The museum is housed in the exact building that served as the first IKEA store in 1958.
The first flat-pack table, the Lövet, was designed in 1956 after an employee removed the legs from a table to fit it into a car.
The museum features a 'Room of Failure' exhibit showcasing unsuccessful products that never made it to mass market.
Ingvar Kamprad began his business at age 17, originally selling pens, wallets, and nylon stockings.
The iconic BILLY bookcase was designed by Gillis Lundgren in 1979 and remains one of the best-selling pieces of furniture globally.
Museum visitors can have their photos taken and printed on a custom 'IKEA Catalog' cover souvenir.
The original store building was restored to its 1958 aesthetic, including the original facade color.
The collection includes the world's most comprehensive archive of historic IKEA catalogs dating back to 1951.
The IKEA Museum is located in the original 1958 store building in Älmhult, Sweden, which serves as the birthplace of the global furniture retailer. The exhibition space chronicles the company's evolution from a small mail-order business founded by Ingvar Kamprad to an international design phenomenon. Visitors move through chronological displays featuring iconic furniture designs, room settings from different decades, and the development of the flat-pack concept. The facility includes a permanent collection focused on democratic design principles and the socio-economic impact of home furnishings. Interactive stations demonstrate the structural testing methods used for IKEA products. The building also houses a restaurant serving traditional Swedish cuisine, including meatballs and lingonberries. The museum site preserves the legacy of the company's first-ever retail location. It remains a destination for design enthusiasts interested in Scandinavian functionalism and industrial history.
The life-sized replica of a 1950s IKEA room setting.
Visit the design library area where you can browse historic catalogs dating back to the company's inception.
Allocate time for the museum restaurant, which offers a menu distinct from standard store food courts.
Combine your visit with a walk to the nearby IKEA Hotell, the only hotel owned and operated by the company.
Do not confuse this museum with the regular store showrooms; focus your time on the historic exhibits in the main museum building.
Closed on December 24th and 25th.
