Gislaveds Industrimuseum

About the museum

Gislaveds Industrimuseum (Gislaved Industrial Museum) is run by a non-profit association formed in August 1998. Objects and pictures began to be collected as early as 1995, and the museum opened that same year in the Remfabriken (drive-belt factory) by the Nissan river in Gislaved.

The building on Danska vägen was built in the 1930s and replaced an older wooden building. In the belt factory, drive belts of leather were made from 1893. The leather was imported from Argentina and tanned on site, and production ceased in 1955. Afterwards the Gummifabriken (Rubber Factory) used the premises for various products. The association has rebuilt the interior with a mezzanine floor and a balcony to gain more exhibition space, with support from the EU's Leader programme.

The collections reflect business life in Gislaved and the surrounding area: rubber and tyres, technical rubber, plastics, leather, window glass, iron works, parachutes, Nissafors bruk (the Nissafors Works) and market stalls. There are also everyday objects from earlier decades and many photographs of buildings and people from the locality.

Highlights

• Collection of tyres and other rubber products made in Gislaved
• The history of the plastics industry, which began here in 1920
• Leather products such as the smålandsbörsen (Småland purse), shoes and bags
• Working crude-oil engine and other machines from Småland working life
• Paper guide with 57 information points in several languages

Permanent exhibitions

• Gummi och däck – Collection of tyres, tyre products and other rubber products made in Gislaved, including aircraft tyres from a Junkers bomber.
• Plast, läder och glas – On the plastics industry, which started in 1920; leather production, including the smålandsbörsen; and window glass from the Västbo region.

Founded

1998

Operated by

Gislaveds Industrimuseum (ideell förening)

Admission & discounts

Members of the association have free admission. School classes from Gislaved, Gnosjö, Vaggeryd and Värnamo have free admission. Paper guides in Swedish, English, German, Dutch and Danish can be borrowed at no cost.

Accessibility

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

The museum is in an old industrial building, with the exhibition on two levels, most of which is on the entrance level. The path from the street is about 20 metres long and somewhat steep. The stair lift to the mezzanine is out of order for the rest of 2026. The outer door is about 106 cm wide, and one of the three toilets is adapted, with a fold-down armrest and a changing table. An adapted visit for visually impaired visitors can be booked in advance.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

Children under 18 have free admission. There is a changing table in the adapted toilet.

Getting there & parking

The museum is centrally located in Gislaved, next to a waterfall on the Nissan. The Isabergs area is a short distance away.

Amenities & dining

Coffee, tea, cake or bread roll can be ordered in advance for groups.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 150 guests.

The premises can be rented for your own meetings and events outside opening hours. There is a conference room for 15 people with a TV screen and its own toilet, and the whole museum can be made available for up to 150 people, with a sound and picture system and access to a kitchen.

Plan your visit