The Museum of VASA ship (Vasa Museet) is situated on the East Coast of Djurgärden Island. VASA was supposed to be the pride of Swedish Royal Navy. During the 30-years' war King Gustav II Adolph ordered to built is with great flourish and splendour. It was finished in 1628. The technical details confirm its power, and military strength:
 
Length 64 m
Width 11,7 m
Height from keel to top 52,5 m
Draught 4,8 m
Rigging 1257 m2
Displacement 1210 t
Armoury 64 cannons
Crew 145 sailors, 300 soldiers.

The model shows the last minutes of the galleon

During the first voyage on the 10th August 1628, after sailing just a couple hundred metres the ship leaned to one side, and started to take in water through the cannon gates and in a few minutes sank. There were few hypotheses on the cause of the catastrophe, however the most probable exclaims the ship did not have enough ballast. Maybe the King's orders were not of no significance - he changed his mind very often during the building, ordered to have more and bigger cannons, and too many sculptures. VASA was to be his flagship.

In no later than 1664, 50 cannons were removed from the ship using a diving bell. The hull was damaged during these operations, and afterwards forgotten. What is more, no one remembered where the catastrophe happened. Then 1953 came. An engineer Anders Franzen began his search for the wreck. After years of arduous work in libraries and archives he managed to locate the place where the ship sank. Now the lengthy process of bringing her to the surface, conservation, scientific examination and restoration could begin. It is worth mentioning, that wood taken out of water after so many years and dried too fast would just fall into pieces. That is why in the process of conservation of wooden objects they are sprinkled in water for a couple of years, with chemical substances being injected into it.

The ship was placed in a specially built pavilion...

The time for scientists came. Inside the hull cannons, arms, about 4000 coins, crew's personal items, kitchen utensils were found. All were carefully inspected and characterised. Then they started to remove the water from the hull- it was replaced with injections of polietylenoglicol. The conservation and reconstruction took many more years. In 1990 the reconstructed galeon was placed in a specially built museum. The ship is surrounded by an interesting construction, in which its equipment, history as well as ship building ways of the 17th century are shown.

The visitors cannot go onboard because of the safety of the ship. She can be admired from the terraces built around her on couple of levels. Every hour a movie about the search, lifting and reconstruction of the ship is shown. The characteristic masts on the roof of the building are the same height as the originial masts of VASA.

...which masts are the same heights as the original masts of VASA.

VASA is a priceless monument, as she is the only galleon kept in one piece, out of all that went down in the course of battle, or after hitting rocks.

Museum is open daily: from 21st Aug till 9th Sep 10 am-5 pm (on Wednesdays 10 am-8 pm), from 10th June till 20th Aug 9.30 am-7 pm.

Address: Galärvarvsvägen 14.

More about warship VASA and her discovering you can read in article
"the life of VASA".