Länsmuseet Gävleborg

About the museum

The activities of Länsmuseet Gävleborg (Gävleborg County Museum) began in 1933, when Philibert Humbla was employed as county curator (länsintendent) by Gästrike-Hälsinge Hembygdsförbund (Gästrike-Hälsinge Heritage Federation). In 1940 the museum opened under the name Gävle museum, after a donation from the Rettig family. The building on Södra Strandgatan 20 was designed by the town architect Sven Wranér, and the donor, Antonie Rettig, wanted it to resemble her sister's palace in Copenhagen. In 1978 the remit was widened and the museum received its present name.

The museum closed in 2016 for rebuilding and reopened in October 2017. Today it is run as a foundation working with cultural heritage and art in Gävleborg County.

The collections comprise Swedish art from the 17th century to the present, including works by Alexander Roslin, Carl Larsson and Peter Tillberg, as well as ceramics, photography, wallpapers, furniture, archaeological finds and textiles. The basic exhibitions cover the county's history, prehistory, the exhibition Bildideal (image ideals), Gefle Porslin (Gefle Porcelain) and Bo Fajans (faience), the designer Gunnar Cyrén, and the textile collection after Hedvig Ulfsparre.

Highlights

• “Historien händer här” (History Happens Here), the basic exhibition on the county's history
• Traces of life – prehistory and archaeology
• Swedish art from the 17th century to the present, including Roslin and Carl Larsson
• Gefle Porslin and Bo Fajans, and the Cyrén Hall (Cyrénsalen)
• Socker, spel och strömming (Sugar, Games and Herring) – exhibition for children about Gävle

Permanent exhibitions

• Historien händer här – Basic exhibition on the history of Gävleborg County, on floor 1.
• Spår av liv – Exhibition on floor 1 about prehistory and archaeology.
• Gefle Porslin och Bo Fajans – Exhibition on floor 2 about ceramics from two factories in the county.

Founded

1940

Operated by

Stiftelsen Länsmuseet Gävleborg

Director

Hans Öjmyr

Visitors per year

approx. 76,042 (2023)

Admission & discounts

Entry to the shop, café, fact room and the Studion exhibition space is free. Payment by card, Swish or Apple Pay; tickets are sold at the entrance or via Tickster.

Accessibility

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

Step-free entrance; ring the bell to the right of the door. A lift with voice announcements serves all floors. Accessible toilets are on the ground floor and on floor 2, with changing tables. A wheelchair can be borrowed at reception, and folding chairs can be borrowed for the exhibitions. There is an induction loop (hörselslinga) in the lecture hall on floor 2, and during tours a digital guide system is used for hearing-aid users. Two accessible parking spaces are in the yard in front of the museum.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Baby changing facilities

The museum has a children's and family section, and the exhibition Socker, spel och strömming (Sugar, Games and Herring) for children.

Getting there & parking

From Gävle central station it is about a three-minute walk.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

Café and museum shop are next to the entrance hall. An unattended cloakroom and lockable storage boxes are on the ground floor; backpacks and large bags must be left there. In the café, children's chairs, high chairs and a microwave oven can be borrowed.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit