# @swedense on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DKeC8lOMSnr
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/31256730-swedense-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/aec8d36058.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-06-04T06:55:12.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** sweden.se (@swedense) — https://gondola.cc/swedense

## Caption

A whale you can walk into?? 🐋 Only in Gothenburg.
 
In 1865, a young blue whale washed ashore on the Swedish west coast. Sadly, it had to be killed, as it was deemed the humane alternative at the time.
 
Then followed quite a strange preservation project: the whale was skinned, mounted on a wooden frame, and turned into a walk-in exhibit – complete with benches and wallpaper.
 
For many years, visitors could step inside its belly. It was first toured around Stockholm and Germany, then later got a set location in Gothenburg.
 
Today, the whale rests at the Natural History Museum in Gothenburg – placed right next to its towering skeleton!
 
These days, you can’t walk into the whale quite as often. It’s only ‘open’ on a few rare and quirky occasions: during the West Coast Sea Week 🌊, on Walpurgis Night (Valborg) 🔥 – and every four years during the Swedish parliamentary elections 🗳️, thanks to a delightful pun. ‘Val’ means both ‘election’ and ‘whale’ in Swedish!
 
Photos: (1, 3) Walter Albertsson/Göteborgs naturhistoriska museum, (2) Paul Henrici/Göteborgs naturhistoriska museum, (4) Håkan Berg/Göteborgs Naturhistoriska museum, (5) J.P.Peterson/Göteborgs naturhistoriska museum, (6, 11) Göteborgs Naturhistoriska Museum, (7) K.A. Utgård/Göteborgs naturhistoria museum, (8) John W. Johansson/Göteborgs naturhistoriska museum, (9, 10) Elisabet Petersson/Göteborgs naturhistoriska museum, (12) Göteborgs Aftonblad/Göteborgs naturhistoriska museum, (13) Gunilla Lagnesjö, Margareta Ekroth-Edebo/Göteborgs naturhistoriska museum, (14, 15) Åsa Holmberg/Göteborgs naturhistoriska museum
Music: Odd Coincidence - Kikoru /  Epidemic Sound
 
#Sweden #Gothenburg #SwedishHistory

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## Tags

sweden, swedishhistory, gothenburg

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