Skalbanksmuseet

About the museum

Skalbanksmuseet is run by Bohusläns museum and lies on a hill by the Kuröd shell banks just outside Uddevalla. The museum opened in 1998 and tells of the shell banks, which consist of mussel shells from the Ice Age and are more than 10,000 years old. Remains of, among others, whales, seals and polar bears have been found in the bank.

The shell banks have been known for a long time. Carl von Linné visited the site in 1746, and the shell collections shown by the museum were donated by Robert Thorburn in the late 19th century. Since 2010 the area has been part of the Kuröd nature reserve, which was formed from three earlier reserves.

In the museum there are shell collections, models and an animation showing how the inland ice melted and the land rose. Also displayed are stuffed day and night butterflies, original watercolors of the district’s plants, and accounts of the motocross races held here in the 1950s and 1960s. The Skalgrusslingan (shell-gravel loop), about 2 km long, starts at the museum and partly follows the Bohusleden.

Highlights

• Shell collections from the shell banks at Kuröd
• Models and animation on the melting of the inland ice and the land uplift
• Stuffed day and night butterflies
• Original watercolors of the district’s plants
• Skalgrusslingan, about 2 km, with a view over Byfjorden
• The shell banks are accessible even when the museum is closed

Permanent exhibition

• Skalbanksmuseets basutställning – Shell collections, models and an animation on the melting of the inland ice and the land uplift, butterflies and watercolors of the district’s plants.

Founded

1998

Operated by

Bohusläns museum

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

The website states free admission.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• 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: no information

The accessibility of the museum and the shell banks is described in the Tillgänglighetsdatabasen (Accessibility Database, t-d.se). The Skalgrusslingan is hilly.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations

Children can borrow butterfly nets at the museum and investigate how many butterfly species they find on the shell banks.

Getting there & parking

The Skalgrusslingan, a marked loop of about 2 km, starts at the museum and partly follows the Bohusleden.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available

Toilet available for visitors. No café at the museum.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit