Göteborgs Naturhistoriska museum

About the museum

The Gothenburg Natural History Museum was founded on 31 October 1833 by Kungl. Vetenskaps- och Vitterhets-Samhället i Göteborg (the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg), with the chairman Olof Fåhræus as its driving force. From 1835 the museum had premises in the Ostindiska huset (East India House).

The present building in Slottsskogen, on a hill above Linnéplatsen, was inaugurated on 8 July 1923 and designed by the architect Ernst Torulf. The dioramas of Swedish natural environments, made by Olof Gylling over roughly ten years, have remained largely untouched since. One of the museum’s best-known exhibits is the Malmska valen (Malmska Whale), a young blue whale that stranded in Askimsviken outside Gothenburg in 1865 and which visitors can sometimes walk into.

Since 1999 the museum has belonged to Västra Götaland Region. The exhibitions include, among others, the Däggdjurssalen (Mammal Hall), the Valsalen (Whale Hall), renovated in 2021, the Fågelgallerierna (Bird Galleries) and Livets historia och myllrande mångfald (The History of Life and Its Teeming Diversity), with fossils and a dinosaur skeleton.

Highlights

• Malmska valen, the blue whale skeleton from 1865
• The dioramas of Swedish natural environments from 1923
• Däggdjurssalen, with everything from elephants to hazel dormice
• Livets historia with a dinosaur skeleton
• The Bird Galleries

Permanent exhibitions

• Valsalen – Valhall, renovated in 2021, with new sections on the evolution of whales and the biological diversity of the oceans.
• Däggdjurssalen – Land-living mammals, from the large African elephants to the small hazel dormice.
• Livets historia och myllrande mångfald – The history of the Earth and the development of life over 3.8 billion years, with fossils, insects, butterflies, cephalopods and a dinosaur skeleton.

Founded

1833

Operated by

Västra Götalandsregionen

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for holders of ICOM or Sveriges museer cards. The exhibition Djuren i staden (Animals in the City) requires a timed booking, which is made on the same day at the museum.

Accessibility

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

All exhibitions can be reached by lift, and a wheelchair can be borrowed. An accessible toilet is at the entrance, signs have Braille, and the lecture hall has a hearing loop. Disabled parking is next to the entrance. Guide dogs and assistance dogs are welcome; other pets are not.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Playground / play area: not available

The museum runs family programmes, for example for families with neuropsychiatric conditions (NPF). There is no playroom. Pushchairs may not be taken into the exhibitions and are parked on the entrance level. Children under 12 must always be accompanied by an adult.

Getting there & parking

The Västlänk construction affects traffic in central Gothenburg.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

Café Malmska Valen on the entrance level serves hot food. Picnic areas are available. Free Wi-Fi (VGR Publikt). Lockers on the entrance level; large bags and backpacks may not be taken into the exhibitions, and food and drink are not allowed there.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit