The museum that exists today almost never happened. Plans for an ABBA exhibition first emerged in 2006, when founders Ulf Westman and Ewa Wigenheim-Westman announced ambitious goals for Stockholm's former main customs building in the harbor. Organizers projected half a million annual visitors. But financial difficulties plagued the project, and by 2009 the customs building instead became Fotografiska, Stockholm's acclaimed photography museum. ABBA's permanent home seemed destined to remain a dream until October 2012, when new plans emerged. The traveling ABBAWORLD exhibition, which had toured Europe and Australia from 2009 to 2011, would finally anchor itself in Stockholm. The location chosen was a building near Grona Lund amusement park on Djurgarden, the island that serves as Stockholm's cultural playground.

The museum's exhibits trace ABBA's trajectory from Swedish folk parks to global domination. The Folkpark recreation captures the modest venues where Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny, and Anni-Frid first crossed paths and eventually merged their talents. But the Waterloo section steals the show, recreating the atmosphere of Brighton, England, during the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. That competition transformed four Swedish performers into international superstars overnight. Memorabilia from the event surrounds visitors, transporting them to the moment when 'Waterloo' conquered Europe's airwaves. Nearby, a faithful recreation of Polar Studios allows visitors to stand where ABBA recorded their later masterpieces, surrounded by original equipment from the legendary recording space.

Technology bridges the gap between museum visitors and the reclusive band members. Benny's Piano exemplifies this connection: a self-playing grand piano linked to an identical instrument in Andersson's home. When he plays, the museum piano performs in real time, creating an intimate connection across Stockholm's geography. Interactive stations let visitors perform ABBA songs, their voices mixing with the band's, their images projected alongside the famous foursome. The audio guide itself carries creative distinction, written by Catherine Johnson, who penned the screenplay for 'Mamma Mia!' Perhaps the most tantalizing exhibit is Ring Ring: a telephone whose number is known only to the four members of ABBA. Whether it ever rings is a secret the museum keeps.

The sequined jumpsuits and platform boots that defined ABBA's visual identity fill the museum's galleries. These aren't replicas; the band members donated their actual stage costumes, the same garments that dazzled audiences from Sydney to Stockholm. The elaborate outfits, which became as iconic as the music itself, reflected both 1970s glamour and Swedish design sensibility. Mannequins wear the outfits that accompanied the 'Waterloo' album, frozen in poses that recall performances watched by hundreds of millions. For fans who grew up with ABBA posters on their walls, standing inches from these costumes delivers an emotional impact no photograph could capture.