Utvandrarnas hus
The largest institute in the Nordic countries for emigration to North America, with exhibitions on emigration, Vilhelm Moberg and a research archive in Växjö.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Utvandrarnas hus opened in August 1968 and is the largest institute in the Nordic countries focusing on emigration to North America. The Stiftelsen Svenska Emigrantinstitutet (the Swedish Emigrant Institute Foundation) was founded in 1965 on the initiative of the county governor (landshövding) Gunnar Helén to collect and preserve archives, literature and memories from the emigration era 1846–1930, when nearly 1.3 million Swedes emigrated to the USA and Canada.
The house contains exhibitions, archives, a library and a research room, which is an important source for genealogists and emigration researchers in Sweden and abroad. Since 2015 Kulturparken Småland has run the operation and the foundation’s collections under a cooperation agreement.
The permanent exhibition Det nya landet – drömmen om Amerika (The New Land – the Dream of America) depicts the different phases of emigration from several perspectives and lets visitors meet individual emigrants. The exhibition Moberg och utvandrarna (Moberg and the Emigrants) shows Vilhelm Moberg’s authorship, with emphasis on the emigrant novels (Utvandrarromanerna), through original manuscripts, photographs and objects. The Vilhelm Moberg-sällskapet (Vilhelm Moberg Society) shares premises and archives with the Emigrant Institute.
Highlights
- Det nya landet – drömmen om Amerika (The New Land – the Dream of America)
- Moberg och utvandrarna with original manuscripts
- Research room and archive for genealogy and emigration research
- Audio guide in Swedish, English and German, and a children’s guide
- Mammornas café in the same building
Permanent exhibitions
- Det nya landet – drömmen om Amerika – Permanent exhibition on the phases of emigration, the country the emigrants left and the country they came to, with stories of individual emigrants.
- Moberg och utvandrarna – Exhibition on Vilhelm Moberg’s authorship with original manuscripts, photographs and objects, particularly the emigrant novels.
- Founded
- 1968
- Operated by
- Kulturparken Småland / Stiftelsen Svenska Emigrantinstitutet
Admission & discounts
| Adults | SEK 150 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | SEK 75Students |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 18 · Children and young people aged 0–18 have free admission. |
| Seniors | SEK 80Senior Thursday: on Thursdays admission costs SEK 80 for seniors over 65 (valid 1 October to 17 December). |
| Students & apprentices | SEK 75 |
| Groups | SEK 120 per personGroups of more than 10 people: SEK 120 per person. |
| Annual pass (valid for one year from the date of purchase) | SEK 350Free admission to Smålands museum and Utvandrarnas hus; not valid for external events or when ticket booking is required. |
| Senior Thursday (over 65, 1 October to 17 December) | SEK 80 |
The same ticket applies to Smålands museum (including Sweden’s Glass Museum) and Utvandrarnas hus.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 18 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Baby changing facilities
Children’s guide in the app to Det nya landet, with suitcases to play with and discover, free holiday activities and a toilet with a changing table. Children and young people have free admission.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Mammornas café in the same building serves Lebanese home cooking. A small museum shop with literature on emigration to America and Canada.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (SV, EN, DE) |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The audio guide to Det nya landet is in the Kulturparken Småland app in Swedish, English and German, and as a children’s guide with a quiz. The research room requires a time booking. |
