Old Police Station at Slottsskogen

This charming building in Slottsskogen in Gothenburg, Sweden, may look like a children’s playhouse, or a quaint cabin plucked straight from the pages of a fairy tale. But in reality, it has a bit of a darker history.

Designed by Swedish architect Emil Billing, the adorable little building was actually the park police station. You might even say it was an effective deterrent against crime, since between 1905 and the late 1930s only two people were arrested and held there.

In truth, it appears to have mainly served as a picturesque drunk tank. The police who used the station spent their days patrolling Slottsskogen, which is the city’s largest park.

The station closed in 1966. These days, the building serves as a police museum, though its hours of operation are a bit of a mystery. If you do manage to pop in while it’s open, you’ll find a small selection of uniforms, caps, batons, handcuffs, whistles, and tiny toy police cars on display.