Tickets - There was no line at the ticket counter when we arrived. I presented my Stockholm Card, and the 65SEK adult and 35SEK child admission fees were covered.

Animals we particularly liked:

Pygmy marmoset - We easily spent the first 15-20 minutes admiring these tiny little creatures. They are among the smallest of all primates and are absolutely adorable. They seemed to be very curious of all the human spectators and would come right up to the glass at times to look at us. We joked around that they looked angry because we didn’t have any food. We were amazed at how fierce-looking their claws are. Before we left Skansen Akvariet, we made a return visit because they were just so darn cute.

Lemurs - The lemur exhibit was awesome. You walk right into the lemur habitat, where the animals roam and jump around freely. We arrived just as feeding time started and it was amazing to watch the lemurs eat and play together. We saw some precious baby lemurs, who do well in fending for themselves. For me, this was the best part of this attraction.

Meerkats - We also saw some meerkats (think Timon from "The Lion King"). These animals were playful as well and seemed to pose for the camera. I would have liked to pick one up and play with it.

Other animals - We saw toucans, degus (hamster-like), naked rats (totally hairless and pink), an African dormouse, fish, sponges, a crocodile, cockroaches, scorpions, tarantulas, and snakes. You can actually handle a snake, but neither my son or I had the desire to do so.

Overall Thoughts - It’s a great place for families and manageable in terms of size. On the plus side, you get to see some rather unique animals. Another plus is the gift shop, which has a nice selection of toys and stuffed animals for the kids, as well as some more decorative items for the adults. Definitely recommend visiting when at Skansen.

Official Skansen-Akvariet Website - Not in English

Getting there - Getting to Skansen was relatively easy. As I wanted to maximize my use of the Stockholm Card, I took the T-bana from Mariatorget to T-Centralen and changed to the #47 bus. It took a while for a bus to show up that wasn’t completely full. So, what normally may have been a 30-minute trip took about 50 minutes. Thankfully, my son had his Gameboy to keep him occupied.

Tickets - There was no line at the ticket window when we arrived. I presented my Stockholm Card and the 70SEK adult admission fee was covered. I paid 30SEK for my son’s admission.

First Impressions - Upon entering Skansen, it was immediately apparent that the place was very spread out and we would need to plan accordingly (I believe Skansen occupies over 70 acres). I found the architectural examples and styles to be quite fascinating. I also enjoyed how the attractions and sights are integrated into the natural environment – nothing feels out of place or "forced" if you will.

Areas we visited:

Skansen Akvariet - This is an attraction in its own right, with its own admission charges. I’ve covered this in its own section of the journal.

Old School - This charming little building really captured my son’s interest. We both imagined what it would have been like to attend a one-room schoolhouse, complete with wooden desks and inkwells. Of particular interest was the school teacher’s quarters, which were attached to the classroom. Outside, the gardens were beautiful and provided a remarkable contrast to today’s modern-day playgrounds.

The Town Quarters - What a fantastic collection of buildings of all types! We came across a glassworks, a furniture factory, a bakery (which had delicious pastries), a post office, and more! It really felt like an old-time Swedish town or village. It was also a peaceful place to stop and eat our donuts while drinking sodas purchased from a nearby café.

Children’s area - I was very thankful for the children’s playground we happened upon about midway through our tour of Skansen. My son was able to interact with other kids his own age. He really enjoyed climbing this rope contraption. In all, I think we spent about 90 minutes here.

Animals - This was another highlight for me and my son, since we both love animals. We saw elk, reindeer, brown bears, and seals. In Lill-Skansen, which is the children’s zoo, we saw kittens, chicks, ducks, rabbits, and guinea pigs.

A creek - There’s a creek that runs through part of Skansen, near where the Scandinavian animals are kept. My son had a blast walking through the water in his bare feet and watching leaves be carried from one end to another. It was a nice, relaxing way to get in touch with nature.

Official Skansen Website

There are two entrances to Skansen. In the main entrance the price is quite steep, some US$5-10 depending on age and number of people in the group. Ask the bus/tram driver to drop you off at the back entrance where admission is free for kids and significantly cheaper for adults as well. The back entrance also boasts a cable car which will be greatly appreciated by the kids.

I cannot really say anything about the zoo but there is certainly a wealth of interest in the 150 or so buildings assembled in the large area. Outside the 'town' area the various areas are assembled to show the sort of buildings found in different parts of Sweden. There are a couple of churches as well as the traditional houses and workplaces.

I found the town area particularly interesting as it was very much alive with practical demonstrations in the workshops. The buidings are mainly from Stockholm in this area and represent styles from the 1760s to the 1930s. Among the buildings are the Pharmacy, the Bakery and shop, The Bookbinder's, the Printer's, an old Grocer's, the saddler's and the Tannery, the Glassworks, the Tobacco factory, the Goldsmith's workshop, and the Pottery as well as traditional workers' houses and a mansion.

The grounds cover the slopes of what seems a mighty hill in the generally flat Stockholm area, and a visit can easily be combined with a more general examination of the beautiful Djurgården area.