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Why the Ikea Museum Is a Design Fanatic's Dream

Everyones favorite furniture retailer
Everyone's favorite furniture retailer | © OiMax / Flickr

If you’ve ever purchased furniture, it’s safe to say that you should learn the history of everyone’s favorite furniture brand: IKEA. IKEA is known for its sleek, modern design, frustrating directions, and the best deal on hangers you could ever ask for. The IKEA Museum will take you on a journey through the history of this famed retailer.

Everyone’s favorite furniture retailer

Getting started in Småland

IKEA, an acronym for Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd, was founded in Älmhult, where the IKEA Museum is located. IKEA was born from wanting to create furniture that was easy to move from the warehouse to the customer’s home.

The IKEA Museum has been built on the same property where the very first IKEA store once stood. The store was first opened in 1958 and was closed in 2012. The remains of the old building have mostly been restored, so a part of the old store is in the museum.

At the museum, you will able to learn about the history of IKEA, how design and product development are done, the environmental factors that IKEA considers to remain a sustainable company, and much more.

Loads of activities

There are two large exhibits that are offered throughout the year at the museum. The Main Exhibit is broken up into three sections – Our Roots, Our Story, and Your Stories – while the Temporary Exhibit is updated twice a year.

Do you have a subscription to the IKEA catalog? Now it’s your turn to be on the cover! The IKEA Museum has the set of this year’s catalog for visitors to take their own IKEA Catalog cover photo. So if you’ve ever wanted to be on the cover of a magazine or catalog – here’s your chance!

In case you didn’t have enough IKEA furniture in your house, you can take more with you from the IKEA Museum shop! Some of the items might look similar to those found in regular IKEA stores, but the products at the shop are special-edition items available only at the museum.

Learn about products at the IKEA Museum

Fika time!

It’s a well-known fact that IKEA has a restaurant that offers delicious food at an excellent price, so it should not come as a surprise that the IKEA Museum has a restaurant too. The menu consists of a variety of meatballs, fish-balls, and veggie-balls for all types of dietary restrictions or accommodations. In addition, there is a variety of cold dishes, sweet treats for a fika, and a selection of coffee, beer, and wine that you can choose from.

Tell me more

The IKEA Museum is located at IKEAgatan 5, Älmhult. For questions about the museum or if you’re interested in booking an event, you can email info@ikeamuseum.com or contact +46 476-44 16 00.

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