Flygvapenmuseum

About the museum

Flygvapenmuseum is at the military airfield Malmen in Malmslätt, where Sweden's first flying school started in 1912. When the Swedish Air Force was formed in 1926, the wing at Malmen began building up a collection of aircraft and equipment, and with the help of local companies it grew into an aviation history archive. A first storehouse in the Ryd district was opened to the public in 1967.

The museum became a state museum, and the first exhibition hall at Malmen was inaugurated by King Carl XVI Gustaf on 8 March 1984. A second hall was added in 1989. After the wreck of the DC-3 that was shot down over the Baltic Sea in 1952 had been found and salvaged, the museum was greatly expanded, and it was reopened in 2010 with more than 6,000 square metres of public space.

Today the museum shows the development of military aviation from the pioneer era to the age of jet aircraft and the Cold War, with aircraft, engines, uniforms and personal stories. The collection comprises about 55,000 objects, most of which are kept in storage. Since 2026 the museum has been part of the agency Statens museer för maritim-, transport- och försvarshistoria (Swedish National Museums of Maritime, Transport and Defence History).

Highlights

• Flygfärdig – an exhibition on the first decades of Swedish military aviation
• The salvaged DC-3 in the exhibition Hemliga handlingar (Secret Documents)
• Om kriget kommer (If War Comes) – Sweden during the Cold War
• The Flyglabbet science centre with a JAS 39 Gripen E simulator
• Galleri Döderhultarn with wooden sculptures by Döderhultarn
• Leklanda, the children's play area with pedal aircraft

Permanent exhibitions

• Flygfärdig – det svenska flygvapnet tar form – The exhibition follows Swedish military aviation from the pioneers and the founding of the Air Force to the arrival of jet aircraft, with aircraft, portraits of people and interactive elements.
• Hemliga handlingar – DC-3:an som försvann – The salvaged wreck of the DC-3 that was shot down in 1952 is shown together with finds from the seabed and the stories of relatives' search for the truth.
• Science centret Flyglabbet – Experiment stations and flight simulators about air and flight, including a JAS 39 Gripen E simulator.

Founded

1984

Operated by

Statens museer för maritim-, transport- och försvarshistoria (SMMTF)

Visitors per year

approx. 205,089

Admission & discounts

Adults SEK 120 from 1 September to 31 May and SEK 150 from 1 June to 31 August. Free admission to the shop, the restaurant, the archive and the library. Members of ÖFS and holders of the Kulturarvskortet pay half price. The museum is cashless (card payment). A receipt from Flygvapenmuseum gives 50% off admission to Östergötlands museum. The flight simulators cost extra.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The whole building is free of thresholds, and lifts reach all floors (door width 130 cm). Two wheelchairs and a rollator can be borrowed without advance booking. Two disabled parking spaces at the entrance. Induction loop for tours on request; magnifying glasses and a torch can be borrowed at reception. Maps with picture support (Bliss and Widgit) are available. Tours can be adapted for visual impairment or interpreted into sign language. The Gripen simulator can be used from a wheelchair. Dogs may not be brought in, except guide and assistance dogs.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area
• Kids’ birthday parties

Leklanda, the play area with pedal aircraft, the Flyglabbet science centre, the characters Drakel and Viggo, the club Flygspanarna (from preschool class to year 6), and children's parties. Changing tables are at the Flyglabbet, in the accessible toilet at the entrance and in the restaurant. A stroller can be borrowed. Parts of the exhibitions deal with war and weapons and can feel frightening.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in Malmslätt, about seven kilometres west of Linköping city centre. From the E4 take exit 111 and follow the brown signs.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Coat check

Restaurang Aviatören serves lunch 11:00–14:00, as well as ice cream, coffee and fika pastries. A packed-lunch area with a microwave in the Flyglabbet. Museum shop with books, model kits and toys.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

A conference centre with the lecture hall The Saab Wing, the Ordersalen and the Heinerstam room, and dinners and events in the museum's premises (including Christmas buffets, weddings and corporate mingling).

Plan your visit