Vitlycke museum

About the museum

Vitlycke museum lies in the middle of the World Heritage area of the Tanum rock carvings in northern Bohuslän and works as a visitor and knowledge centre for the rock carvings. The museum aims to give visitors an understanding of the Bronze Age, the landscape and the pictures in the rock, and it offers activities and tours for all ages. It is run by the cultural administration of Västra Götaland Region.

In the museum’s exhibitions one meets people from the Bronze Age who have been recreated on the basis of archaeological finds, and one can see how the rock carvings were documented and interpreted more than seventy years ago. The exhibition on the Hjälmared hoard (Hjälmaredsskatten) tells of one of the country’s largest and most spectacular hoard finds from the Late Bronze Age. Behind the museum building there is a recreated Bronze Age farm with houses, cultivated fields and crafts activities.

The museum cooperates with the Svenskt hällristningsforskningsarkiv (Swedish Rock Art Research Archive), which since 2006 has digitised and long-term stored documentation of rock carvings, and with the Stiftelsen för dokumentation av Bohusläns hällristningar (Foundation for the Documentation of Bohuslän’s Rock Carvings). Guided tours to several rock-carving sites in the World Heritage area start from the museum, among them Vitlyckehällen, Litsleby, Fossum and Aspeberget.

Highlights

• The gateway to the Tanum rock carvings World Heritage site
• The Bronze Age farm behind the museum
• The exhibition on the Hjälmared hoard
• Guided tours at Vitlyckehällen and other rock faces
• The play area Båtarna (The Boats) at Vitlycke
• Café Bronze and Rock Art Shop

Permanent exhibitions

• Bilder, bronser & berättelser – A journey in time to the Bronze Age in Tanum’s World Heritage area, with five people recreated on the basis of archaeological finds.
• Bronsåldersgården – Recreated Bronze Age farm with dwellings and cultivated fields, where visitors can take part in crafts activities.
• Båtarna på Vitlycke – Interactive play area where children and adults explore the Bronze Age in Tanum and in the wider world together.

Founded

1976

Operated by

Västra Götalandsregionen, kulturförvaltningen

Visitors per year

approx. 191,152

Admission & discounts

The day ticket costs SEK 70 and gives access to the exhibitions and the Bronze Age farm. The rock carvings outdoors can be visited free of charge all year round. The shop and café are cashless (card and Swish). Guided tours outside regular opening hours cost SEK 500 per hour and staff member.

Accessibility

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

The museum has a lift (reception helps to open it) and four toilets, one of which is spacious and adapted for wheelchairs. Wheelchairs can be borrowed in the cloakroom. Vehicles can drive up to the long side of the building for drop-off. The rock carvings vary in accessibility: Litsleby (about 2 km from the museum) has ramps and information for visually impaired visitors; at Aspeberget there is accessible parking and a wheelchair can reach the first carving; Vitlyckehällen is reached via about 300 metres of gravel road with a loose and uneven surface and a moderate gradient. The path to the Bronze Age farm is gravelled, and the stone path there is uneven.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Playground / play area

The play area Båtarna (The Boats) at Vitlycke is an interactive play and experience area where children and adults explore the Bronze Age. In the Bronze Age farm visitors can take part in crafts activities. Holiday and autumn-holiday programmes are arranged, for example bread baking in the longhouse, a storytelling workshop and fire-lighting.

Getting there & parking

By car from the E6: exit 105 towards Tanumshede.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check

Café Bronze with home-baked goods, hot dishes, sandwiches, fika and ice cream, and Rock Art Shop; both have the museum’s opening hours and are cashless.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit