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BEST 9 THINGS TO DO AT THE IKEA MUSEUM SWEDEN

INSIDE: Roam the Gnome’s Insider’s Guide to the Ikea Museum Sweden in Almhult.

Have you ever wondered where is Ikea from originally?

Or what’s the most popular IKEA furniture? 

If you have, then a visit to the IKEA museum in Sweden will answer all your questions. 

The Ikea Museum Sweden about 2 hours north of Copenhagen, and 5 hours south of Stockholm.

It’s the ONLY one of its kind in the world. 

The Sweden Ikea museum is located in Älmhult, where IKEA was first conceived and born. To this day, Almhult remains the heart and soul of the IKEA brand. 

Next to the Ikea Sweden Museum, you’ll find the only Ikea hotel in the world too! 

Take a look below for all the details of this famous Swedish furniture design. 

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, we may receive a small commission at NO extra cost to you.

image - ikea museum sweden furniture shop

Guide to Ikea Museum Sweden

The IKEA museum can be found at the original location of the first ever Ikea store, in the original Ikea showroom building built over 60 years ago.  

It’s filled with more than 1000 examples of the IKEA product range from the original launch of the brand, right through to present day, cleverly displayed in room size arrangements or as artworks on the wall. 

The items on display come from the collection of more than 30,000 pieces in the treasury of IKEA history on site, including IKEA museum catalogues. 

Some of the collection comes from auctions and private sales, but there are plenty of pieces that have been donated back to the museum by fans of the brand. 

Visitors will be thrilled by the fun & colourful displays of famous IKEA products, and iconic IKEA designs. 

image - ikea museum sweden pop up

When did the first Ikea shop open? 

The building was designed in the late 1950’s by the architect Claes Knutson and the first IKEA shop opened in 1958. 

The museum documenting the IKEA story from conception to the worldwide success it now garners, has four floors of:

  • galleries and exhibits
  • a shop filled with unique IKEA products, AND
  • an IKEA restaurant of course. 

Hot tip: Visit IKEA Japan on your next trip to Tokyo. There’s a new IKEA store in Harajuku – it’s Japan’s first Ikea store right in the city centre. 

image - ikea museum sweden layout 2

What else you’ll find

The IKEA hotel is in the same place, just across the car park.

This location is also the main hub of IKEA worldwide, so you’ll see buildings nearby housing:

  • the Ikea Customer Service Centre
  • the IKEA components centre
  • the IKEA distributions services centre
  • the IKEA industry hub
  • The IKEA activity house
  • The IKEA working together conference rooms  (IKEA Tillsammans)
  • the IKEA communications hub

This is where the IKEA catalogue, first published in 1952, is created and distributed every September.

image - ikea museum sweden layout 3

No.1: Visit the IKEA Exhibitions

Did you know that the original IKEA experience was VERY different from the one we experience today.

In the beginning, personal shoppers would escort customers around the showroom. 

At the IKEA museum, you’ll see pictures and photo montages, as well as displays of what this was like. 

Ikea Design Process

The main exhibition is a chance to walk through the Design process and see how a piece of furniture, a chair for example, goes from an idea to a finished product. 

You’ll also learn who and what inspired the creation of IKEA style and helped shape the IKEA range of simple and practical furniture, bold colours, and natural materials. 

It includes: 

  • Gustavian style furniture
  • the scientist Carl Linnaeus,
  • the artists Karin and Carl Larsson
  • the author Ellen Key

image - ikea museum sweden introductory wall

No.2: See the Timeline of Ikea history

You can discover how the Ikea of Sweden began on the Introductory Wall.

It’s where you’ll see all the well known Ikea products, displayed in a brightly coloured rainbow display, with a few IKEA things you never knew about. 

Around the edges of the gallery, follow the timeline of how IKEA has grown and developed. 

image - ikea museum introduction of hot dog

Wall displays

You can also find out:

  • when the first IKEA vegetarian hotdog was introduced (the original IKEA hot dog was introduced in 1990)
  • learn about the IKEA bootcamp for entrepreneurs, and
  • discover all about the IKEA environmental initiatives. 

image - ikea allen key design

IKEA Business Timeline

In the decade by decade timeline, look out for the introduction of:

  • the IKEA flat pack
  • the IKEA Allen key, and
  • the IKEA Billy bookcase

image - ikea furniture instructions

IKEA furniture instructions

Did you know that the IKEA cartoon character, developed in 2000, and featured on IKEA instructions, was created to overcome the challenge of a multi-cultural world, and find a universal language everyone can understand!

It’s true!

image - ikea vintage furniture display at the museum 70's

Vintage IKEA furniture

There’s also plenty of gorgeous IKEA vintage furniture on display.

IKEA fans will be in furniture heaven! 

image - ikea showroom catalogue 1962

IKEA catalogue display 1962

The displays of IKEA homes remind us that not only did they sell furniture, IKEA gave advice on how to best place the matching furniture 

Iconic IKEA pieces include:

  • the KOLDING sofa
  • the MTP storage system, and t
  • he DANSKE dining chair in laquered oak. 

image - ikea museum childrens display

Children’s IKEA

There’s also plenty to discover about how the IKEA children’s products came to be. 

Including displays of the best IKEA products for kids, set up in familiar layouts! 

image - ikea museum ingmar kamprad

No.3: Learn about the IKEA Founder Ingvar Kamprad

Who is the Ikea founder?

Visitors can also explore the life of IKEA owner Ingvar Kamprad, and how he built and shaped his company by instilling cultural values, responding to environmental concerns and paying attention to trends. 

It’s also a chance to learn about IKEA’s ‘democratic design’, the concept of his vision to “create a better everyday life for the many people”

This concept gave (and continues to give) the bulk of the population a chance to own beautifully designed furniture and products, not just those with large wallets. 

image - democratic design at ikea museum sweden

No.4: IKEA Democratic Design

Democratic design was, and continues to be, the force behind Ingmar’s push to optimise the design and delivery of each product, to reduce the costs of production without compromising the quality or design. 

His vision, and that of the company, developed at a time when the Swedish economy was recovering from hard times, and newly built housing included a bathtub, toilet, tiles in the kitchen and a separate cabinet for the new cleaning equipment.  

image - ikea museum sweden christmas cards sold by ingvar

Ingvar Kamprad education

Ingmar was a businessman since the age of 5 years, selling matchboxes and Christmas cards.

At 17, he sensed there was an opportunity to sell furniture by mail order.

As the museum states, “this decision paved the way for flat pack furniture and other unconventional ideas” 

His success created a whole bunch of competitors.

Ingmar had to pivot again to stay in business.

So in 1953, he opened the FIRST permanent IKEA exhibition in Almhult, where customers could experience the furniture in person. 

image - ingvar kamprad office ikea founder

Ingmar Kamprad office

Fun Fact: Did you know you can see a carefully reconstructed replica of Ingvar’s home office on display at the museum?  

image - ikea children's step stool

No.5: Browse the collection of best IKEA products

The Ikea Museum in Almhult is home to a collection of famous Ikea products ever.

You’ll spot the best selling IKEA products and famous IKEA furniture names including:

  • the ever popular Billy Bookcase
  • the Poäng armchair (most famous Ikea chair)
  • the Jäll laundry bag
  • Malm Bed
  • Lack table
  • Stockholm Rug
  • Klippan sofa 
  • FÖRSIKTIG children’s step stool
  • the Expedit range of IKEA furniture (now called IKEA Kallax shelves, these cube shelves are the second most famous Ikea shelves) 

image - ikea frakta bag blue shopper

IKEA FRAKTA shopping bag

And we can’t forget to the FRAKTA bag, the perfect shopping bag that also works as a laundry basket, beach bag, moving house bag, and clothes storage. 

image - cover photo for ikea catalogue by conference participants

No.6: Play at the IKEA Museum

No.1: Ikea Catalogue Cover Photo Opportunity

Do find the spot on the top floor where you can take a ‘photo’ to put yourself on the cover of the IKEA Catalogue! 

(It’s not just for kids. This was a team of IKEA staff visiting for a conference from London.) 

image - ikea museum sweden giant ball machine 1

No.2: Giant Ball Machine at Ikea Museum

You also cannot miss the Giant Ball Machine in the centre atrium of the museum.

Kids (and adults!) love this activity of sending famous red balls – best known from the IKEA Smaland kids ball pit – down a maze of clear glass tubes into a ball pit, pulled by the suction of a vacuum!  

Fun fact: Did you know the first IKEA ball pool with the Lingonberry-red and Blueberry-blue balls was installed at IKEA Kungens Kurva in 1971? 

image - ikea museum wall exhibit

No.7: Book into IKEA Museum Events

There’s always some kind of event being held at the IKEA museum, in conjunction with current exhibitions. 

When we visited, the EveryBody exhibition was on show and visitors could book into:

  • yoga sessions
  • lectures with Aron Anderson 
  • Chair yoga
  • Build a Musical Story with Sofia Thoresdotter (singing and music exploration)
  • Ballad singing and showtime
  • Yoga for kids and play sessions
  • Print your own wrapping paper with Papperian 
  • Lecture with Shahrzad Kiavash 

All events, except for Dinner in the Dark in KÖKET restaurant were included in the admission ticket price.

image - ikea museum sweden temporary exhibition

IKEA Everybody exhibition

The exhibition itself was filled with lots of engaging activities to join in, including:

  • experiments to try, and
  • a deep dive into their design work helping to create a more equitable world for all, with a focus on tools to help people with disabilities or challenges. 

image - ikea museum restaurant

N0.8: Eat at the Ikea Museum Restaurant

There’s NO way you can visit the Ikea Museum without eating lunch at the Ikea Museum restaurant.

There’s all the Ikea favorites including

  • Ikea meatballs
  • Veggie balls
  • Chicken balls

You can try the popular Swedish dish of potato dumplings filled with salted pork and served with melted butter and sweetened lingonberries. 

Or the Salmon balls, Laxbullar, served with peas, and potatoes. 

It’s open from 10am to 6pm daily.

The restaurant serves hot food from 11.30pm. 

image - ikea museum restaurant cinnamon buns

Ikea menu prices

All main meals are 90 sek. ($10.50 USD, 7.80 pounds) 

A small portion is 55 sek. ($6.30 USD, 4.90 pounds) 

Bread, butter, water, tea or filter coffee is included with all main meals. 

image - ikea museum restaurant kids

IKEA meatballs 

There’s a kids menu with kid-sized portions of the main dishes, plus creamed macaroni, or pancakes with jam and cream too. 

Hot drinks on offer include:

  • Filter coffee or tea 
  • Espresso, latte, cappuccino, lungo, or macchiato in regular, caramel, vanilla or decaf.
  • Hot chocolate 

image - ikea museum shop clocks

No.9: Visit the Ikea Museum Store

The Ikea Älmhult museum has a shop.

If you go into the Almhult Ikea museum shop, you’ll find a range of signature Ikea products.

These Ikea souvenirs take inspiration from “the lines of the arcade that run along the facade of the IKEA museum.”  

Be sure to check out the range of signature products that you can’t buy anywhere else.

This range includes:

  • Ikea tote bags and Ikea shopping bags
  • Ikea trays
  • Ikea notebooks 
  • Ikea napkins 
  • Ikea magnets
  • Ikea wrapping paper
  • Ikea umbrellas
  • Ikea clothing and Ikea t shirts 

Take a sneak peek inside here

It’s open from 10am to 6pm daily. 

image - jack in bed at ikea hotel sweden

MORE THINGS TO DO IN ALMHULT

No.1: Stay a Night at the Only Ikea Hotel in the World 

Yes, you read that right.

There IS an Ikea hotel, the only one in the world.

And it’s right here.

We booked a stay. 

Take a look below for details. 

READ MORE: Stay a night at the Ikea Hotel  ALMHULT 

image - ikea hotel dinner

No.2: Eat at the IKEA Hotel Restaurant

There’s a fancy restaurant inside the IKEA hotel, that’s a bit different to your normal IKEA bistro. 

The meals are Scandi inspired, and made with local organic produce – you won’t regret eating here. 

Read our foodie guide to the IKEA hotel restaurant

image - ikea almhult showroom exterior

No.3: Shop at Ikea Sweden Älmhult

If you still haven’t had your fill of IKEA, catch the bus or walk to the new Almhult IKEA showroom in Handelsplatsen.

As well as the IKEA store, there’s also an IKEA Fyndet (a big IKEA outlet store). 

The IKEA Varuhuset (Department Store) is 5 minutes by car, or a flat 10 minutes walk from the hotel. 

(Don’t bother waiting for the bus if you are ok to walk. It’s an easy pleasant stroll through town) 

Ikea Smaland is inside, so head straight to the counter to book your kids in for a play session. 

Read more about it here

image - ikea museum sweden for kids

7 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

No.1: Is there another Ikea Museum in Stockholm?

Sadly, no.

But the BIGGEST Ikea in Sweden IS at Kungens Kurva in Skärholmen, south of Stockholm.

Spend the day! 

It’s massive. 

No.2: Where is the IKEA in Sweden?

You can find more Ikea Sweden locations on the Ikea Sweden store locator. 

How many IKEA stores in Sweden? 

There are 20 Ikea stores in Sweden in total. 

Ikea Sweden opening hours are usually 10am to around 6pm or 8pm, depending on the city. 

How many IKEA’s are there in the world?

424, and counting.

Across 52 countries. 

No.3: How big is the biggest IKEA in the world?

The largest Ikea store in the world, which opened in 1965,  has a number of exclusive products you can’t buy elsewhere. 

The biggest IKEA in the world measures in at 640,000 sq ft.  That’s 59,000 square meters of floor space.

Find it in Gwangmyeong Station, in Gyeonggi Province in South Korea. 

No.4: How do you pronounce IKEA?

It turns out us English speakers may not be saying it quite right.

(This is how to say IKEA in English: I – KEY- ya)

But in Swedish, it’s more like: E – KAY – ya.

Have a listen here. 

No.5: Are Swedish homes filled with furniture from Ikea?

They definitely are.

Just like in England and Australia, Swedish homes are a mix of IKEA furniture, and furniture from other stores. 

No.6: Is IKEA a big deal in Sweden?

Definitely. 

Most Swedish people are very proud of this iconic export!  

No.7: What are the Best Ikea Hacks Ever?

Here is a fabulous article about the best high quality IKEA hack companies who take your IKEA product style next level! 

image - ikea museum photographs

THE INSIDE SCOOP: Sweden Ikea Museum 

Correct at time of publication on Roam the Gnome. Please check with venue for updates. We apologise in advance if there have been any changes we are unaware of. All prices in Swedish Sek, or US dollars, unless otherwise stated

Ikea official website for the museum: Click here

Address: IKEA Museum is in central Älmhult at IKEAgatan 5.

image - ikea museum sweden layout

Ikea Museum Opening Hours

  • 10:00 – 18:00 daily 

image - ikea museum stockholm exhibition sign

Älmhult Ikea Museum price 

  • Adult 60 sek
  • 60+ years 55 sek
  • Children under 18 – FREE
  • IKEA employees – FREE

image - ikea museum sweden showroom

How to get to Ikea museum Älmhult 

Directions to Ikea museum can be found below. 

How to get from Copenhagen to Almhult

Älmhult in Sweden is easily reached by train or car from Copenhagen and Copenhagen Airport. 

The journey is approximately two hours.

PIN IKEA MUSEUM

By Train: 

Catch the Øresundtåg train. All trains stop at Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup), Malmö and Lund. (The train continues to Växjö and/or Kalmar.)

Tickets can be purchased at Copenhagen train station from the ticket counter, vending machines or online here or via Swedish railways. Tickets cost approximately SEK250 /€50 one-way. Our trip was included in our Eurail tickets. 

Once you arrive at the Almhult train station, walk up the stairs, then cross the airbridge in the direction AWAY from the town.

Follow the walking/bike path until you reach the carpark – the entrance to the IKEA museum is on your right. 

The IKEA hotel is across the car park. 

Ikea Älmhult Museum Map 

Toadstool Rating: Almhult Ikea Museum

ikea museum sweden reviews

Looking for MORE Things to do in Småland with kids?

Smaland is in the south of Sweden, an area that lies between Stockholm in the North, and Malmo in the South. 

It’s where the name of the IKEA kids play area came from!

Småland is a gorgeous part of Sweden and very family friendly. 

Here’s a list of the best things to do in Smaland for kids & families!


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