Sweden’s six big parks differ in the five things that trip up visiting families: when they are open, whether the entry ticket includes rides, how to get there without a car, how tall a child must be, and what a disabled visitor’s companion pays. This page compares them on each, from the parks’ own sites.
When you need this
- You are choosing which park fits a family trip to Sweden
- You are visiting in autumn and need to know what is open
- You are unsure whether you need a ride pass on top of entry
- You are getting there by train, tram, bus or ferry
- You want to know whether a small child can ride
- You are traveling with a disabled family member who needs a companion
For the wider family rules (free under-7s on city transport, museums, water safety) start with Sweden with kids.
The six parks at a glance
Two are city amusement parks you reach by tram: Liseberg in central Gothenburg and Gröna Lund on Djurgården in Stockholm. Two combine a zoo with rides: Kolmården near Norrköping and Furuvik near Gävle. Skara Sommarland in Västergötland is a water park with an amusement section, and Astrid Lindgrens Värld in Vimmerby is a theatre-and-story park built on the author’s books rather than on rides.
| Park | Type | Rides in the entry ticket? | Nearest car-free link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liseberg (Gothenburg) | City amusement park | No — add an åkpass | Tram to Korsvägen or Liseberg Södra |
| Gröna Lund (Stockholm) | City amusement park | No in summer — add an åkband | Tram 7, bus 67 or ferry from Slussen |
| Kolmården (near Norrköping) | Zoo + rides | Yes | Train to Kolmården or Norrköping, then bus |
| Furuvik (near Gävle) | Zoo + rides | Yes | Train to the platform outside the gate |
| Skara Sommarland (near Skara) | Water park + rides | Yes | Train to Skövde, then bus 200 |
| Astrid Lindgrens Värld (Vimmerby) | Story and theatre park | One entry ticket covers the park | The park’s own railway station |
Four of the six — Gröna Lund, Kolmården, Furuvik and Skara Sommarland — belong to one group, Parks & Resorts, which is why their accessibility rules match. Liseberg and Astrid Lindgrens Värld run their own.
When the parks are open
Swedish parks run short, dated seasons, and the gaps between them catch visitors out.
| Season | What opens (2026 dates from the parks) |
|---|---|
| Spring | Liseberg 18 April, Gröna Lund 25 April; Astrid Lindgrens Värld daily 13 May–16 August, then late-summer weekends |
| Summer only | Skara Sommarland, early June to late August (about 80 days) |
| Autumn | Halloween: Liseberg 2 October–1 November, Gröna Lund from 9 October, Furuvik from 10 October; Astrid Lindgrens Värld for the autumn school holiday |
| Winter | Liseberg’s Christmas season, with Christmas packages on selected days 14 November–23 December |
Late September is a gap. Gröna Lund, Kolmården and Furuvik all showed the park closed on 24 September 2026, between the end of summer and Halloween. Check the park calendar for your exact date before you book travel.
Entry or ride pass: two ticket models
This is where families lose money. Sweden’s parks sell tickets in two shapes, and a ticket from one park type doesn’t work the way you’d expect at the other.
Liseberg and Gröna Lund split entry and rides. At Liseberg, admission gets you in; an åkpass (ride pass) gives unlimited rides, and a combined ticket bundles the two. The small children’s area, Kaninlandet, has its own cheaper entry and ride pass. At Gröna Lund, the åkband (ride wristband) gives unlimited rides all day on the date you choose, but you still need an entry ticket or the Gröna Kortet season card, and you collect the wristband at the ticket center outside the park. The queue-skipping Jetpass isn’t included. Children aged 0–3 get free entry and free rides on attractions without a height or age limit, with a paying adult aged 15 or over.
Kolmården, Furuvik and Skara Sommarland include the rides. Kolmården’s 2026 entry lists the Safari cable car and the Wildfire wooden roller coaster as free rides, along with Bamse’s world and the animal shows. Furuvik’s summer day ticket covers animal encounters, free rides, the water play area and shows. Skara Sommarland’s ticket covers the water park and free rides on all rides.
Astrid Lindgrens Värld sells one entry ticket for one, two or three days. Children under three always enter free.
Halloween can flip the model. Gröna Lund’s Halloween ticket is all-in-one — entry, rides and horror houses — and must be pre-booked. Its Midnight Circus evenings from 16 October 2026 have an age limit of 20.
Book online. Kolmården sells a limited number of places and tickets can only be pre-booked online. Skara Sommarland also caps daily numbers and asks you to pre-book. Liseberg says its website is always cheaper than the gate. Astrid Lindgrens Värld doesn’t require a date but encourages buying ahead.
Getting there without a car
Every one of the six parks is reachable by public transport — including the rural ones.
- Liseberg: Göteborg Central is a 10–15 minute walk. The north entrance is nearest Korsvägen and Liseberg station; the south entrance is by Liseberg Södra. In summer a vintage tram, the Lisebergslinjen, runs from the center. Trams are covered in Gothenburg public transport.
- Gröna Lund: tram 7 from T-Centralen or bus 67 from Karlaplan stop at the park; the ferry from Slussen takes about eight minutes, and SL zone A tickets are valid on it. Details in Stockholm public transport.
- Kolmården: the nearest stations are Kolmården and Norrköping, and buses run to the park entrances; timetables are on Östgötatrafiken.
- Furuvik: trains from Gävle, Uppsala and Stockholm stop at a platform just outside the main entrance; bus 501 runs from Gävle.
- Skara Sommarland: take the train to Skövde C, then bus 200 to the stop called Sommarland by the visitor car park. From Gothenburg, Västtrafik’s Regionen runt ticket covers the whole trip, and a direct coach runs from Stockholm.
- Astrid Lindgrens Värld: during opening hours trains stop at the park’s own station, next to the car park and 100 meters from the entrance. Staffed luggage storage is inside the entrance, so you can arrive with bags. See buying train tickets in Sweden.
Height limits: how they work
Each park sets a minimum height per ride, written as minst 120 cm (“at least 120 cm”) or similar, often with a lower figure med vuxen (with an adult).
Liseberg shows the usual pattern. The smallest rides take children from 90 cm, or at any height with an adult. Many family rides need 110 cm, or 90 cm with an adult. The big coasters need 130 cm. Some rides also have a maximum: at Skara Sommarland, slides such as Spinner and Snake stop at 195 cm, with minimums of 120 and 140 cm.
Height isn’t the only test. Liseberg says safety rules on height, body size and disability apply, and staff decide per ride — “not everyone can ride everything, but everyone can ride something.” Measure your children before you promise them a particular coaster.
Accessibility and companions
All six parks let a disabled visitor’s companion in free, but the paperwork differs.
| Park | Free companion | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Gröna Lund, Kolmården, Furuvik, Skara Sommarland | One or two, per the certificate | A certificate (intyg) signed by care staff, a special-needs educator, a teacher or a support worker; valid three years; companion 16+ with ID |
| Liseberg | Personal attendant | Ask at Guest Services; Accessible Queue available there |
| Astrid Lindgrens Värld | Personal carer or assistant | A certificate from a healthcare provider, assistance company or municipality; over three years old can be refused |
At the four Parks & Resorts parks, an accessibility wristband (tillgänglighetsband) from the ticket center or guest service gives access to an alternative queue, always with one accompanying person (some rides allow more). Wheelchair users need no certificate for the queue, only for a free companion. Register the certificate on the group’s customer account (Mina sidor) and it works at all four parks.
The terrain matters too. Liseberg has two steep routes to its upper areas and lends wheelchairs at the north entrance (book ahead by phone). Astrid Lindgrens Värld is partly hilly with cobblestones and lends a limited number of wheelchairs free. Skara Sommarland’s paths are mostly paved with some gravel, it has an adapted toilet by the water-park showers, and assistance dogs are welcome everywhere except the attractions and pools. Gröna Lund publishes a leaflet listing which rides take wheelchair users. For the wider picture, see accessible travel in Sweden.
Mistakes to avoid
- Buying Liseberg tickets at the gate. The park says its own website is always cheaper.
- Assuming the summer ticket works at Halloween. Gröna Lund’s Halloween ticket is a different, all-in-one product that must be pre-booked.
- Driving to Gröna Lund. Tram 7, bus 67 or the Slussen ferry get you to the gate.
- Hiring a car just for Vimmerby. Astrid Lindgrens Värld has its own railway station.
- Arriving without the companion certificate. Get it signed at home; without it, the companion pays.
- Turning up on spec at a capped park. Kolmården and Skara Sommarland expect online pre-booking.
Practical information
Amounts below are dated examples read from the parks’ own pages; summer day-ticket prices change every year and are not published here.
| Item | Amount | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Liseberg Halloween 2026 admission, online | From 125 SEK | 2026-09-25 |
| Liseberg Halloween 2026 ride pass (unlimited rides + horror houses), online | From 335 SEK | 2026-09-25 |
| Liseberg Halloween 2026 admission + rides, online | From 425 SEK | 2026-09-25 |
| Liseberg stroller rental | 50 SEK + 50 SEK refundable deposit | 2026-09-25 |
| Gröna Lund: children 0–3 with a paying adult 15+ | Free entry and rides without height/age limit | 2026-09-25 |
| Gröna Kortet 2027 (summer entry card, online only) | 440 SEK | 2026-09-25 |
| Kolmården Wild Card 2027, adult 13+ / child 3–12 (half-price offer) | 1,195 / 845 SEK | 2026-09-25 |
| Furuvikskortet PLUS (summer + Halloween entry) | 1,595 SEK | 2026-09-25 |
| Astrid Lindgrens Värld, children under 3 | Free | 2026-09-25 |
| Companion with a valid certificate | Free entry at all six parks | 2026-09-25 |
FAQ
When are theme parks in Sweden open?
Mostly from spring to late summer. In 2026 Liseberg opened on 18 April, Gröna Lund on 25 April and Astrid Lindgrens Värld on 13 May, while Skara Sommarland runs early June to late August. Several parks then close before reopening for Halloween in October, and Liseberg opens again for Christmas from mid-November. Always check the park’s own calendar for your date.
Do you need a ride pass at Liseberg and Gröna Lund?
Yes, if you want to ride. In summer both parks sell entry and unlimited rides separately: Liseberg’s Åkpass and Gröna Lund’s Åkband, which also requires an entry ticket. A combined ticket exists at Liseberg. At Kolmården, Furuvik and Skara Sommarland the rides are included in the day ticket, and Gröna Lund’s Halloween ticket is all-in-one.
How do you get to Liseberg and Gröna Lund without a car?
Liseberg is a 10–15 minute walk from Göteborg Central, with trams to Korsvägen and Liseberg Södra and trains to Liseberg station. For Gröna Lund, take tram 7 from T-Centralen, bus 67 from Karlaplan, or the roughly eight-minute ferry from Slussen; SL zone A tickets are valid on the ferry. Neither park needs a car.
Can you reach the parks outside the cities by train?
Yes. Astrid Lindgrens Värld has its own station 100 m from the entrance during opening hours, and Furuvik’s platform is just outside the main gate. For Kolmården, take a train to Kolmården or Norrköping and a bus to the entrance. For Skara Sommarland, take the train to Skövde, then bus 200 to the stop called Sommarland.
What are the height limits on Swedish amusement rides?
Each park sets a minimum height per ride. At Liseberg the smallest rides admit children from 90 cm or any height with an adult, many family rides need 110 cm or 90 cm with an adult, and the big coasters need 130 cm. Some water slides also have a maximum, such as 195 cm at Skara Sommarland. Check each ride’s page.
Do companions of disabled visitors get in free?
Yes, at all six parks, with conditions. Gröna Lund, Kolmården, Furuvik and Skara Sommarland admit one or two companions free on a signed certificate valid for three years; the companion must be 16 or older. Astrid Lindgrens Värld asks for a certificate from a healthcare provider, assistance company or municipality. Liseberg admits a personal attendant free and offers an Accessible Queue.
Do you have to book Swedish theme park tickets in advance?
At some parks, yes. Kolmården sells a limited number of places and tickets can only be pre-booked online, and Skara Sommarland asks every visitor to pre-book. Gröna Lund’s Halloween tickets must be pre-booked. Astrid Lindgrens Värld does not require a date but encourages advance purchase, and Liseberg says its website is always cheaper than the gate.
Related guides
- Sweden with kids: free child fares, museums and water safety for the rest of the trip
- Astrid Lindgrens Värld: the Vimmerby park in depth, from shows to staying over
- Kolmården: the zoo, the Safari cable car and Wildfire in detail
- Skansen and Junibacken: Stockholm’s open-air museum and storybook house for younger children
- Accessible travel in Sweden: assistance on trains, buses and at venues
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Liseberg, Gröna Lund, Kolmården, Furuvik, Skara Sommarland, Astrid Lindgrens Värld and SL — full register in this topic’s source file. Summer ticket prices are deliberately not published; check the park’s own site. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.