Museums in Småland

At Halltorp on Öland, you will find the VIDA Museum, featuring two permanent museum halls, three larger and one smaller art gallery, a children’s corner, a shop, and a café, all together covering an area of 2000 square meters.

In VIDA’s large MUSEUM SHOP, there is a wide selection of unique art glass and many other design objects. You will also find a delightful mix of fashion, design, books, jewelry, posters, graphics, and other art pieces.

In VIDA’s café, visitors can enjoy a relaxing moment with an art book or simply take in the fantastic view over Kalmarsund and the Halltorps Hage nature reserve on Öland. For younger visitors, there is a children’s corner where VIDA organizes various activities such as drawing competitions and more.

Additionally, VIDA continuously hosts concerts, conferences, events, and weddings.

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The story of the Husqvarna company – based in the village of the same name but spelled Huskvarna – is a long one, going back an impressive 300 years. In premises that until the 1940s were home to the weapons workshop, visitors can explore exhibitions that bring the story of the company’s extensive production to life. It all started with weapons, which in the second half of the 19th century gradually came to be supplemented by civilian items. The list of products is a long one, and today the Husqvarna Group is the world’s largest manufacturer of outdoor power products such as chainsaws and lawn mowers.

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Kalmar’s grand Renaissance castle has played an important part in Swedish history since it was built at the end of the 13th century, not least thanks to its strategic location. The area of use has changed, but the castle is still very much alive. Visitors can choose from a variety of exhibitions, both permanent ones that relate the history of the castle, and temporary ones with different themes. The castle also offers a wide range of activities and experiences for children, especially in the summer.

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An exciting museum for children and adults alike! Sagobygden – the Land of Legends – is an area of south-western Småland with a strong tradition of oral storytelling. The area was home to storytellers and important collectors of stories and legends, which meant that much of the Swedish oral tradition was written down here. The Museum of Legends in Ljungby is the heart of this unique district. Visitors can explore the museum on their own or in the company of a storyteller.

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The large red barns housing the Vandalorum art and design centre can be found at the southern approach to Värnamo. The centre hosts an ever-changing mix of regional, national and international contemporary art and design – always topical, always relevant. Italian architect Renzo Piano took some of his inspiration for the buildings from the big red drying barn that once stood on this very spot.

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A visit to Kalmar County Museum is the perfect outing, with things to see and do for children, older people or the whole family. The museum is situated in Ångkvarnen, the old steam mill, in central Kalmar and offers a shop and café as well as the various exhibitions. The themed exhibitions include one on the Swedish warship Kronan, which capsized and sank in June 1676 during an encounter between the Swedish navy and the combined Danish-Dutch fleet. The loss of the Kronan is one of the biggest maritime disasters in Swedish history. *Website in Swedish*.

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Växjö is home to the Swedish Glass Museum, which in common with the House of Emigrants and a number of other museums forms part of Kulturparken Småland. For 80 years, the Swedish Glass Museum has been collecting both glassware and other archive material from glassworks around Sweden and from one of the leading museums in Europe. The approx. 35,000 objects in the collections come from more than 100 different glassworks, with the oldest dating back to the late 16th century. The Swedish Glass Museum offers permanent and temporary exhibitions with different and exiting perspectives on glass.

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