Gustavianum: From the dawn of the Viking age to modernism – all in one newly renovated museum

Gustavianum, Uppsala University’s oldest building, is now home to a modern museum with the latest technology to preserve and showcase its exquisite collections.

The museum closed its doors in 2019 for an extensive renovation and didn’t open again until June 2024. Cecilia Ödman, senior curator at Gustavianum, describes the new museum; “We have six newly produced exhibitions containing a wide selection of objects from the university’s collections. Together with the historic building´s architectural qualities and modern museum technology, we offer visitors a completely new experience of the museum and the university´s rich cultural heritage.”

At Gustavianum, visitors can enjoy a smörgåsbord of exhibitions in a fairly compact format, including highlights from Ancient Egypt (yes, with a mummy) and other Mediterranean cultures, the early Viking Age, art history and scientific discoveries, Rudbeck’s anatomical theatre, and also the Augsburg Art Cabinet.

The museum’s art collection is magnificent and one of the largest in Sweden. “It contains objects created in various techniques and materials, dating from the Middle Ages to our time,” says Ödman. The collection includes paintings and drawings, sculptures, arts and crafts, woven tapestries and furniture. Portraits form a significant part of the collection.

This summer, until the beginning of September, Gustavianum offers guided tours every day at 11am and 1pm in English and at 3pm in Swedish.

Opening hours 24 June to 1 September
Monday-Sunday 11-17,
daily tours

Opening hours 3 September to 31 December
Tuesday-Friday 12-17
Saturday-Sunday 11-17,
tours only on weekends Web: www.uu.se/en/gustavianum
Instagram: @gustavianum