the amazing view on Stockholm city. Skansen Museum is rather high up so it’s a great place to get a good shot over the city.
I went back to walking around the houses and found the first house that was reconstructed in Skansen.
Since it is used for the laundry, I was asked me to join them and help with the laundry. And so I did ! I washed, and I drained, and I hit the linen just like they did in the old times. It makes you grateful for having a washing machine !
But that’s only a fraction of the things you can do in Skansen Museum. There are tons of different options for food and drinks.
There is also a open-air concert hall, with great views on Stockholm’s archipelago. There is an aquarium, although I didn’t get in because it is not included in the ticket.
Skansen Museum is a must do in Stockholm because it is probably the most entertaining and educative museum to visit in the city.
It’s also a great place to visit for families, as many attractions are enjoyable for children. But anyone interested in Swedish history, architecture arts and crafts will love visiting Skansen too !
Skansen is huge so make sure you take the entire day to enjoy everything. And check out their website to know about their events.
I think any time of the year is a great season to visit Skansen. It must be as beautiful with Fall colours, as with the snow and Christmas decorations. And if you’re visiting during December, keep in mind that Christmas day is free !