Museums & Buildings

Bruksgatan – The Mill’s Street

Here, businesses, museums and associations work side by side in the beautiful surroundings of the ironworks which teems with activities and energy. In the area there are many buildings that previously were used as housing or for different types of work. Most of them are now museums where you can see and experience the life of past centuries. The current Mill’s Street took its form in the early 19^th century when the Counts Hamilton built a number of houses for their permanent workers. Up until the 1960’s, all traffic between Växjö and Älmhult went through the ironworks as it was the main road connecting the cities. Today, several of the houses work as ateliers for craftsmen.

The Old General Store

The Old General Store is, like it always has been, a rendevouz for sales and disposal of different kind of goods. Whether it being goods from Huseby or from local distributors. The store is open during the summer season and occasionally at holidays or events. Welcome to experience the unique feeling of old-fashioned goods and make sure you buy something for yourself on your way home.

The Mill

There has been a mill here since the early 1600s. The mill has five mill stones and three mill wheels. The fourth mill wheel is currently displaced at the entrance to the area.

The Old Forge

In the past, the smith worked here with everything from machines to horse shoes. Now, the Tourist Information Centre is located in the unique old stone building and the staff will be happy to answer any questions about Huseby and the surrounding area.

The Smith in the Mechanical Workshop

In the old mechanical workshop, where they formerly processed the iron products that were cast in the blast furnace, the smith is now working with hot iron and old working methods.

Masugnen – The Blast Furnace

The blast furnace has been located in the middle of the ironworks area since the mid-1600s. In the blast furnace hall (Masugnshallen), you can see how the mighty furnace rises up to the ceiling. You can also see many of the iron oven doors that have been manufactured in the ironworks. Several events also take place here during the year.

The Stables

Huseby Bruk was a significant stud farm for many years. Here, they bred remounts for the Swedish state and riding horses for the family. The beautiful stables were constructed by the Counts Hamilton in the 1840s, within comfortable distance from the castle. Today, the stables are used for conferences and banquets for larger parties.

The Castle

The Castle is a mansion build in 1844 by the Hamilton brothers. The Stephens’ family era started in 1867 when Joseph bought Huseby Bruk. His daughter Florence Stephens was born here in 1881 and lived in the Castle until she died in 1979. She was the last private owner of Huseby Bruk and called her mansion “the Castle of Huseby”, a beautiful name for the building located next to the stream “Helige å”. Since Florence wanted her home to be maintained as it was during her childhood, it is kept with an interior from the end of the 19th century. There are over 20 rooms, all with their own history, furniture and decorations.

The Dairy

To have a dairy was common for larger estates, and in the middle of the 1800s this building was constructed here at Huseby. The dairy took care of the milk from the farm, which was initially hand-milked by the female agricultural contract-workers (“Statare”). But eventually, when machines made their entry, it became a task for the men. The milk was processed into both butter and cheese, which was even exported to England for a period of time. Today the building houses Elisabeth’s Garden Café & Restaurant.

The Electricity Museum

The turbine is still spinning, and here you can learn more about the electrification of Huseby and Småland from the beginning of the 20^th century to present day.

The Sawmill

In the 1940s, the most modern sawmill in the Nordic region was constructed here with both a frame saw and a circular saw. Today, you can look into the old sawmill and see what such a working environment looked like at that time.

The Carpentry and Planing Mill

The buildings have, as the names imply, been a carpentry factory and a place for planing work. For a short period of time in the 1940s, Huseby Bruk worked as a furniture factory in these premises. Here, among other things, some of IKEA’s first furniture for vacation homes as well as shelves for the famous “String”-shelf were created. Today, the buildings are used for exhibitions and as fair venues. During the summer we transform the planing mill into stables for various horse events that also use the paddock outside.

The Archimedes Screw and Husebymaden

In the 1800s, when Joseph Stephens came to Huseby, he decided to expand the estate’s arable land. Like many others at that time, he let drain and dry areas. He drained and banked the area south of the castle, the so-called “Mad” (marshy meadow). Since the water level of the creek is higher than the level of the meadow, he acquired a so-called Archimedes screw that transported the water from the meadow into the creek. Today, you can see the Archimedes screw and visit the meadow that once again has become a bird area, restored and re-opened by His Majesty the King of Sweden in 1998.