The research subject is the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm as a public institution between 1943 and 2013. I examine how public spaces in the museum body are designed in relation to cultural policy objectives and the museum’s vision of a democratic, inclusive museum. However, the focus is not on the museum’s exhibits, but on other public spaces visitors encounter in the museum, mainly the entrance, the shop and children’s spaces. These spaces tend to be invisible in the museum hierarchy, and their practices are rarely observed in museum studies. Main research questions are: How are democratic ideals materialized and expressed over time? Which publics are created by the public spaces?