Joe Hill-gården
Joe Hill's childhood home in Gamla Gävle, now a museum with exhibitions about the IWW, his songs and his life.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The house at Nedre Bergsgatan 28 in Gamla Gävle dates from the 1700s and is a protected building. The Hägglund family bought it in 1880. The father died seven years later and left the mother with six children. When the mother died in 1902, the siblings sold the house, and Joel Hägglund, who became known as Joe Hill, emigrated to the USA the same year.
The trade union SAC Syndikalisterna (the Swedish syndicalist union) bought the farm in 1969, and its local branch in Gävle has its offices in the house. The museum is run by the non-profit association Joe Hill-sällskapet (the Joe Hill Society), which has links to SAC, and is staffed by volunteers.
In the museum the exhibitions tell of Joe Hill's life and of the labour movement. Visitors can also see how the home was furnished in the Hägglund family's time, and in the garden there is a summer stage and a café.
Highlights
- Joe Hill's childhood home from the 1700s in Gamla Gävle
- The IWW room about the organisation's history and the word sabotage
- Music room with Joe Hill's songs in a setting resembling a freight wagon
- Copy of Joe Hill's will, “My Last Will”
- Garden café and summer stage
Permanent exhibitions
- IWW-rummet – The room tells the story of the Industrial Workers of the World, including how the word sabotage arose and the wooden clog as a symbol of trade union resistance.
- Musikrummet – Joe Hill's songs are played in a seating group resembling a freight wagon, and the IWW's songbook tradition is presented.
- Hemmet och övervåningen – The rooms are furnished in the style of the Hägglund family; upstairs the last days of Joe Hill are told, and an enlarged copy of his will is displayed.
- Operated by
- Joe Hill-sällskapet
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
A small café serves coffee and chocolate balls, in winter in a room indoors and in summer in the garden. At reception there is a small museum shop with a bookshop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
