Gustavianum – the University’s Museum of collections with exhibitions
Gustavianum’s sundial on the roof was renovated in 2024 and is painted with gold leaf. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt
Gustavianum, the Uppsala University Museum, houses the University’s Historical Collections, Art Collection and Coin Cabinet, along with other permanent and temporary exhibitions. The Museum is open all summer and offers three scheduled guided tours every day.
At 400 years old, Gustavianum is Uppsala University’s oldest building. It was constructed opposite Uppsala Cathedral in the 1620s. Originally, Gustavianum housed lecture halls and the library as well as student housing and student kitchens. The building was first renovated in the late 1600s. The Anatomical Theatre was added in 1662–63, a project that was led by Olof Rudbeck the Elder.
Gustavianum survived the Great Fire of 1702 when almost all of Uppsala burned down. This was especially lucky for the University’s library, which was housed in the building at the time.
Gustavianum was the University’s main building
In the 1700s, some alterations were made to Gustavianum’s interiors and exterior. The entrance hall with its open stair lobby was added in the 1840s. The new University House was completed in 1887. Until then Gustavianum had been the University’s main building.
At the beginning of the 1920s, it was time to renovate Gustavianum again. After these renovations a number of the University’s departments moved in. In 1935 Gustavianum became a listed building in Sweden. Gustavianum has been a public museum since 1997. In June 2024, the Museum reopened after having been closed for renovations for five years.
Collections, exhibitions and guided tours
In its role as Uppsala University Museum, Gustavianum manages the University’s Historical Collections, Art Collection and Coin Cabinet. Researchers and students have access to these collections, but the public can also view some of the collections.
There are a number of permanent exhibitions such as the Anatomical Theatre, the Art Collection, the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile Valley, the Coin Cabinet, the University’s History and History of Science, and the Dawn of the Viking Age. But there are also some temporary exhibitions, for example, Look at me! Portrait, Memory and Identity, an exhibition of portraits on display from April until 26 October 2025.
Visitors can view the various exhibitions and collections at their own pace or be guided by the exhibition texts provided by researchers, or by audio guides, information screens and printed catalogues. Visitors can also take guided tours in the form of either scheduled tours or pre-booked tours.
Ulrika Hurtig
Gustavianum, the Uppsala University Museum
- The entrance fee for adults is SEK 150, and for students and post-retirement staff from other higher education institutions it is SEK 120. Staff and students of Uppsala University and visitors aged 19 or younger have free admission.
- In summer 2025, Gustavianum is open every day between 11 am and 5 pm, except on Midsummer Day.
- Gustavianum has a museum shop with a range of branded giftware and objects related to the Museum’s exhibitions and Historical Collections.