Kettelviks stenmuseum
Open-air museum at Kettelvik near Hoburgen on the work of stonemasons and Gotland sandstone, with free admission and the chance to try carving stone.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Kettelviks stenmuseum lies by the coast road towards Hoburgen on southern Gotland and shows how stonemasons worked when the sandstone was still quarried by hand. When the stone industry was mechanised, most of the traditional masons disappeared, and the museum aims to preserve the memory of their working environment and of what they created with simple wooden mallets and chisels.
Work on the museum began in 1987, when Jan Kviberg of Gotlandsbrynet took over the quarry of the well-known stonemason John Larsson, a so-called kula (quarry), which had then been in use for just over fifty years. The equipment is authentic: half a boat that served as wind and sun shelter, cranes that were used south of Burgsvik as late as the 1950s, and a windmill-driven piston pump for pumping water out of the quarry.
The exhibition is in two rooms. One shows the history of the grindstone, the other shows photographs from the masons’ albums, together with tools and objects in sandstone. Visitors can try shaping stone themselves with a mallet and chisel. The museum is run privately by Gotlandsbrynet, and entry is free; groups can book visits.
Highlights
- Authentic quarry (kula) with the masons’ equipment
- Half a boat as wind and sun shelter
- Windmill-driven piston pump
- Exhibition on the history of grindstones and the masons’ photo albums
- Trial carving of sandstone with mallet and chisel
Permanent exhibition
- Stenhuggarnas arbetsmiljö – Exhibition in two rooms on the history of grindstones and photographs from the masons’ albums, with tools and objects in sandstone.
- Founded
- 1987
- Operated by
- Gotlandsbrynet
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Entry is free of charge.
Accessibility
Current opening hours are not published on the website; the museum is open seasonally.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Hands-on stations
Visitors can try shaping stone with a mallet and chisel.
Getting there & parking
Current opening hours are not published on the website; the museum is open seasonally.
Amenities & dining
Current opening hours are not published on the website; the museum is open seasonally.
Events & venue rental
Current opening hours are not published on the website; the museum is open seasonally.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Groups can book visits and buy the museum’s products through Gotlandsbrynet. |
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