The IKEA Museum sits in the white concrete building where the first IKEA store opened in 1958, in a small Småland town with its own railway station. Here is what is inside, what it costs and how to get there, from the museum’s own pages.
When you need this
- You are deciding whether the IKEA Museum is worth a stop on a southern Sweden trip.
- You want the opening hours, the holiday closures and the entry fee.
- You are coming by train from Malmö, Copenhagen or Växjö.
- You are visiting with children, a wheelchair, a stroller or a dog.
- You want to know which temporary exhibitions are on.
The building: the first IKEA store
The IKEA Museum is the company’s own museum of its history, and it calls itself the world’s only one. It opened in June 2016 in Älmhult, the town in southern Småland that the museum calls IKEA’s hometown.
The building is part of the point. It is the store IKEA opened in 1958: a white modernist concrete structure by the local architect Claes Knutson, resting on large V-shaped pillars. It traded for more than 50 years and closed in 2012, when a new store replaced it on the edge of town. The exterior was then restored to its original look, and the interior was rebuilt as a museum.
That also explains the most common mix-up: the museum is at IKEAgatan 4 in central Älmhult, in the old building, not in the current store.
What is inside
The main exhibition, The Story of IKEA, follows the company decade by decade, from Ingvar Kamprad’s mail-order business in the 1940s to today. The museum lists its parts as IKEA Through the Ages, Hej Ingvar!, Our Roots and Democratic Design.
Temporary exhibitions on design, innovation and life at home run alongside it, and each has an end date. As listed in late September 2026:
| Exhibition | What it is | Runs until |
|---|---|---|
| Young Swedish Design | The touring annual award show for young Swedish designers and architects | 1 November 2026 |
| Who builds the future? | Entrepreneurs, dreamers and makers | 10 January 2027 |
| Real Play | Why play matters | 4 April 2027 |
| Next exhibition | “Our emotional connection to things” | Opens April 2027 |
The building also has a restaurant and a shop. Open guided tours for individual visitors and small groups are included in the ticket, and on Saturdays and Sundays at 15:00 a 45-minute introductory tour runs in English. There is no pre-registration, places are limited, and it is not meant for groups. In the autumn school break, 28 October to 1 November 2026, a drop-in craft workshop runs 11:00–16:00.
A second museum is on the way, not open yet. The museum’s own visit page says IKEA is building a new museum in Älmhult. It is the furniture-design collection Möbeldesignmuseum, which closed in Stockholm in 2022 and is moving into the old store’s former self-service warehouse. It was announced for 2026; in February 2026 its director said 2027 was more likely, and no date has been confirmed.
Opening hours
The museum runs on two schedules:
| Season | Hours |
|---|---|
| October to March | 11:00–17:00 |
| April to September | 11:00–18:00 |
The page lists no weekly closing day, but it does list holiday exceptions. Over Christmas and New Year 2026–27 the museum closes early at 15:00 on 23 and 30 December and is shut on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January. It is also closed on 25–26 June 2027, the Midsummer weekend. Check the opening-hours page before any holiday.
Tickets: under-18s free, no cash
Adults pay a fee and there is a reduced price for visitors aged 60 and over. Children and teenagers under 18 go in free, and so does a personal attendant, a ledsagare, accompanying a disabled visitor. IKEA co-workers with their families and guests of the company’s hotel in Älmhult also enter free.
The museum is cash-free: pay by card or Swish, Sweden’s mobile payment app. The exact prices are in the Practical information table below. Lockers for bags and coats and the WiFi are free.
Getting to Älmhult by train
Älmhult is a small town with its own station, and the regional transport authority lists three train operators there: Öresundståg, whose Kalmar line runs to Malmö and Copenhagen, Krösatåg and SJ, plus town and regional buses. The municipality says the town is easy to reach by train from Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.
The municipality puts Copenhagen Airport at about 1.5 hours by train. Plan the whole journey in Resrobot, the national journey planner, or in the operator’s own app; how tickets work is in our guide to buying train tickets in Sweden, and the Copenhagen line in our Öresundståg guide.
Rail works this autumn. On the weekends of 24–25 October and 21–22 November 2026, buses replace Öresundståg trains between Växjö and Älmhult because of track works at Alvesta. You need a valid ticket on the ersättningsbuss, the replacement bus.
At the station. The waiting room is open 05:00–22:00 Monday to Friday, 08:00–20:00 on Saturdays and 08:00–22:00 on Sundays. Ticket machines are inside and on the footbridge, a lift runs between platforms, and there are no staff.
By car. The museum, the company’s hotel and the outdoor areas are all being rebuilt, so car parks open and close at short notice and fees may apply in some. Use the parking map on the museum’s visit page or ask staff. Accessible parking is right outside the entrance, and electric cars can charge free in the museum car park with a code from the ticket desk.
Accessibility, children and animals
| Need | What the museum says |
|---|---|
| Wheelchair, walking aid, stroller | Free movement between all floors, through the exhibitions, shop and restaurant |
| Borrowing a wheelchair | Wheelchairs are available to borrow |
| Toilets | Accessible toilets on several floors; three are extra spacious |
| Personal attendant | Free entry |
| Dogs | Guide and service dogs only; no other animals, because of allergies |
| Parking | Accessible spaces outside the entrance (badge displayed) |
Mistakes to avoid
- Going to the current IKEA store. The museum is in the old store building at IKEAgatan 4.
- Bringing only cash. Card or Swish only.
- Paying for a teenager. Under-18s enter free.
- Planning around the new furniture museum. It is not open and has no confirmed date.
- Arriving on Christmas Eve or at Midsummer. The museum is closed on those days.
Practical information
| Item | Detail (checked 2026-09-25) |
|---|---|
| Address | IKEAgatan 4, Älmhult (central Älmhult) |
| Hours, October–March | 11:00–17:00 |
| Hours, April–September | 11:00–18:00 |
| Closed | 24, 25, 31 Dec 2026; 1 Jan 2027; 25–26 Jun 2027 |
| Short days | 23 and 30 Dec 2026, 11:00–15:00 |
| Adult | 60 SEK |
| Senior 60+ | 55 SEK |
| Children under 18 | Free |
| Personal attendant | Free |
| Payment | Card or Swish; no cash |
| English tour | Saturdays and Sundays, 15:00–15:45, included |
| Station | Älmhult (Öresundståg, Krösatåg, SJ) |
FAQ
Is the IKEA Museum free?
Not for adults. Entry is 60 SEK for adults and 55 SEK for visitors aged 60 and over, while children and teenagers under 18 go in free. A personal attendant accompanying a disabled visitor also enters free. The museum is cash-free, so pay by card or Swish. Open guided tours for individual visitors are included in the ticket. Prices as listed on 25 September 2026.
What are the IKEA Museum’s opening hours?
From October to March the museum is open 11:00–17:00, and from April to September 11:00–18:00. It closes on 24, 25 and 31 December 2026, 1 January 2027 and 25–26 June 2027, and closes early at 15:00 on 23 and 30 December 2026. Check the museum’s opening-hours page before a holiday. Hours as listed on 25 September 2026.
Is the IKEA Museum in the first IKEA store?
Yes. The museum opened in June 2016 in the building that was the very first IKEA store, opened in Älmhult in 1958 and designed by the local architect Claes Knutson. The store traded for more than 50 years and closed in 2012, when a new store replaced it on the edge of town. The exterior was restored to its original look before the museum moved in.
How do you get to the IKEA Museum by train?
Take a train to Älmhult station, which is served by Öresundståg, Krösatåg and SJ; the museum is in central Älmhult at IKEAgatan 4. The municipality puts Copenhagen Airport at about 1.5 hours by train. On the weekends of 24–25 October and 21–22 November 2026, buses replace Öresundståg trains between Växjö and Älmhult. Plan the trip in Resrobot.
What is there to see at the IKEA Museum?
The main exhibition, The Story of IKEA, follows the company decade by decade, from Ingvar Kamprad’s 1940s mail-order business onward. Temporary exhibitions run alongside it: in late September 2026 these were Young Swedish Design until 1 November 2026, Who builds the future? until 10 January 2027 and Real Play, about why play matters, until 4 April 2027.
Is the IKEA Museum accessible?
Yes. The museum says visitors using a wheelchair, walking aid or stroller can move freely between all floors, through the exhibitions, the shop and the restaurant, and wheelchairs can be borrowed. Accessible toilets are on several floors, three of them extra spacious, and accessible parking is right outside the entrance. Guide and service dogs are welcome; other animals are not.
Related guides
- Småland: the region around Älmhult, for the rest of the trip
- Swedish design: where to see more Swedish design beyond one company
- Öresundståg: the train from Copenhagen and Malmö that stops in Älmhult
- Buying train tickets in Sweden: apps, machines and fines on board
- Train travel in Sweden: the operators and how to plan a trip
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: IKEA Museum, Länstrafiken Kronoberg, Älmhults kommun, Öresundståg and Samtrafiken — full register in this topic’s source file. Hours, prices and exhibitions change; confirm on the museum’s own pages. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.