Vasa Museum in Stockholm
Europe

Vasa Museum

Stockholm · Sweden · Founded 1990

The only preserved 17th-century warship in the world. The Vasa sank on her maiden voyage in 1628 and was raised in 1961 — now displayed in a purpose-built museum.

About Vasa Museum

The Vasa is the best-preserved 17th-century ship in the world. Built for King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, the warship sank just 1,300 metres into her maiden voyage in August 1628, in Stockholm harbour, and remained on the seabed for 333 years. The vessel was raised in 1961 and transferred to the Vasa Museum, which opened in its current purpose-built facility in 1990.

The ship is displayed almost entirely intact at 98% original material, and stands seven storeys tall inside the museum. Around 700 sculptures decorated the original hull — most recovered and conserved — making it one of the most ornate warships ever built. The museum is consistently one of the most visited in Scandinavia.

Collections & Highlights

The Vasa warship — 69 metres long, dating from 1628
Figurehead lion sculptures from the bow
700 original 17th-century carvings and sculptures
Exhibition on the 1961 salvage operation

Frequently Asked Questions

A small ask before you go

You've just explored one of humanity's greatest collections of beauty. Art has the power to move us, inspire us, and change how we see the world. But millions of people will never see beauty like this — not because the art isn't there, but because they can't see at all.

Preventable blindness, caused by conditions like cataracts and trachoma, affects people of all ages across the world's poorest communities. A small gift — for the cost of a museum ticket — can provide a simple surgery to restore someone's sight and transform their life.