Sveriges Fängelsemuseum
Prison museum in two old prisons in Gävle about punishment, prison life and Joe Hill.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Sveriges Fängelsemuseum (Sweden's Prison Museum) is located in two old prison buildings by Gävle Castle (Gävle slott). The Slottshäktet (Castle Lock-up) is the oldest part and was used to hold people awaiting trial or sentence. Beneath the building there is an underground cell from 1553, the site's first prison.
The Länscellfängelset (County Cellular Prison), which is called Gamla fängelset (The Old Prison) or Hotell Hamilton, was built in 1847 to designs by Carl Fredrik Hjelm and was based on the principle of cellular imprisonment with total silence and isolation. It was in use until 1986, when it was nicknamed Sveriges vänligaste fängelse (Sweden's friendliest prison). The building was declared a protected building in 1998 and was restored thereafter.
The association Fängelsemuseet i Gävle (Gävle Prison Museum) was formed in 2001 by local heritage enthusiasts and linked the two buildings into one museum. The permanent exhibitions deal with public punishment and corporal punishment, and with the emergence of the cellular prison. On the ground floor of Gamla fängelset there is also the Joe Hill Visitor Center, about the trade union activist and singer who was born in Gävle.
Highlights
- Slottshäktet with an underground cell from 1553
- Hotell Hamilton, a cellular prison from 1847 in use until 1986
- The exhibition “Androm till skräck och varnagel” (As a Deterrent and Warning) on pillories and corporal punishment
- Joe Hill Visitor Center on the ground floor
- Audio guide in Swedish and English, and many objects to touch
Permanent exhibitions
- Androm till skräck och varnagel – The exhibition in the Slottshäktet, from 1732, deals with public pillory and corporal punishment and shows an underground cell from 1553.
- Hotell Hamilton – The exhibition covers the 19th-century prison reform, with cellular imprisonment, isolation around the clock and silence for up to two years.
- Joe Hill Visitor Center – The visitor centre on the ground floor tells of Joe Hill, born in Gävle in 1879 and executed in Utah in 1915.
- Founded
- 2001
- Operated by
- Föreningen Fängelsemuseet i Gävle
Admission & discounts
| Adults | SEK 90 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | SEK 60Students |
| Children & teens | SEK 40free up to age 7 · Children and young people aged 8–19 pay SEK 40; children under 8 enter free of charge. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –Companions do not enter free of charge; the museum suggests asking your municipality about compensation for the companion's costs. |
| Students & apprentices | SEK 60 |
| Groups | –Group rates are available. Tours cost extra on top of admission, for example SEK 750–1,250 on weekdays and SEK 1,500–2,500 in the evenings and at weekends, depending on the format. |
| Families | SEK 140One adult with two children. |
The museum is cashless. Visits to the Joe Hill Visitor Center are free; guided visits there carry a guide fee.
Accessibility
- Partially 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
The exhibitions are in historic prison buildings, which limits access for wheelchairs, rollators, mobility scooters and pushchairs. Gamla fängelset has a lift, handrails on the stairs and an accessible toilet; the thresholds into the cells are about 5 cm. The Slottshäktet has neither a lift nor a toilet: there are five steps, with a ramp at the side, and the ceiling height is 193 cm. A limited number of stretchers (bärselar) can be borrowed. Many objects can be touched. An accessible parking space is inside the grounds behind Gamla fängelset, with access from Timmermansgatan, and requires a parking permit.
Kids & families
Only partly suitable for kids
| Time needed | approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 7 |
| Family ticket | SEK 140 · One adult with two children. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Baby changing facilities
The museum suits children, but some elements, such as sound effects and realistic scenes with dolls, may be frightening. Children under 8 enter free of charge, and a family ticket is available. During school holidays children's tours and scavenger hunts are arranged. Visitors with neuropsychiatric needs can contact the museum about adaptations, for example visits outside opening hours.
Getting there & parking
By car
Paid parking
Cars can be parked outside the prison wall on Hamiltongatan, with payment through the Parkster app. If the spaces are full, there is the Slottstorgets parkering at the corner of Hamiltongatan and S. Kungsgatan. Coaches park outside the wall on Timmermansgatan and need a permit.
- Accessible parking
The museum is in central Gävle, south of the Gavleån river, by Gävle Castle.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
Toilets are in Gamla fängelset (one accessible toilet with a changing table, and other toilets on the ground floor). The Slottshäktet has no toilet. Dogs may not be taken into the buildings because of allergies, except guide dogs.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (SV, EN) |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | A visit takes about an hour; allow 15–20 minutes per exhibition, plus the walk between the two buildings. A guided tour lasts 1–1.5 hours and is optional. Tours, city walks and lectures are booked by telephone or e-mail. Schools are offered tours for all school years, including digitally. |
