Sweden gave the world Volvo, Saab and Scania, and each brand has a collection you can visit. The catch is the calendar. One famous museum has closed, one is shut for the winter, one opens only on weekdays, and most of the big private collections close in winter.
When you need this
You’re planning a trip around Swedish car heritage, or you want a rainy-day stop on a road trip. Maybe you’re travelling with car-mad children or a classic-car club. Maybe an old guide sent you looking for the Volvo Museum, or you’ve got a free Saturday near Stockholm and thought of Scania. This page tells you which museum is actually open when you are there, checked against each museum’s own pages in October 2026.
Volvo, Saab, Scania at a glance
The three brand collections work in completely different ways. One is a company brand centre, one is a museum run from a science-centre address, and one is a free visitor centre that keeps office hours.
| Brand | Where | What it is | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volvo | World of Volvo, Gothenburg (next to Liseberg) | Brand centre with changing exhibitions, including parts of the old museum collection | Every day |
| Saab | Saab Car Museum, Trollhättan | Saab cars from the 1946 prototype to 2011 | Closed until 20 February 2027 |
| Scania | Scania Experience Centre, Södertälje | Trucks, buses and engines, with a heritage hall | Weekdays only |
World of Volvo: where the Volvo Museum went
The Volvo Museum at Arendal closed in December 2023. Many lists and maps still send visitors out to Arendal on Hisingen, and that trip is wasted. Parts of the collection now appear in exhibitions at World of Volvo, a brand centre beside Liseberg. It is run as a joint venture of Volvo Cars and Volvo Group.
Treat it as a brand centre rather than a classic museum. The displays from the old collection change over time, and World of Volvo does not list which historic cars are on show. Its own exhibition areas include the World of Volvo Exhibition, a Traffic School and Volvo Models.
The building itself is free to enter. The World of Volvo Exhibition needs a ticket, and buying online saves 10%. It opens every day: 10:00–17:00 Monday to Wednesday and Friday to Saturday, until 19:00 on Thursday, and 10:00–16:00 on Sunday.
Getting there is easy without a car. Take tram 4 or 12 from Gothenburg Central Station to Liseberg Södra or Almedal. Drivers can use the Liseberg Södra car park under the building. It has about 1,500 spaces, 160 EV chargers and 7 disabled bays, with a lift straight up. Inside, there are accessible toilets on every floor and two lifts.
The Torslanda factory tour
Want to see Volvo cars being built? The Volvo Cars factory tour at Torslanda is booked online through World of Volvo, separately from the exhibition. A bus leaves World of Volvo on weekdays and takes about 20 minutes to reach the plant. There, a guide shows the production line. No age limit is published, so ask when you book.
Saab Car Museum: closed until 20 February 2027
The Saab Car Museum in Trollhättan holds the cars of Saab’s car-making years. They run from the 1946 prototype, Ursaaben, to the last cars built before the 2011 bankruptcy. Highlights include concept cars, rally cars, the Saab Turbo record run and the very last Saabs built. This is a car museum; it is not about Saab’s aircraft.
It closed on 1 October 2026 for roof and skylight renovation and reopens on Saturday 20 February 2027. That date is newer than most pages you will find. At the start of October the museum said only that it would reopen “sometime in January”. Over the summer of 2026 it showed an exhibition called The Box at Nova Arena, from 6 June to 30 September. It now returns to its own address, Åkerssjövägen 18, Building 61.
Children up to 6 go free, and there are family tickets for one or two adults with children. The museum also closes on set holidays in 2027: Easter (26–28 March), Midsummer (25–26 June) and Christmas (24–26 December). For the rest of a day out, see our Trollhättan guide.
Scania Experience Centre: free, but weekdays only
Scania’s heritage hall in Södertälje is now part of the Scania Experience Centre. It is privately owned, open to the public and free. The catch is the hours: Monday to Friday, 08:00–16:45, and closed on all public holidays. A weekend trip from Stockholm finds it locked. The public can’t book a guided tour.
The centre is rebuilding its exhibitions in stages until spring 2027, so check its page before you go. In autumn 2026:
- Hall C exhibitions are closed from 7 October to 7 December 2026.
- All exhibitions are closed on 15–16 October and 3–4 December 2026; the reception and shop stay open.
The private motor museums
Beyond the three brands, Sweden’s large motor museums are private collections. Each sets its own season and prices, so check the season before you drive.
| Museum | Where | What you’ll see | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motala Motormuseum | Platensgatan 2, Motala (Östergötland) | Cars in period settings, a working 1920s–30s workshop, about 125 motorcycles and mopeds | All year |
| Autoseum | Fabriksgatan 10, Simrishamn (Skåne) | More than 350 vehicles on 6,000 m², a motorcycle museum themed on the 1980s and 1990s | Late March to 1 November (2026) |
| Svedinos | Ugglarp, about 25 km north of Halmstad | About 100 cars and about 40 aircraft | Weekends in May, June, September and October; daily in July and August |
| Härnösands Bilmuseum | Djuphamnsvägen 4, Härnösand (Höga Kusten) | About 300 cars in themed halls | June to September (2026) |
Motala is the all-year option. It opens Monday to Saturday 08:00–20:00 and Sunday 10:00–16:00, and has had its own motorcycle, scooter and moped department since 2015.
Autoseum opened its 2026 season on 27 March and ran daily until 4 October. It now opens Friday to Sunday through October, and its last open day of the year is 1 November. Children under 12 go free, and dogs are welcome inside on a lead.
Svedinos combines cars and aircraft. By its own account it opened in 1961 as Scandinavia’s first automobile museum. Groups can visit outside the public opening days between 1 April and 30 November.
Härnösands Bilmuseum ran its 2026 season from 13 June. It was open daily until 31 August and on Friday to Monday in September. Motorhome travellers can use its pitches from 1 May to 30 September; our stallplats guide explains how such stopovers work.
Which is biggest? Härnösand calls itself Sweden’s largest car museum, with about 300 cars. Autoseum reports more than 350 vehicles, counting motorcycles and other exhibits. Neither figure is independently counted, so treat both as the museums’ own claims.
Open when? Planning by season
| Season | What’s open |
|---|---|
| Summer (June–August) | Everything except Scania at weekends; the private collections run daily |
| Autumn 2026 | World of Volvo, Motala, Scania on weekdays; Autoseum Friday–Sunday until 1 November; Svedinos at weekends in October |
| Winter (November–March) | World of Volvo, Motala and Scania (weekdays); Saab from 20 February 2027 |
| Easter and Midsummer | Saab closes at both; Autoseum closes on Midsummer Eve and Midsummer Day; Scania closes on all public holidays |
For a winter road trip, the reliable trio is World of Volvo, Motala and, on a weekday, Scania. The museums off the rail network are easiest by car; our guide to driving in Sweden covers the rules.
Mistakes to avoid
- Following an old list that includes the Volvo Museum. Go to World of Volvo, next to Liseberg, instead.
- Trusting “reopens in January” for Saab. The date is now Saturday 20 February 2027.
- Looking for Saab at Nova Arena. The Box ran only from 6 June to 30 September 2026.
- Planning Scania for a weekend or a holiday. It is closed.
- Paying at the door at World of Volvo. Online tickets are 10% cheaper.
- Driving to a seasonal museum in winter. Check the season first.
Practical information
Prices as listed on each museum’s own page on 15 October 2026.
| Museum | Admission | Hours or season |
|---|---|---|
| World of Volvo | Building free; exhibition from 120 kr online; family ticket 640–665 kr | Daily; Thursday until 19:00 |
| Volvo Cars Torslanda factory tour | From 175 kr | Weekdays, booked separately |
| Saab Car Museum | Adult 160 kr; child 7–19 100 kr; 0–6 free; family 270–390 kr | Closed until 20 February 2027 |
| Scania Experience Centre | Free | Mon–Fri 08:00–16:45; closed public holidays |
| Motala Motormuseum | Adult 145 kr; child 2–6 35 kr; family 310 kr (year not stated) | All year |
| Autoseum | Adult 185 kr; 12–16 90 kr; under 12 free; family 450 kr (2026) | 10:00–17:00; season ends 1 November 2026 |
| Härnösands Bilmuseum | Adult 140 kr; 12–15 70 kr; children free with an adult (2026) | June–September |
| Svedinos | No dated price published; check the museum | Spring to October |
FAQ
Is the Volvo Museum in Gothenburg still open?
No. The Volvo Museum at Arendal on Hisingen closed in December 2023. Parts of its collection now appear in exhibitions at World of Volvo, the Volvo Cars and Volvo Group brand centre next to Liseberg, and the displays change over time. The building is free to enter; the exhibition needs a ticket, and buying online saves 10%.
When does the Saab Car Museum reopen?
On Saturday 20 February 2027. The museum in Trollhättan closed on 1 October 2026 for renovation of its roof and skylights, after a summer exhibition at Nova Arena. It reopens at its own address, Åkerssjövägen 18, Building 61. Older pages saying “January 2027” are out of date; check its opening-hours page before you travel.
Can you visit the Scania museum in Södertälje?
Yes, for free, but only on weekdays: the Scania Experience Centre opens Monday to Friday, 08:00–16:45, and closes on all public holidays. The public cannot book a guided tour. Exhibitions are being rebuilt in stages until spring 2027, and some halls close on set days in autumn 2026, so check the centre’s page first.
Which Swedish car museums are open in winter?
World of Volvo in Gothenburg opens every day, Motala Motormuseum is open all year, and Scania in Södertälje opens on weekdays. The Saab Car Museum reopens on 20 February 2027. Autoseum, Svedinos and Härnösands Bilmuseum are seasonal and closed in the depths of winter, so plan those for summer.
Can you tour the Volvo factory in Gothenburg?
Yes. The Volvo Cars factory tour at Torslanda is booked online through World of Volvo, separately from the exhibition. A bus leaves World of Volvo on weekdays and takes about 20 minutes to reach the plant, where a guide shows the production line. Tickets start at 175 kr. Age limits are not published, so ask when booking.
What is the biggest car museum in Sweden?
Two museums claim it. Härnösands Bilmuseum calls itself Sweden’s largest car museum, with about 300 cars in themed halls, while Autoseum in Simrishamn reports more than 350 vehicles on 6,000 square metres, counting motorcycles and other exhibits. Neither figure is independently counted. Both are summer-season museums, so check dates before driving.
Related guides
- Trollhättan: waterfall days, canal locks and Saab — make a day of the Saab museum once it reopens.
- Gothenburg’s best museums — the public museums to pair with World of Volvo.
- Best day trips from Gothenburg — Trollhättan and more within reach of the city.
- Arjeplog: Lapland’s winter car-testing capital — where carmakers test on frozen lakes.
- The IKEA Museum in Älmhult — another Swedish company tells its own story.
Facts verified 2026-10-15. Sources: Saab Car Museum, World of Volvo, Scania, Motala Motormuseum, Autoseum, Svedinos, Härnösands Bilmuseum, Höga Kusten — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.