Marinmuseum

About the museum

The Marinmuseum traces its origins to 1752, when King Adolf Fredrik established the navy’s model chamber in Karlskrona to collect ship models and drawings. The collections grew over the centuries and were for a long time displayed in older premises on Stumholmen.

The present museum opened on 28 June 1997 in a building on a long pier out into the water. The Marinmuseum is part of the state agency Statens museer för maritim-, transport- och försvarshistoria (State Museums of Maritime, Transport and Defence History), and its displays tell the story of the navy from the time of Gustav Vasa to the present day.

The main building houses the Galjonshallen with a large collection of figureheads, a shipwreck from 1684, the Modellkammaren and the Ubåtshallen, where Sweden’s first submarine, the Hajen, stands alongside the submarine Neptun, which visitors can board. Outside, the museum ships lie at the quay, together with the old sloop and launch shed from the 18th century. The museum is located in Örlogsstaden Karlskrona (the Naval Port of Karlskrona), which is a World Heritage Site.

Highlights

• The Galjonshallen with a unique collection of figureheads from Swedish warships
• The Ubåtshallen with the submarines Hajen and Neptun
• The Vraktunneln (wreck tunnel) with a shipwreck from 1684
• Museum ships Jarramas, Bremön and Västervik at the quay
• The Kanondäcket (gun deck) about the naval battle in the Gulf of Finland in 1790
• The sloop and launch shed from the 18th century

Permanent exhibitions

• Skepp & folk – Örlogsstaden Karlskrona – The exhibition follows life in Karlskrona from the 17th century to the present and shows the path from oak to ship in the World Heritage Site Örlogsstaden.
• Ubåtshallen – Over one hundred years of submarine history are shown here, with the submarines Hajen and Neptun; visitors can go aboard the Neptun.
• Galjonshallen – A unique collection of figureheads that once adorned Swedish warships.

Founded

1997

Operated by

Statens museer för maritim-, transport- och försvarshistoria

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission for everyone on Wednesdays in low season (October–April).

Adults SEK 110, except June–August, when it is SEK 170. Holders of the Kulturarvskortet (cultural heritage card) receive a 50 percent discount on the admission price. School classes with prior registration have free admission. The museum is cashless: payment is by card or Swish (mobile payment).

Accessibility

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

The ground-floor entrance has no steps or thresholds. Lifts run between the two floors, and accessible toilets are located by the information desk. Manual wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge (they cannot be reserved in advance), a hearing loop is installed in the lecture hall, and accessible parking spaces are available at the main entrance. The museum ships and the submarine Neptun have limited accessibility, and the sloop and launch shed has sloping floors. The audio guide is also available in sign language.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

The family guide describes activities for the whole family: the Sjömansverkstaden (sailors’ workshop) for creative activities on level 2, the Knopboden (knot loft) where children practise sailors’ knots, museum bingo and quizzes from the entrance hall, and interactive stations in the Ubåtshallen with periscopes, sonar and submarine games. Changing facilities are at the main entrance, children’s chairs can be borrowed in the restaurant, and pushchairs may be taken into the exhibitions but not aboard the ships.

Getting there & parking

From the E22, follow the through road toward the town centre and turn left onto Östra Hamngatan at the guest harbour. On foot, walk from Stortorget down Kyrkogatan to the bridge over to Stumholmen.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

Restaurant Bistro Skeppsgossen with a lunch and salad buffet, and a café; packed-lunch room on level 2. Free Wi-Fi throughout the museum. Lockers for smaller bags are available in the cloakroom.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

The conference rooms Hörsalen and Vapenrummet can be booked, with meals from Bistro Skeppsgossen.

Plan your visit