Vaxholm Fortress Museum, Military museum in Vaxholm, Sweden

Vaxholm Fortress Museum is a military museum on an island in the Stockholm archipelago that chronicles coastal defense through displays and reconstructed spaces. The site spans 30 rooms filled with weapons, maps, photographs, and recreated quarters showing how soldiers lived and carried out their duties.

Gustav Vasa ordered its construction in 1548 as a stone fortress to control the waterway to Stockholm and defend the region. It was expanded repeatedly and saw action defending against Danish and Russian attacks before advances in military technology led to relocating coastal defense further offshore.

The museum opened in 2003, inaugurated by the King, and occupies the fortress of Vaxholm Castle. In the former arrest cells, displays recount the fortress's use as a prison in the 1700s and 1800s, naming General von Döbeln, held in 1813, and Anders Lindeberg, sentenced to death for majestätsbrott in 1834. A preserved government room holds the station from which Edelcrantz's optical telegraph was operated.

Summer ferries run from Vaxholm and Stockholm to the island, making access straightforward during warm months. The museum operates on select days from May through September, typically from noon to late afternoon, with guided tours in English available throughout the season.

The museum features exhibits on espionage throughout history and animals used in warfare, including dogs, pigeons, and even a bear. It also showcases a collection related to the Ytterby mines, where several chemical elements were first discovered.