Aeroseum Göteborg, Sweden
Hidden almost 30 metres below the ground at the former Swedish Air Force base of Säve near Göteborg, Aeroseum is one of the most unusual aviation museums in Europe.
The museum is located inside a huge underground Cold War aircraft hangar which was completed in 1955 for the former Göta Flygflottilj F 9. With the growing threat of nuclear weapons during the Cold War, Sweden constructed the massive facility deep inside the rock to protect its fighter aircraft and keep them operational during a possible attack.
Today the impressive 22,000 m² underground complex has been transformed into Aeroseum, Sweden’s largest aviation experience centre. Walking through the tunnels and large underground aircraft halls is already an experience in itself, but the collection inside makes a visit even more interesting.
Aeroseum displays more than 50 aircraft and helicopters, together with aircraft engines, ejection seats, equipment, vehicles and many other aviation-related exhibits. The collection covers both military and civilian aviation and tells the story of Swedish aviation from the early days of flight to the modern era.
For military aviation enthusiasts the Swedish aircraft are obviously one of the main attractions. Several classic Saab aircraft and former Swedish military helicopters can be found inside the mountain, surrounded by displays explaining the history of the Swedish Air Force and the Cold War.
Among the exhibits are aircraft and helicopters connected with the Swedish Air Force, Army Aviation, Navy, Police and Coast Guard. The helicopter collection includes types such as the Agusta-Bell 204 (Hkp 3), Bell 206 (Hkp 6), MBB Bo 105 (Hkp 9) and the impressive AS332 Super Puma (Hkp 10).
The museum also has several special exhibitions dealing with subjects such as the Cold War, construction of the underground mountain hangar, Swedish Air Force operations in western Sweden, military intelligence, Stasi, police aviation and the Swedish Coast Guard.
One of the most interesting parts of Aeroseum is the atmosphere. Unlike a conventional aircraft museum, you are actually walking through a former operational underground military installation. Long tunnels, heavy blast doors and the huge rock chambers are a reminder of how seriously Sweden prepared its air defence infrastructure during the Cold War.
The history of the location goes back even further. An earlier underground hangar at F 9 Säve was already inaugurated in 1942, while the much larger complex now used by Aeroseum was completed in 1955.
Aeroseum is definitely worth a visit for anyone interested in Swedish military aviation, helicopters or Cold War history. The combination of historic aircraft and the spectacular underground location makes this one of the most interesting aviation museums in Scandinavia.
