Skansen

What Skansen does

Skansen is a Swedish non-profit foundation (Stiftelsen Skansen) that operates the world's first open-air museum, founded in 1891 by Artur Hazelius on a 30-hectare site on Djurgården island in central Stockholm. The institution combines a heritage museum with a zoological park, housing over 150 historic buildings from across Sweden and approximately 85 animal species, including Nordic wildlife at the main zoo, domestic animals at Lill-Skansen children's zoo, and marine exhibits at the Skansen-Akvariet and Baltic Sea Science Center. Its core products are platform-plus-modules: standard admission covers the open-air museum, zoo, Baltic Sea Science Center, and Lill-Skansen, while add-ons include the Bergbanan funicular, audio guide, aquarium, gift vouchers, and corporate experiences (Skansen Adventure teambuilding, Print a Memory workshop, venue rentals at Solliden Stage, Galejan, and Seglora Church).

The business model is multi-stream and consumer-facing, anchored by ticketing — a one-day ticket and a 425 SEK annual pass that pays for itself on the second visit — supported by seven on-site food and beverage outlets, physical retail stores and a global EU-shipping webshop (Skansenbutiken) selling Swedish handicrafts and Dala horses, corporate events and venue rentals, sponsor contributions from main partners (Coop Östra, Xylem), and 90-konto audited charitable donations. Go-to-market mixes direct park entry, e-commerce, school group bookings (over 1,000 groups annually serving 60,000+ students), and dedicated corporate services. Revenue is reinvested into cultural, educational, sustainability, and animal welfare missions under the foundation structure.

Customer segments span families with children (primary), school groups (primary), domestic and international tourists, corporate clients, and conservation-minded visitors. The organization markets via its website, social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), event programming (Allsång på Skansen, Midsummer, Christmas market, New Year's Eve), PR/earned media, and email. Skansen reports 1.4 million annual visitors and holds consecutive Sustainable Brand Index awards (2023, 2024) and the 2022 Green Destinations Platinum Award, reflecting ESG positioning as a strategic pillar.

Name

Skansen

Legal name

Stiftelsen Skansen

Website

https://skansen.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Skansen, founded 1891 in Stockholm, is the world's first open-air museum and operates a 30-hectare heritage site combining a cultural museum, zoo with ~85 species, and event venue, serving 1.4 million annual visitors across families, schools, tourists, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Open-Air Museum and Zoological Park

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

UNESCO & Protected Landmark Sites (THAJACAI)

Keywords

• Open-air museum
• Cultural heritage experiences
• Zoological park services
• Corporate event venues
• Educational school programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Gaussan

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets and Annual Passes: Revenue from one-day tickets and annual passes that provide access to the open-air museum, zoo (Baltic Sea Science Center), Lill-Skansen children's zoo, and included attractions. Annual pass costs 425 SEK and pays for itself by the second visit.
2. Retail (Webshop and Physical Stores): Sale of Swedish handicrafts, Dala horses, textiles, pottery, books, food products, and Skansen-branded merchandise through physical stores at the park and the e-commerce webshop. Includes Swedish craftsmanship products and design items.
3. Food and Beverage: Revenue from cafés and restaurants operating within the park, including Arturs Kafé, Flickorna Helin, Stora Gungan Tavern, Gubbhyllan Restaurant, Kafé Petissan, The Bakery, and Stockholm's Glassworks.
4. Corporate Events and Bookings: Revenue from hosting corporate events, team-building activities (The Skansen Adventure, Print a Memory), venue rentals (Solliden Stage, Galejan, Seglora Church), and conferences at Baltic Sea Science Center. Corporate tours start from 5,500 SEK per group.
5. Sponsorships and Partnerships: Monetary contributions, products, and services from main partners (Coop Östra, Xylem), official suppliers, and sponsors. Includes opportunities for brand visibility, employee engagement through volunteering, and project sponsorship.
6. Donations and Gift Contributions: Donations from private individuals and organizations through the 90-konto (charitable giving account). Skansen has 90-konto and is audited by Swedish Fundraising Control Board with at least 75% of proceeds going to the organization's purpose.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Skansen operates a 30-hectare open-air museum and zoological park on Djurgården in Stockholm, offering visitors access to historic Swedish buildings, Nordic animal species, the Baltic Sea Science Center, and Lill-Skansen children's zoo via paid admission and annual passes. The foundation also runs on-site restaurants, multiple retail stores, an EU-shipped e-commerce webshop for Swedish handicrafts, and bookable corporate event venues plus team-building experiences such as Print a Memory and the Skansen Adventure.

Product overview

Skansen is a combined open-air museum and zoo located in Stockholm, operating as a unified visitor experience where the core products are the open-air museum (friluftsmuseum) and the zoo (djurpark), both included with standard admission. These are complemented by the Baltic Sea Science Center and Lill-Skansen (children's zoo), which are also included in standard tickets. A separate aquarium (Skansen-Akvariet) requires an additional ticket purchased on site. Visitors can enhance their experience with add-on services including an audio guide, the historic funicular railway (Bergbanan), and corporate/group experiences such as 'Print a Memory' and the 'Skansen Adventure' teambuilding activity. Ticketing options include one-day tickets and annual passes, with annual passes unlocking additional discounts at on-site shops and restaurants. The Skansen Webshop (Skansenbutiken) operates as a separate e-commerce platform selling Swedish handicrafts, Dala horses, books, food items, and Skansen-branded merchandise. The portfolio architecture is a platform-plus-modules model where core admission products serve as the foundation, with optional paid add-ons and the separate webshop generating supplementary revenue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Skansenbutiken: The Skansen Shop (Skansenbutiken) is the retail division selling Swedish craftsmanship, Dala horses, ceramics, textiles, books, and other Swedish design products. Operates both physical stores at Skansen and an online webshop at webshop.skansen.se.
• Baltic Sea Science Center
• Lill-Skansen
• Skansen-Akvariet

Products and services

• Skansen Open-Air Museum An open-air museum (friluftsmuseum) showcasing Swedish cultural heritage through historic buildings, farmsteads, and folk traditions, included in standard Skansen admission for visitors.
• Skansen Zoo A zoological park housing approximately 85 species of Nordic animals for public exhibition, focused on conservation, education, and animal welfare. Included in standard admission.
• Baltic Sea Science Center

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.4 million visitors annually contribute to Swedish tourism economy
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Coop ÖstracoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMain partner (Huvudpartner) providing grocery and food products. Coop Östra is a regional cooperative grocery chain serving eastern Sweden.
• XylemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain partner (Huvudpartner) specializing in water technology and solutions. Supports Skansen's water management and environmental initiatives.
• Stockholms universitet (SU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner at Baltic Sea Science Center. Collaboration on marine education, research, and public understanding of Baltic Sea ecosystems.
• SLU, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner at Baltic Sea Science Center. Collaboration on agricultural and environmental research relevant to Swedish nature and biodiversity.
• Stockholm Vatten och Avfall (SVOA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner at Baltic Sea Science Center. Supports water conservation and environmental education initiatives focused on the Baltic Sea.
• Saint GobainminorOthersOfficial supplier of building and construction materials for Skansen's maintenance and development needs.
• Hasselfors GardenminorOthersOfficial supplier of gardening and horticultural products supporting Skansen's gardens and agricultural exhibits.
• EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of EAZA coordinating over 400 European zoos and running extensive conservation programs. Skansen participates in EAZA Ex situ Programmes (EEP) for threatened species.
• WAZA (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal alliance member working to strengthen zoo roles in species conservation, research, and education worldwide.
• IUCN (The International Union for Conservation of Nature)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember contributing to international conservation goals. IUCN maintains the global Red List of Threatened Species and advances sustainable development objectives.
• SDF (Svenska Djurfparksföreningen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Links Swedish zoos to international cooperation and promotes high standards in animal welfare, conservation, education, and research.
• Kungliga Djurgårdens Intressenter (KDI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership driving sustainable development on Djurgården. Received Green Destinations Platinum Award in 2022 for work across all UN sustainability goals.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nordiska Museet: Nordic cultural heritage museum located on Djurgården within walking distance of Skansen. Shares the same heritage-curation mission, visitor catchment, and tourism ecosystem, and competes directly for cultural-tourism dwell time in Stockholm.
• Junibacken: Stockholm children's cultural attraction on Djurgården focused on Astrid Lindgren's literary heritage. Comparable in scale, family/children segment, and Stockholm-tourism channel mix, and similarly relies on bundled admission and educational programming.
• Gröna Lund: Historic Stockholm amusement park also on Djurgården. Competes for the same local family visitor base and tourist dwell time, but operates a rides-based model versus Skansen's cultural/zoo model, making it a complementary rather than pure substitute.
• Kolmården Zoo: Sweden's largest wildlife park and Skansen's most direct domestic competitor for zoo visitation. Both operate Nordic animal collections, EAZA conservation programs, and family-oriented experiences; Kolmården complements Skansen in southern Sweden while Skansen dominates the Stockholm catchment.

Broad incumbents

• Copenhagen Zoo: Major Nordic urban zoo with EAZA membership and modern conservation exhibits. Comparable in zoo operating model, Nordic species focus, and educational mission, but operates at significantly larger scale and without Skansen's open-air museum dimension.
• Edinburgh Zoo: Heritage urban zoo operated by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland with EAZA membership and conservation breeding programs. Comparable as a long-established, education-focused, conservation-driven urban zoo serving a major European capital's tourism economy.
• Tierpark Berlin: Large European zoo with expansive landscaped grounds combining zoo and nature-park elements. The closest international analog to Skansen's combined cultural-heritage + zoo + landscape model, though at materially larger scale and without the Swedish cultural framing.
• London Zoo: The world's oldest scientific zoo, operated by ZSL with deep EAZA/IUCN conservation involvement. Shares Skansen's blend of heritage institution, urban zoo, education programming, and international conservation partnerships, though at substantially larger scale.

Regional players

• Vasa Museum: Stockholm's most-visited museum, also on Djurgården. Comparable as a single-icon-attraction drawing high-volume tourism in the same geographic cluster, with similar pricing economics and event-driven demand spikes, but operating a single-artifact model rather than Skansen's portfolio.

Others

• Parks & Resorts (Parks and Resorts Scandinavia): Parent of Kolmården, Gröna Lund, and Skara Sommarland, and Skansen's principal commercial counterpart in Swedish attractions. Relevant for benchmarking multi-attraction operating economics, corporate-event sales infrastructure, and competitive dynamics in the Stockholm/Swedish market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/skansen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skansen
• Instagraminstagram.com/skansen
• Xx.com/Skansen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Skansen