Ludvika Gruvmuseum

Useful Information

Location:	Ludvika, Gammelgård. (60.1465536, 15.2085096)
Open:	Gruvmuseum: no restrictions. Bergsmansmuseet: summer. [2007]
Fee:	Gruvmuseum: free. [2007]
Classification:
Light:	Electric Light
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:
Address:	Ludvika Gruvmuseum, Sven-Erik Jansson, Tel: +46-240-19707. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

16th century	begin of iron mining.
1920s	former homestead acquired.
1938	Ludvika Mining Museum opened.
1989	iron mining in the area ends.

Geology

The rocks are metamorphosed, volcanic to volcanosedimentary rocks of rhyolitic pyroclastic units and minor dacitic-rhyolitic volcanic to subvolcanic complexes. Mafic metavolcanic rocks are also found. They are underlain and overlain by siliciclastic metasedimentary rocks. These layers were deposited in a shallow marine environment within a continental back-arc system. Magmatic rocks formed during the volcanic activities are dated 1.91–1.88 Ga old. These old rocks host iron sulfides and manganese oxide ores with low contents of more noble metals.

Description

The Ludvika Gammelgård is a park in the city of Ludvika. With its mining history, the park offers various mining related sights. The most important is obviously the Gruvmuseet, an open air museum. There is also the Bergsmansmuseet and the Bergslagens Mineralmuseet, all together was lately named Ekomuseum Bergslagen. The ecomuseum is more or less an open air museum which shows 15 buildings in the town, most are mining related. There is a sort of themed hike and educational signs. The buildings include the mining worker’s residence, the mining office, a forge with coal houses, a mining shed, a horse wind which was relocated from Iviken’s mining field. Then there is the crusher house, the transport track, and the enrichment which show the processing of the ore.

The mining museum is located in a 16th century homestead, which was acquired by the local heritage association in the 1920s. It was the start of the open air museum, which was equipped with historical buildings, machinery and equipment from disused mines in the area. Karl-Erik Forsslund and the engineer Gustav Björkman bought the items when the mines closed and saved them from destruction. This idea was new at that time, when the Ludvika Mining Museum was opened to the public in 1938, it was the very first open-air museum of industrial history in the world.

The Bergsmansmuseet, Mineralmuseet, and Gammelgården museum are open only for a short time during summer. The numerous other sights like heavy machinery, open air museum, historic buildings and so on are freely accessible all year. There is a parking lot at Nils Nils Gata which is the ideal starting point for a walk.