Norsk Folkemuseum

Cultural History Open Air Museum in Oslo

One of the cultural highlights during a visit to Norway's capital Oslo is the Norsk Folkemuseum, the Norwegian Folk Museum. The open-air museum is the main museum in all of Norway for content related to the history of the Norwegian people. Moreover, there are classical exhibitions in addition to the old Norwegian village. A visit here is worthwhile not only for particularly historically interested guests of Oslo, because much is presented here very vividly. Thus, even without reading much, you can enjoy all sorts of incidents and exhibits that show the history of Norway.

History of the Norsk Folkemuseum

The museum was established in 1894, when Olso was still called Kristiana. The founder of the Norsk Folkemuseum was the librarian Hans Aall, who was inspired by the Nordic Museum in Stockholm. This had already been inaugurated in 1873. Shortly after its founding - initially in a private apartment - several old Norwegian village houses were rebuilt by the operators starting in 1898. For this purpose, land had been purchased on the island of Bygdoy, on which the old houses were placed. That is why this museum is considered the first open-air museum in the world, which means that it has itself become part of human history.

In 1914, a conventional museum building was erected, in which many exhibitions are still held today. In the following decades, the open-air museum was further expanded, so that today a central marketplace is lined with several historical buildings and one gets a realistic impression of how it used to look in a Norwegian village. The museum is financed mainly by grants from the Norwegian government, but also by a foundation and a support association with over 2,000 members.

Great activities at the museum

Top attractions during a visit to the Norsk Folkemuseum are a ride on a horse-drawn sleigh, the mass held in the Gol Stave church around noon and the fact that you can bake your own bread here. Just as the Norwegians used to do in their huts.

The exhibitions deal with everything from about 1500 onwards that Norwegians have produced that is worthy of note. However, this relates more to traditions, craftsmanship and the like than to art, which is more likely to be found in other museums. In short, at the Norsk Folkmuseum you learn how the Norwegians managed to make their lives more and more comfortable over the centuries. And you can try out all these methods for yourself.

The island of Bygdoy

Very convenient for the visitors of the Norsk Folkmuseum is the fact that there are several other museums on the island of Bygdoy. So you can visit all of them in one day without having to make several trips. Specifically, these are:

Fram Museum
Kon-Tyki Museum
Viking Ship Museum
Norsk Maritime Museum

In addition, there is a magnificent English landscape garden on the island. A perfect place for a day of many interesting experiences in Oslo. A visit to the Norsk Folkmuseum itself takes about 2 to 3 hours, so there should be plenty of time for the other attractions on the island.