Skansen Open Air Museum
 

We were trying to include the Skansen Open Air Museum after a trip to the Vasa Museum in August, but the timing will get us there at around 4:30pm. It looks as though most things will be closing by then. Would it be worth going to at that hour and what would we see between 4:30 to 6pm? Thank you.

Basically, you could see the buildings from the outside. When open, you can walk through the various houses and other buildings and talk to the docents who are in period dress and explain the lifestyle of the residents.
You could see the animals in their pens in the zoo area.
Any folk dance or other events scheduled for that time?

What I personally liked most was the folk dance performance, then seeing the inside of the various farm houses and talking to the docents, then the inside of the "town" houses, then the animals, then the other demonstrations (glassblowing and I forget what else). So, for me it would not be very worthwhile to go after the houses close.

However, I also think, "What will I do instead?" If I have another activity/destination in mind, I would strongly consider it. If the weather is good and I would otherwise just go back to my hotel, I'd think, "Why not?"

I agree with Kay2. To really get a feel for Skansen, you really should devote 3 hours or so.

When we went there in late July I was disappointed to see how many of the buildings were closed for various reasons. It was a significant proportion- more than I would have expected on a rolling maintenace programme.

I would do Skansen first and then Vasa - which is indoors - and I think may be just as interesting later in the day. We spend at least 3 hours in Skansen, visiting a bunch of buildings, learning from the docents and also viewing the animal.

What's really weird is that in Europe moose are called elk (elg in Swedish). I don;t know what word they use for actual elk.

Thanks for the replies. We were planning on visiting Vasa and Skansen afer seeing the changing of the guard. We are limited by the times of the English tour and film at Vasa. I think that we would not have enough time to go to Vasa if we went to Skansen first after the changing of the guard. Any suggestions?

<<What's really weird is that in Europe moose are called elk (elg in Swedish). I don;t know what word they use for actual elk.>>

Interesting question. Wikipedia to the rescue!

What we in North America call a moose (alces alces) is called an elk throughout Europe. The North American elk or wapiti is quite a different animal (cervus canadensis) and is the one of the largest species of deer, very similar to the red deer.

In the same vein, the reindeer (rangifer tarandus) is the caribou in North America.

Returning to the OP's question, of the three activities, I would visit Skansen and the Vasa museum and skip the changing of the guard if time were a constraint.

I have been to Vasa twice, once just went through on my own reading all the displays and the second time on the tour. (I may have seen the film the first time. I don't remember.) The guide really didn't add much to what I had learned on my own and I went at my own pace, in my own order. So, while I like the tour and the ability to ask questions, you can also do fine in Vasa without taking the tour if you are willing to read all the explanations.

I haven't seen the changing of the guard, so can't comment on that.

We toured the Vasa ourselves as well - and everything seemed perfectly clear - I;m not sure what a guide would have added - there is already a ton of into. And agree that the changing of the guard (similar to that in any for any of the minor monarchies - isn;t much) - nothing like that in the UK. If you happen to be there fine - but I wouldn't cut out any other sights for it.

Back to the elk - does this mean that they don't have what we call an elk (wapiti?) at all in europe. I must admit that all the deer that I saw there were tiny - like the white-tailed deer that haunt the backyards in many of our suburbs.

Vasa was fine without tour, very easy with lots of information posted.
You can see the guards parading to the castle on the road along the water where the small ferries leave for the islands.

Thanks for suggesting Vasa without the tour. That way we can go from changing of the guard to Skansen first, and then to Vasa. What are the transportation options from the palace area after changing of the guard to Skansen? How far a walk is it from Skansen to Vasa? If not so close, are there any public transportation choices from Skansen to Vasa?

I have walked it all, but I usually walk 3+ miles everyday.
There are bus and tram service along the waterfront.
There is a good Stockholm public transit site, but I don't have the url handy.

We loved the Vasa museum and spent 3 hours there. Skansen was interesting and we enjoyed watching the bears climb the trees.