Junibacken, a children's museum, is located on the island of Djurgården in the centre of Stockholm. The museum was officially opened by the Swedish royal family on 8 June 1996. The museum is fifth on the list of Stockholm's most visited tourist destinations. It is dedicated to the characters and works of Swedish children's literature, especially the works of Astrid Lindgren, whose monument is erected in front of the museum.
The museum houses Sweden's largest children's bookshop. The lockers at the entrance to the museum are unusual in that each one is made in the form of a book of world classics, such as Treasure Island or The Jungle Book. There is also a wide selection of music discs, films, games, clothes, toys, postcards and posters based on children's literature.
Among the museum's other attractions, of particular interest is the Storybook Square, which is a model of a town square where each house is dedicated to a different Swedish children's author (except Lindgren), starting with the earliest authors such as Elsa Beskow. Here visitors find themselves in a world of children's fantasy, where they can wander along cobblestone paths and visit their favourite characters from children's works. The square ends with a model of the Vimmerby railway station. The station is also decorated with copies of Astrid Lindgren memorabilia, including a letter of praise for Lindgren from former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev.
From the station, visitors can take a train ride through the world of Astrid Lindgren's works. The train journey ends in front of the house of her most famous character, Pippi Longstocking. Here, young visitors to the museum can play as they please.
The museum also has a theatre, a restaurant and a space for temporary exhibitions, where exhibitions dedicated to one author or character are usually staged for 11 months.
