Gislaveds Industrimuseum (Gislaved Industrial museum)

Our part of Småland has a fascinating industrial history that you find out about at Gislaved's Industrial Museum.

Gislaved's Industrial Museum is located in the old belting factory, which is almost 100 years old. You can learn more about our local industrial history in the museum. Did you know, for example, that Gislaved was the first place in Sweden to manufacture Lego pieces, that we have supplied large parts of the world with rat traps or that the well-known tyre manufacturer Gislaved tyres/Gislaved's rubber started its business manufacturing rubber balls, baby dummies and galoshes. 

The museum houses many interesting objects and environments from different eras, such as an old photo studio, a watchmaker’s shop and old offices. On the ceiling hangs a parachute that was previously manufactured in the area. In 1943, in the midst of the ongoing war, Nissafors pappersförädling AB, was commissioned by the Swedish National Materiel Administration, to develop and manufacture disposable parachutes from creped kraft paper. The parachutes were intended for use mainly in northern Norway, in places where there were no roads to isolated farms and villages. Fragile goods were packed in hay, which could then be used as feed for horses and cows.

The Industrial Museum is beautifully situated by the river Nissan. For nearly 200 years, timber rafting on the Nissan river played a major role in the forestry industry. The timber was cut down and rafted on the flowing water to the sawmills. With the help of chutes, it was possible to guide the timber past various obstacles along the way. Such a rafting chute can be found behind the Industrial Museum, at the waterfall. Outside the industrial museum you will find “Kulturstig Nissan” (Nissan River Culture Trail), which is a 3.6 km long circuit with various information signs with information about the area's industrial and cultural history.

The museum is also a stone's throw from the old marketplace. The oldest record of a market in Gislaved is from 1626. A local court record if the Hundred stated that a fight had taken place there. The market was located at the large crossroads where the roads met from north-south and east-west, which was located where the roundabout on Danska vägen is now. Ahead of the entrance, the Industrial Museum has constructed a number of market stalls resembling those from the 17th century. At Christmas time you can buy different types of crafts from the traditional stalls.

The museum offers guided tours and audio guides in Swedish, Danish and English. You can also buy postcards and posters with advertising motifs from the old tyre factory. For more information, opening hours and prices visit the museum's website.