Stockholm has more museums built for children than any other city in the Nordics. Junibacken for the youngest, Tekniska museet for those who want to touch everything, Naturhistoriska for dinosaurs and whales, Vasamuseet for an entire ship. Here are ten, sorted by age, with how long they usually last and what to combine them with.
A museum with children is a good idea on one condition: that you choose the right museum for the right age and leave before the child has had enough. Here are the ten we go to ourselves with our families' children, and what we have learnt about each one. Opening hours, prices and school-holiday programmes change often, so always check the museum's own website the same morning.
1 to 4 years
- Junibacken, Djurgården. The Story Train, Villa Villekulla from Pippi Longstocking, theatre several times a day and a restaurant with high chairs. An hour and a half. Combine with Vasamuseet next door if you have older siblings.
- Lekstugan at Nordiska museet, Djurgården. A child-sized home from the 1890s where everything can be touched. One hour, and the rest of the museum is made for adults.
- Spårvägsmuseet (the tram museum), Norra Djurgårdsstaden. Trams and buses to climb into. Rarely crowded, easy to reach with a pram.
4 to 8 years
- Naturhistoriska riksmuseet (the natural history museum), Frescati. Dinosaurs, whales, stuffed animals in great halls. Cosmonova with films in a dome from about age five. Two to three hours.
- Tekniska museet (the technology museum), Gärdet. Interactive almost everywhere. Count on three hours and a child who does not want to go home.
- Vasamuseet, Djurgården. The ship takes most children's breath away for twenty minutes. School-age children stay two hours. Children's tours at weekends.
- Skansen, Djurgården. Not just a museum: animals, old houses, Lill-Skansen (the children's zoo) and grass. A whole day with a packed lunch.
8 and up
- Polismuseet (the police museum), Gärdet. Solve a crime, see a real police car, try the equipment. Two hours, from age eight.
- Armémuseum, Östermalm. Weapons, uniforms and Sweden's history for children who want real knights. From age nine.
- Nobel Prize Museum, Gamla stan. Small and thought-provoking for children from ten who wonder what they could become. Combine with a walk around Gamla stan.
Which museum for which child
| The child who | Go to | Count on | Combine with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wants to climb and run | Junibacken, Skansen | An hour and a half, a whole day | The lawn outside, the Djurgården ferry home |
| Wants to press everything | Tekniska museet | Three hours | Sjöhistoriska next door, Gärdet for the packed lunch |
| Loves dinosaurs and animals | Naturhistoriska | Two to three hours | A walk in Frescati, the metro home |
| Wants to hear a real story | Vasamuseet, Armémuseum | Two hours | Junibacken next to Vasa for younger siblings |
| Wants to solve things | Polismuseet, Nobel Prize Museum | Two hours | Gamla stan, a fika |
| Is under three and needs calm | Lekstugan, Spårvägsmuseet | One hour | Home in time for the nap |
How to get there
Djurgården is reached by tram from Sergels torg or Norrmalmstorg, by bus, or by the Djurgården ferry from Slussen, and for many children the ferry is the best part of the whole day. Naturhistoriska is at Universitetet metro station, a short walk from the exit. Tekniska museet and Polismuseet are next to each other at Gärdet, by bus from the centre. A car is rarely a good idea on Djurgården during a school holiday: the car parks fill up early and it is a long walk with a tired four-year-old. How to use public transport with a pram is in our guide to Taking SL with a pram.
How to get the most out of the day
| Do | Avoid |
|---|---|
| One museum per day | Three museums because you are on Djurgården anyway |
| Check opening hours and children's activities the same morning | Relying on your memory from last year |
| A packed lunch, most museums have a picnic area | The restaurant queue at twelve with a hungry four-year-old |
| Leave while it is still fun | Waiting until there are tears |
| Let the child choose one room and stay there a long time | Showing them everything |
The time of day matters more than the choice of museum. Arrive when they open and you have an hour almost to yourselves before the school classes and holiday families arrive. Between eleven and one it is crowded everywhere. After two it thins out again, but by then most small children are too tired. For children under five, the morning is everything.
School holidays, rain and weekends
During sportlov (the February school break), höstlov (the autumn break) and at Christmas the museums are full, especially Tekniska and Junibacken. If you want to go during a school holiday: choose a weekday early in the week, arrive at opening time, and have a back-up plan such as Spårvägsmuseet or Lekstugan if the queue snakes round the block. More holiday ideas are in our guides to Sportlov in Stockholm with kids and Autumn break in Stockholm with kids. On a rainy ordinary Saturday, on the other hand, the museums are often quiet, and in autumn they are almost empty on weekday mornings.
Packed lunch and breaks
Children last about as long in a museum as we said above, provided they have eaten. Pack a Packed lunch for children even if you plan to eat at the museum, because the restaurant queue is rarely worth the tears. Most museums have a room or an area where your own food is allowed, ask at the entrance. And take the break before your child asks for it: a sandwich on a bench after forty minutes buys you another hour.
The shop at the exit
Every museum ends in a shop, and every shop is placed so that you have to walk through it with a tired child. Decide before you go in what the rule is: nothing, one thing up to a set amount, or a postcard for the fridge. Say it out loud at the entrance, not in the shop. It is a small thing, but it decides how the day ends, and the ending is what your child remembers on the way home.
How we do it with our families
Museum visits with the nanny are usually Junibacken or Naturhistoriska on a school-holiday day, with the metro and the tram as part of the experience. And because she knows the child, she knows whether this is a child who wants to see the dinosaurs three times or one who wants to move on after ten minutes. Esther, who has been with us since October 2025, takes a five-year-old to Naturhistoriska during höstlov: metro to Universitetet at ten, the whales first, then a packed lunch on a bench, then the dinosaurs for as long as the child wants. Home at one, before the mood turns. The note to the parents says what they saw and what the child asked about, so the dinner conversation can carry on where the day left off.
Our nannies are out and about with children in Stockholm every week: parks, libraries, swimming pools and playgrounds. Would you like someone to take the afternoons? Book a free first meeting with the nanny in your home.
Read more: Things to do with kids in Stockholm · Parks in Stockholm with great playgrounds · Rainy days in Stockholm with kids · Prices
Frequently asked questions
Which museum is best for small children in Stockholm?
Junibacken on Djurgården, for children from one to seven. The Story Train, Villa Villekulla and the theatre are made for small children to move around. Lekstugan at Nordiska museet is the other place built for the youngest, and Spårvägsmuseet works for anyone who likes vehicles.
Which museum suits children who want to do things?
Tekniska museet. Almost everything can be touched, pressed and tried, and it keeps children from four to fourteen busy for three hours. Naturhistoriska also has plenty for the hands to do, and Polismuseet lets children from eight solve a crime.
Are the museums free?
Several state museums have had free entry for periods and the rules have changed, so check the museum's own page before you go. Children under a certain age usually get in free even where there is a charge. Never rely on information from last year, whether about prices or opening hours.
How long do children last at a museum?
Two-year-olds an hour, four-year-olds two, school-age children three with a break. Choose one museum per day and leave before it runs out, and your child will want to come back. A child who has cried their way out of a museum rarely wants to go there again, however good it was.
Can you bring a pram?
Yes, most museums in Stockholm have lifts and room for prams, but the crowds on a school-holiday day often make it easier to carry your child or let them walk. Check the museum's website for pram parking at the entrance. For Djurgården, prams are fine on the tram and the ferry.