Things to See and Do

Holidays by Destination Europe Sweden Stockholm Things to See and Do 

The Main Areas

The city is based on 14 islands between a fresh water lake and the Baltic Sea. The main areas are
Gamla Stan the old, medieval town and home to the Royal Palace.
Sodermalm the one-time working class area, now rather fashionable with quirkier shops and restaurants
Norrmalm the main shopping area, just north of Gamla Stan
Ostermalm to the east of Norrmalm, the smarter part of town, dating back to the 19th century
Vasastaden north of Norrmalm, early 20th century buildings and smaller, more specialist shops and restaurants.
Kungsholmen west of Norrmalm, another island described as popular with the young and successful.
Skeppsholmen a one-time naval base, an island immediately east of Gamla Stan, home to a number of big museums and with good views across to the city.
Djurgarden a green space east of Skeppsholmen, home to the Skansen and Vasa Museums.

For Children

Gr?na Lunds Tivoli classic fun-fair rides in summer with roller coaster, dodgems and tombola stalls, plus the odd hair-raising alternative.
Junibacken, (Junedale), in effect a small, indoor theme park for little children, based on the stories of Sweden's favourite author, Astrid Lindgren. The best known character is Pippi Longstocking (worth acquainting children with in advance - her gentle anarchy generally goes down well), plus others. A story train takes visitors above the roofs of Stockholm on a trip through the stories (narrated in six languages), there are shows such as a puppet theatre or fairytale figures brought to life, plus a caf?, designed to look like an old village store (heavy on sweets), and children can play in a version of Pippi Longstocking's house Villekulla Cottages, trying on clothes, sliding down slides, playing hopscotch, and climbing on to a wooden model of Alfonso her horse. Next to the caf? is a mechanically themed play area with tools and model plan, boat etc to sit in, plus computer screens.
There are regular Swedish language performances for children at Dramaten, the Toy Museum, the International Puppet Theatre Museum, Stadsteatern, Titutt, Teater Pero and Pygm?teatern. See the daily press.

Museums

Stockholm boasts no less than 70 museums so the following is just a selection of those which might best interest families. Increasing numbers have specific areas for children, others simply organise activities at weekends and school holidays such as a related talk (in Swedish) followed by activities.

Skansen an open air museum of Swedish rural life, founded in 1891, and including 150 farmhouses and other buildings going back five centuries from across the country. There is more going on in summer but there should be daily activities year round, including hosts dressed in period costume explaining how people used to live in the buildings originally, and demonstrating trades such as glassblowing and printing. There are areas for children to run around in, including a children's play area. Even the food is themed to fit and it is refreshingly uncommercialised and rough round the edges. There is also a zoo (see also).
Tekniska Museet (Science and Technology Museum) includes sections on electric phenomena, mechanical engineering, chemistry, machinery, forestry (a big industry here) and more. There is plenty of hands on stuff and a hands on section specifically for children. Labels are in Swedish so a knowledge of science would be useful to be able to guess what to do, otherwise the staff are happy to help. The connected telephone museum is mostly about the development of telecommunications in Sweden but the children's section includes a chance to wire up a phone using the diagrams provided - with help if required.
Closing in April but well designed is a show on the physics of Star Trek. For this you can borrow an English language guide.
The National Museum of Fine Arts includes works by names like El Greco, Gaugin, Rembrandt and Gainsborough, plus Swedish artists from the 16th to 20th century. These include classic images from Carl Larson's collection of Our Home showing his family including children, and illustrations of Astrid Lindgren books. There is a fine collection of 20th century Scandinavian design.
The Toy Museum Toys including dolls, model railways and including a playroom and children's theatre downstairs. There are a lot of stairs and it not permitted to touch the displays but there are regular conjuring shows.
The Music Museum Allows children the chance to try out a range of instruments ‘carefully', including simpler drum and stringed instruments but also an electric guitar and drum kit. Also fun is a chance to see sound waves on screen for example as registered from a microphone you talk into.
The Vasa Museum The Vasa was a man-of-war built when Sweden was a world power. The ship sank in Stockholm Harbour on its maiden voyage in 1628 and was discovered 333 years later and brought back to the surface. The 64 cannon vessel housed in a fine, purpose-built museum is a memorable sight and the surrounding nine exhibitions intriguing. Staff dressed in period costume offer an opportunity to steer the great ship on a computer screen. There are English language tours and notes.
Nordiska Museet The National Museum of Cultural History has a playroom designed as a children's museum, set up as a late 19th-century Swedish farm, allowing children to dress up in period clothes and trying out the tasks that children had to do in those days such as visiting the well, milking the cows, feeding a horse, riding the wagon and more.
Historiska Museet (The Museum of National Antiquities). This includes an exhibition on the Vikings which studiously presents only facts, not interpretations but would be of interest to children who already know something of the history, including items from Birka (see also) with an exhibition divided into ‘Power and Sovereignty', ‘Farm and Town' and ‘Heathens and Christians'. A children's ‘Treasure Chamber' organises related hands on activities for a charge of 20kr. In a bunker underneath the museum is one of Europe's leading collections of gold treasure. All finds come from Sweden, and include a striking Viking helmet, along with golden collars from the fifth and sixth centuries, jewellery, clasps, buckles, and coins.
Medelhavsmuseet The Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities includes impressive Egyptian items, including mummies, and earlier bronze weapons, tools and domestic objects.
Marionettmuseet The Puppet Theatre Museum Includes exhibitions for both children and adults.
Postmuseum Allows children to play postmen and postwomen in a child-size post office.
Sp?rv?gsmuseet The Transport Musem allows visitors to have a go at driving a bus.

Out and About

Changing of the Guard takes place at the Royal Palace at 12.10 p.m.(1.10 p.m. on Sundays).
Humleg?rden One of Stockholm's biggest and most attractive parks with plenty of room for play. The park is close to some of the major shopping streets and has become a popular meeting-place for young parents and offspring.
Kungstr?dsg?rden An elongated town square used as a venue for events year round and in winter with skating to modern and classical music on the ice rink created in November. Popular, especially on Sundays, you can hire skates at the rink.
Stortorget the main square of Gamla Stan, is the place to find buskers in summer, next to the 18th century buildings.
Frozen lakes around the city also offer great skating for the more experienced, for example between Vasterbron and Langholmen island, and in the Djurgardsbrunnsviken channel next to Djurgarden.
Vilda Vanadis An aquapark with exhilarating rides and various pools for children and adults alike.
Boat Trips Between the 14 islands, plus sailing and canoeing (see Getting Around).
Beaches Unlike most capitals, you are actually safe swimming in the water here. Beach options include Smedsuddenbadet on Ostermalm with wide lawns and sandy beaches, at one end of the Ralambshovsparken (park). Djurgardsbrunnsviken is another popular swimming area, on Djurgarden, or Langhomens Strandbad, near the old prison youth hostel.

Vikings

Given that the Vikings are covered in the British National Curriculum, the Viking history makes the destination of particular interest to British families. The following are the main places of interest.

Birka A Viking site on the island of Bjorko, Sweden's first city (busiest in the 10th century) and a UNESCO World Heritage site, with one of the world's largest archaeological excavations. Boats depart in summer from Stadshuskajen near City Hall. A museum shows items dug up as well as scale models of the harbour and craftsmen's quarters
Museum of National Antiquities (see Museums)
Sigtuna Anno 1,000 Stora Gatan, Sigtuna In the country's oldest living town, a museum recreatingeveryday Viking life in Sweden and the Sigtuna of the eleventh century. It is based on the large Sigtuna excavation.
Gunnes G?rd Upplands V?sby A Viking manor with dwelling house and animal house showing how the Vikings lived with their animals, handicrafts, cooking and agriculture. Open summer only.
Gerl?gs Runa Viking play performed during the summer months on the island of Adels? (near Birka) that seeks to provide a realistic depiction of Viking life. The plot is based on an inscription about a Viking woman named Gerl?g on a rune stone at Hillersj? G?rd on Adels?.
Rune stones and other ancient monuments The most central rune stone is at the junction of K?kbrinken and Pr?stgatan in Gamla Stan. The words "Torsten and Fr?gun raised this stone in memory of their son" are inscribed in runic characters on a stone in the wall of a building.

Animals and Nature

The Royal Stables with the King's horses and royal coaches with weekly guided tours.
Skansen zoo, includes more than 70 species of animal from Scandinavia, both domesticated and wild including elk, reindeer, brown bears, wolves, lynxes and wolverines. (Note that in winter the bears are in hibernation.) At 2pm daily the animals are fed from a horse-drawn cart, starting with the wolverines There is Lill-Skansen petting zoo for young children in the summer, and a terrarium with snakes and crocodiles.
Fjarils & Fagel Hustet Butterfly House is in the Royal Haga Park, a distance to the north of the city.
The Fj?derholmarna islands Home to a children's theatre, the archipelago aquarium with Nordic fish, and a mini-farm, reached in summer by boat.
Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet The Museum of Natural History has stuffed animals from the Nordic region as well as lions, zebras and elephants etc. The museum also houses Cosmonova, a cinema showing IMAX films of swimming among sharks, walking with dinosaurs, or flying across the Grand Canyon (unsuitable for under 5s and booking is advised).
Aquaria Vattenmuseum includes areas with different fish including rain forest, mangrove swamp, coral reef, mountain streams, Baltic sea plus a look in the swers and the effects of acid rain and nutrient overload.

Other

Kakn?s Tower is 155 meters high with a stomach churning lift to wizz visitors to the top in just 30 seconds. There is a restaurant at the top.
The Royal Palace Renaissance in style and including a Treasury with plenty of jewel-filled crowns, and the Armoury with not just suits of armour but carriages and costumes.
The Ice Gallery in Gamla Stan, a 3-D advertisement for the famous Ice Hotel, built from ice from the north of Sweden and featuring ice sculptures which change every few months. The Gallery is -6?C so visitors are given ponchos and fur gloves when they go in. There is a small Ice Bar, made from two giant blocks of ice, with ice glasses. Given that it's too cold for most children and that there is a steep entry fee for a one-room experience, you might prefer stay in the entrance where a video shows the Ice Hotel itself, peering through the windows from outside at the sculptures.
Stadshuset The town hall has a tower of 374 feet which can be climbed between May and September.

Outside Stockholm

Drottingholm the greatest of the country's royal palaces and home of the Swedish royal family, including the world's oldest theatre the palace itself, 18th century Chinese pavilion, and 18th century Guards' Tent.
Mariefred a village which is home to Gripsholm, another fine castle, and a railway museum and narrow gauge stem train service.
Arlanda Aerospace Museum at Arlanda airport north of Stockholm, includes old and new airplanes and visitors can go inside fighter planes “Draken” and “Saab 2000”.

Further Afield

Kolm?rden The Nordic region's biggest animal park, including Bamse World for the youngest visitors (slightly north of Norrk?ping).
The Archipelago Made up of a total of some 25,000 islands in all, making it the largest in the world and really meriting a longer stay but visitable on day trips.
Parken Zoo in Eskilstuna, where you can see the white tigers.
Tom Tit's Experiment scientific experiments for all children from 2 years of age - in S?dert?lje.
Tomtelandet (Father Christmas Land) in Gesunda (Mora)
Torek?ll Hill S?dert?lje's Skansen.