Sjöfartsmuseet Akvariet

What Sjöfartsmuseet Akvariet does

Sjöfartsmuseet Akvariet (Maritime Museum and Aquarium) is a municipal cultural institution in Gothenburg, Sweden, founded in 1933 and reopened in December 2022 following a multi-year renovation and extension. It is operated by the City of Gothenburg's Culture Administration (Kulturförvaltningen) and co-financed by Region Västra Götaland. The institution combines a maritime cultural-history museum with one of Europe's largest public live coral aquariums, housing approximately one million objects, 1,500+ vessel models, and 600,000 ship drawings documenting Swedish shipbuilding heritage. The new underground aquarium hall features 15 aquariums, a 400,000-litre Korallhavet (Coral Sea) displaying around 100 endangered stony coral species, and the Ocean Lab — a public research laboratory enabling hands-on marine science and citizen science participation.

Revenue is generated through single-entry tickets (75 SEK adult, rising to 76 SEK in 2026; free for under-20s and students), the joint Gothenburg Museum Card (150 SEK annual subscription covering four museums), on-site retail and café (Café ONE), and digital image licensing from the collections. The museum reaches families, tourists, and school groups through its physical site, online booking, Instagram, an email newsletter, and the MyNewsdesk press channel, and participates in international research collaborations including a living coral gene bank network and co-produced traveling exhibitions. It was named Sweden's 'Museum of the Year 2024' by Sveriges Museer and Svenska ICOM.

Name

Sjöfartsmuseet Akvariet

Legal name

Sjöfartsmuseet Akvariet

Website

https://sjofartsmuseetakvariet.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sjöfartsmuseet Akvariet is a municipal maritime museum and public aquarium in Gothenburg, Sweden, operating one of Europe's largest live coral exhibits alongside historical shipbuilding collections, serving families, tourists, and school groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Museum and Aquarium Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

Keywords

• Maritime museum
• Public aquarium
• Marine education
• Cultural heritage
• Coral conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Gothenburg

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Museum Admissions: Single-entry day tickets for adults at 75 SEK (76 SEK from 2026). Revenue from individual visitor admissions.
2. Museum Card Annual Pass: Annual pass valid for unlimited visits to four museums in Gothenburg for 150 SEK (senior 130 SEK). Provides recurring revenue from committed visitors.
3. Retail Shop: Museum shop selling maritime posters, prints, literature on history and marine biology, and educational toys and books for children.
4. Food and Beverage: Café ONE serves well-prepared food, seasonal pastries, and offers vegan and gluten-free options. Revenue from café sales during museum hours.
5. Digital Image Licensing: Sale of high-resolution digital images from collections: 300 SEK for first image, then 100 SEK per additional image.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sjöfartsmuseet Akvariet is a public maritime museum and aquarium that combines cultural heritage of shipping history with marine biology exhibits. The museum displays nearly 1 million objects, 1500+ vessel models, and 600,000 ship drawings, alongside 15 aquariums featuring Europe's largest public live coral collection. Ticketed admission and an annual Museum Card grant visitors access to exhibitions, Ocean Lab hands-on research, and educational programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Day Ticket Museum Admission
• Museum Card Annual Pass
• Korallhavet Coral Sea Aquarium
• Ocean Lab Public Research Laboratory
• Sea of Stories Permanent Exhibition
• Big Blue Children's Exhibition
• Knattegatt Children's Playroom
• Sharks, Camera, Action! Temporary Exhibition
• Museum Shop Retail
• Café ONE Food and Beverage
• Digital Image Licensing Service
• Guided Tours and Activities

Quantifiable outcome

• Visitor numbers doubled in first year after reopening in December 2022
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Göteborgs konstmuseum (Gothenburg Museum of Art)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership within the Museum Card program allowing unlimited visits to four Gothenburg museums with one annual pass. The four museums collaborate on joint ticketing and marketing.
• Göteborgs stadsmuseum (Museum of Gothenburg)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership within the Museum Card program. The Museum of Gothenburg offers cultural history exhibitions spanning 12,000 years, including Viking ship and early Volvo exhibits.
• Röhsska MuseumcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership within the Museum Card program. Design and craft museum showcasing fashion, design, and decorative arts from various periods.
• Göteborgs universitet (University of Gothenburg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Ocean Lab public research laboratory. University partnership for marine research and education initiatives.
• Havs- och vattenmyndigheten (Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency collaboration on Ocean Lab marine research and education projects.
• Havsmiljöinstitutet (Institute of Marine Research)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute collaboration on marine research initiatives through Ocean Lab.
• HDK-Valand – University of Art and DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign collaboration for Knattegatt children's exhibition (0-3 years). 16 children's culture design students created the spatial environment inspired by Scandinavian coastline.
• M/S Museet för Sjöfart (Helsingør Maritime Museum)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanish maritime museum co-producing traveling exhibitions including Oceanista (fashion and the sea). Part of international exhibition network Expona.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Havsmiljöinstitutet (Institute of Marine Research): Swedish marine research institute collaborating with the museum on Ocean Lab research. Comparable as an enabling research partner, not a direct competitor, but part of the same Swedish marine-research ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Maritime Museum Rotterdam: Major Dutch maritime museum in a comparable port city, combining heritage exhibitions with interactive experiences. Comparable as a European port-city maritime museum with similar audience and content focus.
• National Maritime Museum (UK): United Kingdom's national maritime museum complex in Greenwich, including the Royal Observatory. Comparable as a broad maritime heritage institution with similar curatorial and educational functions, though operating at national scale.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium: Internationally renowned U.S. aquarium and ocean conservation institution. Comparable as a leading public aquarium combining live exhibits, research, and conservation programs — a benchmark for scaling the Korallhavet concept.

Regional players

• Kolmården Tropicarium: Sweden's largest tropical aquarium located within Kolmården zoo/park. Comparable as a Nordic public aquarium attraction, though positioned as a leisure destination within a theme park rather than a heritage museum.
• Universeum: Gothenburg-based science center combining a public aquarium, tropical rainforest, and experiential science exhibits. Comparable as a regional Gothenburg attraction with overlapping aquarium and marine-education offerings competing for family and tourist visits.

Direct peers

• Vasa Museum (Vasamuseet): Sweden's premier maritime museum in Stockholm, dedicated to a single 17th-century warship. Directly comparable as a Swedish specialty maritime museum with a flagship vessel/gallery focus, strong tourism draw, and similar public-sector operating model.
• Akvariet i Bergen: Public aquarium in Bergen, Norway, focused on North Sea marine life and education. Comparable as a Nordic public aquarium with a research and conservation mission, though smaller in scale and lacking the maritime-heritage component.
• M/S Museet for Sjöfart (Helsingør Maritime Museum): Danish maritime museum and a current partnership collaborator (co-producing traveling exhibitions like Oceanista). Comparable as a Nordic maritime museum with similar collection breadth and cultural-heritage mandate.
• Gothenburg Museum of Art (Göteborgs konstmuseum): Partner institution within the Gothenburg Museum Card program. Operates as a peer municipal museum under the same City of Gothenburg Culture Administration, sharing ticketing, marketing, and visitor base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sjofartsmuseetakvariet_butik
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sj%C3%B6fartsmuseet-akvariet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Sjöfartsmuseet Akvariet