Ädelfors mineral- och gruvmuseum
Mining and mineral museum in the old stone granary in Ädelfors, with Bielke’s mineral collection and information about the district’s mines.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Ädelfors mineral and mining museum is in the village of Ädelfors by the Emån river, about 18 kilometers from Vetlanda. Gold was found in Ädelfors as early as 1737, and the mines operated between 1738 and 1917. The site is regarded as Sweden’s first gold mine.
The museum is housed in the Stenhuset, an old grain store of grey stone built in 1868–1869 and classified as a K-märkt building, a Swedish heritage classification. Here Bielke’s mineral collection is shown. It is named after Count Nils Adam Bielke, president of the Bergskollegium (Board of Mines) 1782–1789, who had the collection moved to Ädelfors in 1789. After the state mining operation was closed down, the collection went to Falun, and only about two hundred years later, in 2001, did it return to Ädelfors.
The collection comprises about 7,000 objects and is displayed in cabinets with gilded details. The museum also tells the story of Vetlanda Municipality’s other closed mines and quarries, and it is one of the stops in the area around the Ädelfors mining site.
Highlights
- Bielke’s mineral collection with about 7,000 objects
- The Stenhuset from 1868–1869, a K-märkt grain store
- Mining tools, measuring instruments and mine maps
- Sweden’s first gold mine at Ädelfors
Permanent exhibitions
- Bielkes mineralsamling – About 7,000 minerals and other objects from the 18th century, shown in five cabinets alongside fossils, gemstones and curiosities.
- Gruvhantering i Ädelfors – Mining tools, measuring instruments, mine maps and a complete laboratory from the Ädelfors gold works.
- Operated by
- Vetlanda kommun (Vetlanda museum)
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum is in the village of Ädelfors, about 18 km from Vetlanda on road 47 (signposted from county road 127).
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Outside opening hours, visits and viewings can be booked by contacting the museum. |
