Pythagoras industrimuseum
Preserved hot-bulb engine factory from 1898 in Norrtälje, with a machine hall, business offices, a workers’ dwelling, a café and a large play hall for children.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Pythagoras motor factory was founded in Norrtälje in 1898 by some young men with inventors’ dreams. In time a new management took over, and the factory became Norrtälje’s largest workplace. Machine tools were made there and, above all, hot-bulb engines (tändkulemotorer), which were shipped all over the world. Operations continued until the mid-1960s, and after that the factory fell into decay.
In the 1980s there were plans to demolish the factory and build housing, but a group of enthusiasts formed the association Pythagoras Vänner (Friends of Pythagoras) and succeeded in saving it. Today the factory is in an almost untouched state: the whole production line is still there, from the office with drawings and archive materials to the machine hall. Lathes and milling machines turn, the belt transmission clatters in the ceiling, and the hot-bulb engines thump during the tours.
The site also includes the business office, a workers’ dwelling from the 1940s with a kitchen alcove (kökstäppa), Kafé Smedjan in the old forge and Barnens Pythagoras (Children’s Pythagoras) in the former test-running hall. The museum is run by Stiftelsen Motorfabriken Pythagoras (the Pythagoras Motor Factory Foundation), which was formed in 1992 by the association Pythagoras Vänner and Norrtälje municipality.
Highlights
- Preserved hot-bulb engine factory with working lathes and belt transmission
- Hot-bulb engines that thump during the tours
- Business office with its original interior
- Workers’ dwelling from the 1940s with a kitchen alcove
- Barnens Pythagoras, a play hall of about 500 square metres
- Audio guide with lathe operator Jansson
Permanent exhibitions
- Fabriken – The preserved motor factory with machine hall, workshop and business office shows the production of hot-bulb engines and machines during the tours.
- Barnens Pythagoras – Play hall in the factory’s old test-running hall, with the family exhibition Om människor och maskiners magi (On the Magic of People and Machines) about the factory’s history.
- Founded
- 1992
- Operated by
- Stiftelsen Motorfabriken Pythagoras
Admission & discounts
| Adults | SEK 140 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | SEK 120Pensioners and students |
| Children & teens | SEK 80free up to age 3 · SEK 80 for children who have turned 4. |
| Seniors | SEK 120Pensioners |
| Students & apprentices | SEK 120Students |
| Groups | SEK 150 per personBooked guided tour: SEK 150 per person, with a minimum charge of SEK 2,250 on weekdays before 16:00, SEK 3,000 on weekdays after 16:00 and SEK 3,750 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The booking is binding; if it is cancelled, half the amount is charged. |
| Annual pass, adult | SEK 350Valid for the calendar year and regular opening hours |
| Annual pass, pensioner | SEK 300 |
| Annual pass, child | SEK 200 |
The prices apply during regular opening hours.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description
The museum consists of an old factory and a workers’ dwelling, and there are occasional high, unmarked thresholds and low wooden duckboards in front of the machines. The workers’ dwelling has a ramp, but the house is cramped. From the factory to Barnens Pythagoras you must use stairs; otherwise you can go round through the back yard. There is no lift. There is an adapted toilet with a patient hoist, changing table and shower. The website has audio files with audio description and easy-to-listen material to hear before the visit. From Norrtälje konsthall on Galles gränd there is a lift and a walkway ramp (floor 4) to the museum.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 3 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Baby changing facilities
- Playground / play area
- Kids’ birthday parties
Barnens Pythagoras is a play hall of almost 500 square metres where children can learn about technology and mechanics, change into work coats and clock in, experiment, and send messages with speaking tubes and a telegraph key. The hall can be hired for children’s parties, and there is an audio guide for children. A changing table is in the adapted toilet.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Gustavslund
From the E18, take the bus to the Gustavslund stop; from there walk via Stockholmsvägen, Rodengatan, Lennart Torstenssons väg and Verkstadsgatan. From Norrtälje centre, take the lift in Norrtälje konsthall on Galles gränd to floor 4 and follow the walkway ramp to the museum.
By car
Parking available
Parking in the factory yard (limited during the summer season) and in Norrtälje centre. Disabled parking is available on presentation of a permit.
The museum is on Södra Bergen, a short walk from Norrtälje centre, and is signposted with brown-and-white signs from Stockholmsvägen.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Kafé Smedjan in the factory’s old forge is open when the museum is open. The museum shop sells, among other things, jewellery, trays with motifs from the picture archive, books and toys. Meetings and conferences can be booked.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Corporate events
Meetings, conferences and group exercises can be booked in the museum setting.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (SV, EN) |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours for groups are booked on +46 176 100 50. School programmes take about one hour and hold 20–25 pupils. Large parts of the museum are unheated, so dressing for the weather is recommended, especially in spring and autumn. A map for finding your way between the buildings can be borrowed on site. |
