Upplandsmuseet

About the museum

Upplandsmuseet is the county museum for Uppsala County and is housed in the Akademikvarnen on Kvarnholmen in the River Fyrisån in central Uppsala. The mill building dates from the 1760s. The museum was founded in 1909 and grew out of the work of Upplands fornminnesförening (the Uppland antiquarian association). It moved into the Akademikvarnen and opened there in 1959. Since 1993 Region Uppsala, together with the antiquarian association, has had the main responsibility for the museum.

The museum took over the open-air museum Disagården in 1970 and received Gamla Uppsala museum in 2022. The collections comprise about 800,000 objects, of which 600,000 are archaeological finds, and more than 1.5 million photographic objects from the 1860s onwards. They were moved to a store in Morgongåva in 2001. Besides its exhibitions, the museum carries out research and archaeological investigations.

The main exhibition, UPPLEV!, tells the history of Uppland from prehistoric times to today, and the exhibition Tiden i rummet shows the county’s ancient past. For the youngest there is the playful exhibition Lilla Kvarn. In addition, the professor’s home in Walmstedtska gården is shown on selected occasions, including at Christmas.

Highlights

• UPPLEV! – the history of Uppland from prehistory to today
• Tiden i rummet on the ancient past of Uppland
• Lilla Kvarn – play exhibition for children aged 0–6
• The Akademikvarnen from the 1760s by the River Fyrisån
• Free admission for children and young people up to and including 19

Permanent exhibitions

• UPPLEV! Tid, tankar och ting i Uppland – The museum’s main exhibition on the history of Uppland from prehistoric times to the present.
• Tiden i rummet – An exhibition on the ancient past of Uppland that invites visitors to meet the county’s prehistory.
• Lilla Kvarn – An interactive play exhibition for children between 0 and 6 years old.

Founded

1909

Operated by

Stiftelsen Upplandsmuseet

Visitors per year

approx. 110,128 (2017)

Admission & discounts

General guided tours are included in the admission but may require a place to be booked via Billetto. School programmes are free of charge for preschool, primary school, upper secondary school and adult education, Tuesday–Friday; university groups pay SEK 700.

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 museum publishes an accessibility statement (PDF) on its website.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Playground / play area

Lilla Kvarn is an interactive play exhibition for children aged 0–6, and the family trail UPP-täckaren follows the exhibition on the history of Uppland. The museum offers family-friendly weekend programmes (Upplev, Lek & Lär) and activities during the autumn holiday. Children and young people up to and including 19 have free admission.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

A simple café and the museum shop are on the ground floor.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

A lecture hall can be hired for conferences and talks; enquiries via the museum’s contact page.

Plan your visit