Vasa never showed her strength in battle, but she was a fearsome machine of war.

In this exhibition, you can see the arsenal of weapons and accoutrements found on board Vasa – weapons which were never used. By following the crew through five acts, from conscription to training to fighting and death, you can experience how it was before, during and after a sea battle around 1628.

The commanders' orders to the crew form the overarching theme of the exhibition. You can also feel the form and weight of the different weapons and see how they were used. In this way you will have your own experience of the officers' and crew's equipment: orders and weapons.

The presence of the enemy can be felt, in sculptures on board the ship and in propaganda images in the exhibition. The short distances between friend and enemy, life and death were clear in battle. The damage and wounds caused by weapons, the crew's movements in battle, can be felt.