Jane D.
Yelp
This is a slice of heaven for five-year olds who enjoy imaginative play, whether or not they've read Astrid Lindgren books. We read older childrens' stories to our five-year old boy often (Indian in the Cupboard, Magic Treehouse books, Roald Dahl books) -- but couldn't engage him in the Pippi Longstocking books prior to our visit. Even so, he loved the museum / play space. The story train -- which is narrated in quite a few different languages -- is cute and fun even for children unfamiliar with the books, though there are some sad moments that might be too much for a sensitive child. (The lovely, but emotionally difficult, "Brothers Lionheart" is featured.)
Immediately after the train, you enter into a large room that contains a children's scale model of Pippi Longstocking's house, complete with a slide, baking paraphernalia in the toy kitchen, and all the groundwork for hours of imaginative play. Outside the house in the same room, there's a full-sized replica of Pippi's polka dotted horse, which children can climb on to. As an American, I think: "Tort liability!" As a parent of a daredevilish five-year old, I think: "What fun!"
There is a lovely cafe downstairs with pancakes (Swedish style thin ones served with lingonberry preserves and whipped cream), some slightly lackluster salads, stew (of venison, reindeer or elk, I think, based on the staff person's description), meatballs with potato puree, and a plethora of desserts.
There's another play space on the other side of the cafeteria with a pretend spaceship, red room, gold room, a performance space, and a sideways room where, if you lie on the floor, it looks in an angled mirror like you are hanging sideways from the ceiling. Pretty fun stuff for grownups, too. I'm sure there were literary references, there, but not ones I recognized.
In warmer months, visitors have access to a nice-looking outdoor play space as well.
There are plenty of bathrooms with changing tables and child-height sinks around. They aren't entirely spotless -- but I suppose that's to be expected.
We went on a weekday in November, so crowds were not a problem. I had trouble prying my child away to go to the Vasa museum next door, and even after I did, for the remainder of the day, he talked about how we should go back to Junibacken.