[NORWAY] Oslo - Norwegian Museum of Cultural History (Norsk Folkemuseum)

08:39 Travel Bunny 0 Comments

Norwegian Museum of Cultural History (Norsk Folkemuseum) is one of the most popular attractions in Oslo. This folk museum is located at Bygdøy and has an open air museum with around 160 historic buildings. The centerpiece of the museum is Gol Stave Church, a restored stave church which was built around 1200 in Gol and was moved to Bygdøy in 1885.

Getting there:

1) By bus - Bus 30 from NationalTheatret station to Folkemuseet
2) By ferry - from Radhusplassen/Town Hall pier to Dronningen pier (April - October)

Since I'm using Oslo Pass, public transportation is included. I chose to go there by bus and get back to the city center by ferry. The bus also stops at the Viking Ship Museum which is 1 stop from the folk museum.







Scenery along the way to Norsk Folkemuseum. I'm a bit surprised to see a statue of Winston Churchill who was a British in Oslo.



The bus stops right in front of the Folk museum.



The ticket office and museum shop.

Admission tickets:
Adults  NOK 160
Children  6 - 15 NOK 40
Children under 6  FREE
Family  NOK 320 (2 adults with children 6 - 15)
Reduced  NOK 120 (Groups over 15, retired, students)

Low season midweek consession: Monday-Friday between October and April, the prices are: Adults: NOK 120, Children: NOK 40, Reduced fee: NOK95



Although admission is free for Oslo Pass holders, I still need to exchange my tickets at the ticket counter with my Oslo Pass.



Apart from the open air museums, the museum also has indoor exhibits with toys, traditional handicraft items, folk costumes, Sami culture and etc.



Miniatures and down-scaled tools and utensils which is part of the varied toy collections of the museum.





 A multitude of folk costumes are on display in the museum.



Sami culture is the oldest culture in large areas of Northern Norway, with unique tradition and a particular language.







The square.





Map of the open air museum. The open air museum is divided into The Countryside and the Old Town.



The Sami Site recreates a South Sami dwelling site (1930). It consists of a turf hut, a storage house and a scaffolding.



A Sami tent of contemporary type is also pitched here. The Reindeer Sami were nomads, moving between seasonal grazing areas and staying in tents. Today all have regular houses, but some use tents during spring and autumn migration.






The Countryside includes farmsteads and individual buildings moved to the museum, in particular from the inland valleys of southern Norway. Not all parts of the country are represented, because at the time, some districts were regarded as more typically Norwegian.







Log houses in the farmsteads.



Hello, how are you?



There was a lady dressed in traditional costume in one of the log house. She is friendly and she spoke to me in English. I didn't realize how tall she is until I stood beside her to take a photo.



After that, I headed to Gol Stave Church which is a must-see in the museum. It is located on a small hill.





Most of the construction remained intact and in original form, although practically all of the exterior dates from the 1884-1885 restoration.



The entrance to the church.







Interior of the church.



The murals are original.



Met with a friendly museum staff inside the church. You can ask her questions about the church if you have any.



The Old Town includes urban buildings, mainly from Oslo.

As time is limited, I didn't visit all the buildings in the museum. During summer or special occasion such as Christmas, the museum also host events and other programs. Overall, this is a lovely museum where you can easily spend half a day here.




Official website: https://norskfolkemuseum.no/en
Opening hours:
 Oct 1 - April 30: 11am - 4pm
 May 1 - Sept 30: 10am - 5pm