Skansen announces free admission for children aged 0–15

– There is so much of importance to discover and experience at Skansen – culture, nature, history, knowledge, and reflections on how people have lived through the ages and how we live today. By changing our pricing policy to offer free entry for children, we are lowering the barriers for many more. Every child and every family, regardless of financial circumstances, should have the opportunity to experience Skansen, says Maria Groop Russel, CEO of Skansen. 

As one of Sweden’s most visited cultural institutions, Skansen has long worked to increase accessibility for children and young people in various ways. While government policy includes the mission of providing children with access to culture, current state funding has not allowed for a reform of free entry. After many years of appeals, Skansen has now chosen to implement this reform using its own resources. 

– Cultural experiences are a fundamental right for every child. Skansen has an important role to play here, says Maria Groop Russel. 

Alongside the introduction of free admission, Skansen is further developing its museum offering, educational programmes, zoo, events, as well as food and beverage experiences – all with the aim of making Skansen an even more inspiring and engaging place for more people. 

The initiative is financed through a slight increase in the price of annual passes and adult admission tickets. Prices for pensioners and students remain unchanged.  

The free admission reform for children aged 0–15 is being introduced in conjunction with Skansen’s switch to a new ticketing system on 7 October. The new system will make it easier and faster to purchase tickets and annual passes online. At the same time, differential pricing for online and on-site purchases will be implemented. 

Facts: Prices from 7 October 2025 

Annual Pass Adult: SEK 445
Annual Pass Student/Senior: SEK 405
Annual Pass Child: Free 

Day Ticket Adult: Low season SEK 240 / High season SEK 305
Day Ticket Student/Senior: Low season SEK 200 / High season SEK 265
Day Ticket Child (0–15 years): Free 

Prices apply to online purchases. When purchasing tickets at Skansen’s entrance, an administrative fee of SEK 25 will be added.

Facts: Financing and Governance 

The Skansen Foundation’s operations are financed by state subsidies (23%), admission revenue (55%), and other income (22%). All surplus is reinvested into the institution. 

The decision to introduce free admission for children comes at a time when the Government, in its 2026 budget proposal, suggests an increase of SEK 7 million per year for the period 2026–2028, aimed at strengthening the foundation museums Skansen, the Nordic Museum, the National Museum of Science and Technology, and the Museum of Work. Despite these initiatives, culture’s share of the national budget remains at a low level – 0.65 per cent in the 2025 budget – a reminder of the challenges that museums and cultural institutions have long highlighted. 

Skansen is one of Sweden’s most popular visitor destinations with around 1,4 million guests per year, yet it also faces major financial challenges in the form of maintenance and development costs. 

The Skansen Foundation is a non-religious and politically independent institution, governed by charter and statutes. The state subsidy is managed under guidelines from the Ministry of Culture. Skansen has no beneficial owner and is self-governed.