Winter break at the Swedish History Museum

16 February - 1 March, 2026

Play in a Viking village, explore norse mythology and create magical objects – the Swedish History Museum has fun activities for kids and families during the 2026 winter break. We're open every day (yes, even Mondays!). Free admission up to 19 years of age.

Upcoming exhibition: Viking Life

On Saturday, February 21 we open a playful exhibition for younger children. Explore a Viking village, play in a Viking boat, and say hi to the wooden animals. The exhibition is based on a popular Swedish children's book Viking Life with Halvdan and Meia.

About the exhibition

Viking village recreated in wood — Photo: Barnutställningar.

Guided tour for families

Explore norse mythology and tales with our knowledgeable museum educators (Language: Swedish). See dates and times in our Swedish calendar.

To the Swedish calender

Barn tittar på en digital visualisering av en mytologisk värld — Photo: Ola Myrin, he Swedish History Museum/SHM.

Creative workshop: Magical objects

Create your own magical object! The workshop activity can be done even if you don't speak Swedish but please see our Swedish page for more information.

Workshop details

Thor and Freya with a cat and crow — Illustration: Staffan Alsparr.

Activity trails for children

Become a history detective, help a lonely lion find friends, or solve a puzzle about ancient runes! You can borrow materials in English for the children’s and family trails free of charge in the entrance hall. Then go through the museum together and solve them at your own pace.

Explore childrens trails

Children with magnifying glass and red backpack — Photo: Jonathan Elbaz, The Swedish History Museum/SHM.

What to know before your visit

Admission: Free admission for children and youth up to 19 years of age.
Packed lunch: We offer a large and pleasant lunchroom where you’ll have access to running water and a microwave. If the weather permits, you are also welcome to enjoy your meal in our courtyard (access through the museum entrance hall).
Strollers: Strollers/prams are welcome in the museum’s exhibitions, except in the Gold Room, where emergency exits must be kept clear. There is a designated stroller parking area in the entrance hall.
Changing facilities: Baby changing facilities are available in the accessible restrooms on all floors.

How much time do you have?

Spending half a day or a full day at the museum with children? Here are our suggestions!

The museum has everything you need for a successful visit: strollers to borrow, a microwave for meals, a quiet room, and a courtyard where children can run around.

Half a day with children

During the summer, you can try life as a Viking. In the green inner courtyard, children can bake Viking bread, try out crafts, dress in period clothing, and take on various challenges.

In the exhibition Together Through Time, you can explore history in a playful way.

Finish the day with a packed lunch or a child-friendly meal in the museum’s restaurant.

Full day with children

For a full day, there’s even more to do.

Borrow the museum’s adventure backpack and set off on a discovery journey through the exhibitions. The adventure takes about 40–50 minutes and is suitable for both big and small. Along the way, you’ll collect memories and maybe a souvenir.

For those who like a challenge, there are puzzles to solve in several exhibitions. They vary in difficulty and time required. You’ll receive the materials at the entrance.

Learn more about our children’s trails.

Don’t miss the exhibition Prehistories, where you can meet people from the Stone Age, explore ancient writing systems, and see amazing Iron Age helmets. And the best part – it’s all real!

Plan your visit

Admission and tickets

Free admissions for children and youth aged 0–18.

Opening hours

See museum opening hours.

Main entrance to the Swedish History Museum.

Hungry or thirsty?

Visit Restaurant Rosengården for lunch, snacks, coffee and Swedish fika.

Winter break at the Economy Museum

Admission to the Economy Museum is included in your ticket and they also have activities during the winter break. Get inspired by treasured in the exhibition MONEY! and then make your own treasure chest or treasure map in the workshop.

To the Economy Museum's website

Two children look into a glowing treasure chest — Photo: Ola Myrin, Economy Museum/SHM.

Viking Age knowledge

Want to bone up on your Viking knowledge before your visit? These articles are based on your frequently asked questions. Who were they? How did they dress? And did they really go ice skating?

Women in the Viking Age

Many people believe the Viking Age was a male-dominated era: armed men in warships ruling and commanding, founding kingdoms and plundering monasteries, while women stayed at home on the farm spinning. So was not the case.

Who were the Vikings?

The world of the Viking Age was different from our own. Kingdoms and states, as we understand them today, did not yet exist. Nor were the Vikings a distinct ethnic group. A thousand years ago, eastern Scandinavia was home to a wide array of smaller “peoples” and “lands”.

When Sweden became Sweden

Sweden has had kings and queens for a very long time. Below you can see a line of monarchs stretching all the way to the present day. But when did Sweden become a country? The answer is not straightforward, but during the Middle Ages it emerged as a unified kingdom.

When Scandinavia became Christian

Christianity arrived gradually to Sweden, and the process of conversion was a complex historical transformation. Christianity encountered different traditions and social settings in different regions, since pre-Christian religion had never been uniform.

What does an osteologist do?

An osteologist is a specialist in skeletons, both human and animal. The word "osteology" comes from the Greek osteon, meaning bone, and logos, meaning study – so it literally means "the study of bones."

What does an archaeologist do?

An archaeologist is a researcher who studies humanity’s past through material remains. This can include buildings, objects, graves, settlements, or other traces left by people. The purpose of archaeology is to understand past societies, their structure, ways of life, economy, beliefs, and technology.

Viking Age Ice Skates

Did Vikings know how to ice skate? Before the 17th century, people travelled across ice using bone skates, rather than metal-bladed skates. The oldest known examples of bone skates date back to the Viking Age and there are examples in the collections of the Swedish History Museum.

Unna's stone

Runic writing was the first form of writing in Scandinavia. It was developed sometime during the early centuries AD and continued to be used to some extent even after the Viking Age.

Thor's hammer rings

In the cremation graves of the Mälaren Valley, small Thor’s hammers are frequently found threaded onto larger iron rings, so-called Thor’s hammer rings. These are often placed at the top of the burial urn, suggesting they were intended as grave offerings or played a role in the funeral ceremony.

Thor – God of Thunder

Thor is the mighty god of thunder in Norse mythology. He is often called “the Thunderer”, for he commands thunder and lightning. Thor is also the god of farmers and free men. He is known for his fiery temper, his red hair and his thick, bushy brows.

Norse mythology

Meet the gods. Thor, Odin eller Freja – who is your favorite?

Thor – God of Thunder

The worlds and beings of Norse mythology

Old Norse mythology and the Viking worldview are rich in realms and mythological beings. Evocative names such as Midgard, Asgard, Utgard and Nifelhel. Giants, gods and monstrous creatures.

The mythological world of the Vikings

Norse mythology forms the foundation of the Vikings’ religious and mythological beliefs. During this period, people in Scandinavia worshipped multiple gods. Stories of gods, giants, and humans and originate from the time before Christianity.

Sources for Norse mythology

How do we know what we know about people’s beliefs, mythological tales and ideas about the afterlife a thousand years ago – in the era known as the Viking Age?

Skadi – goddess of the wilderness

Skadi is the goddess of the wilderness, who hunts in the mountains on her skis. Her father is the giant Thjazi. And despite being a giantess, she is accepted by the gods of Asgard when she marries the sea god Njord.

Odin – leader of the gods

Odin bears many names and is both a god of war and a god of the dead. Half of all warriors who fall in battle come to his hall, Valhalla. He is the one-eyed Allfather, who sacrificed an eye in order to see everything that happens in the world.

Iðunn – goddess of youth and vitality

Iðunn is known as the goddess of youth and renewal. Her most famous attribute is that she guards and dispenses the golden apples that keep the Æsir young. Without her apples, the gods would age like ordinary mortals, and so she plays a crucial role in the world of myth.

Heimdall – forefather of humankind

Heimdall is the forefather of humankind, and he teaches them many things, such as the knowledge of runes. He is a mysterious god, connected to the world tree Yggdrasil. One interpretation of his name is “He who shines over the world.”

Frigg – mistress of Asgard

Frigg is the mistress of Asgard, the home of the gods, and the wife of Odin. She is the protector of marriage and motherhood, and is mother to Balder, Höðr and Hermóðr.

Freyja – goddess of fertility and war

Freyja is the goddess of fertility, love and beauty, but she is also associated with magic and war. She is the daughter of the sea god Njord and the twin sister of Freyr, who, like her, belongs to the family of gods known as the Vanir.