The Viking Ship Museum is a must-do, if you're ever in Oslo. Ticket prices for adults are 100 NOK…read more($12 USD) and entry is free for children. However, I recommend purchasing the Oslo Pass, since it grants you free admission to all museums and public transportation. There are about 6 museums located in this area of Bygdøy. The Oseberg Viking Ship and the Gokstad Viking Ship are impressive. There is also a visual presentation of viking history every 15 minutes. The museum has many viking artifacts. It's small. You can probably see the whole thing in about one hour or so. The gift shop is also the cheapest of all the museum gift shops. 4 stars. Wonderful museum.

The Viking Ship Museum is part of the Museum of Cultural History of the University of Oslo. With…read moreyour NOK 100 or $11.24 USD ticket purchase at the entrance door to the Viking Ship Museum you are also entitled to free admission to the History Museum of Oslo located on the University of Oslo campus. You can use Mastercard, Visa or the Oslo pass. Tickets can not be purchased online. The Fram, Norwegian Maritime and Kno-Tiki museums are nearby. Three Viking ships are displayed here. the Oseberg (820 AD), Gokstad (900 AD), Tune (910 AD). These were all excavated between 1854-1904. The Borre Mound cemetery was a major source of artifacts including skeletal remains, wood carvings, sledges, small boats, cart tools and household utensils. There are not as many artifacts as you might find in other museums but the Viking Ship Museum allows you to get up-close to the ships. Information is presented in both Norwegian and English and a QR code lets you download additional information. You can also download a free app at ITunes or Google Play. There is a museum brochure in 14 different languages as well. A film "The Viking Alive" is screen all day in a separate room and on the wall. The cafe serves light food and rinks during the summer. The gift shop has unique Viking era jewelry, souvenirs, games, toys and books. Toilets are in the basement.

Highlight of our Oslo trip hands down!…read more There are indoor and outdoor exhibitors, making this museum agreeable to whatever the weather has in mind for the day. While the indoor exhibits are fun and educational, my family and I found the outdoor displays especially interesting and fun. Tons of photo opps, and lots of places with shade if you're worried about sun exposure. Inside there are even legos and books (in Norwegian) for children. Be sure to look for: -Kong Oscar church (absolutely beautiful) -the horses! -staff dressed up in traditional Norwegian clothing Keep in mind: -outdoors has some inclines (not the most stroller friendly, but doable) Tip: bring a selfie stick to get some photos in front of some of the very tall outdoor displays!

This is a super cool museum that I would recommend you go when the weather is nice. I unfortunately…read morevisited while it was extremely cold and couldn't see the entire museum because a lot of it is outdoors. But from what I did see it has a lot of history and seeing historical buildings was super cool! The inside museums were cool too going through the history of attire, homes, jobs, etc. If you want to learn more about Norways history visit this museum!

I remember long ago learning about the Kon-Tiki when I was much younger and now finally got to see…read moreit in person while in Oslo. The museum was a short ferry ride on the Bygdoy ferry that departed from City Hall Pier 3. The ferry ride and museum admission were included in our Oslo Pass. Once inside the Kon Tiki balsa wood ship was to the left and the Ra II reed boat was to the right. The museum seemed a little older but overall presented the Kon Tiki expedition in an easy to follow manner with lots of interesting artifacts. It was also surprising to learn about the post sailing and the effort needed to bring the Kon Toki back to Norway which eventually led to the renovation and housing in this museum. Thor Heyerdahl also funded and led other expeditions and the Easter Island one was covered in detail while following a tunnel down below. The Ra II was housed in the final section of the museum. It was another proof of concept that worked out the second time with this reed boat. The expedition also collected details about the oil spills found on their journey and the resulting actions taken. While it's convenient to see this museum after the Fram or Maritime museums (located right across the parking lot from each other) one may want to split the visit so you don't get overloaded with seeing boats.

This museum packs a lot into a small space. Basically a museum built to commemorate the voyages of…read moreThor Heyerdoll, it preserved two of his boats the Kontiki and the raw two that made groundbreaking voyages using only the current for power. There were many fascinating things about life on board, and Thor hired all himself, as well as the wildlife they encountered on their voyages.

Excellent museum, be sure to stand on the ship during the Stormy seas for an almost 3D experience…read more The displays were very thorough and informative, I learned a lot about Arctic exploration. We spent 1 and a half hours here and certainly didn't read everything. Walk through the tunnel to the display of aviation history at the North Pole and take in the 5 minute simulation of the first flight to the North Pole, complete with vibrating seats.

Probably the best and most interesting museum in Oslo that we visited! It tells the story of the…read moreFram, which is a ship instrumental in both artic and antarctic exploration, detailing everything about the journeys, crew, impacts, and all related. The most impressive is that they have the actual ship in the museum, where you are able to go inside and see all the decks and the places where the crew would have been living in. There is also a separate connected building that similarly displays the Gjoa. This area is less traversed, but it was still a very interesting read! Would highly recommend trying to fit this into your schedule!

Excellent modern museum. I learned so much. There is an extensive history of his life, his family…read moreand his studies, including an interactive mock-up of his home. Plus of course many of his works including a rotation of three of his "The Scream" works. Some aspects of the exhibit are a bit depressing as he was a very troubled person with many medical issues. There are also sections with adult content so parents with children should be aware. Be sure and have a drink at the rooftop bar for excellent views.

Visiting this museum has got to be one of the highlights of visiting the city of Oslo. It's an…read morearchitecturally beautiful building with views of the city, holding all of his famous artwork. Before you begin viewing the artwork, it's best to check your purse or bag in the cloak room, unless you don't mind security going through it. I enjoyed the interactive aspects of the museum. This includes walking through a skeletal mock-up of his home, from one dark and eery black room to the next. I picked up the phone that was ringing, but no one was on the other end...There's also a room exhibiting his prints only. At the back, an etched table, along with materials where you can create your own prints. As expected, the room where "The Scream" is being exhibited is the most crowded. Glad I had the chance to view all three versions. The price of admission includes the headphone set tour, which I opted out of.

One of the lesser known historical spots in Oslo. Located in a residential neighbourhood this…read moremausoleum dedicated to Emmanuel Vigelands is the completely opposite to his brothers work in Vigelands park. He painted this mausoleum before he died and his ashes are located just above the doorway to the mausoleum. It's only open on Sundays from 12:00-16:00 and there is an entrance fee. Once inside you are in an echo chamber and you can hear a pin drop for well over ten seconds. You have to be silent and enter the dark room and once your eyes adjust to the darkness more of the paintings on the walls will appear and it's amazing. The walls depict the cycle of line and the whole chamber is covered top to bottom with paintings of different scenes through this cycle. An extremely unusual experience and the art work is amazing. Plan to spend 15-20mins in here as it takes a while to adjust in the dark. If you are afraid of dark spaces this is not the place for you. Very few people know about this place and you need a car or a good walk from the tram to get here. A not to be missed sight in town if you happen to be here on a Sunday. There were only about 20 people there when it opened and almost all Norwegian except me :-) A colleague of mine who is a lover of art brought me here and I am so glad he did :-) A special place in Oslo.

Turn your phone off, put on overshoes, and try to be as silent as possible. Then enter through the…read more5 ft. door and step into complete darkness. At this point, you have already bowed to the artist Emanuel Vigeland, whose ashes are stored just above the low entrance door. Over the next 15 minutes, your eyes will slowly, slowly adjust to the light, and a whole world will be gradually revealed, frightening or exhilarating, depending on your take on the Bosch-like piles of human shapes from babies to skeletons. Take care not kick one of the chairs in the darkness though, the sound in the completely empty church-like building will be as loud as a gunshot. This was possibly the most unique museum experience of my life! It's worth walking here, not only because of the lack of parking space, but also because there is a plethora of beautiful old and new architecture to be discovered in the residential area around the museum.

Spread across two buildings the Astrup Fearnley Museet is a waterfront museum designed by Renzo…read morePiano that features several modern masters from various schools of thought. Whether one prefers neon or sculpture, shock-art or classic thinking the genre is likely represented. Located at the far end of Aker Brygge expect scenic views amidst quiet, while staff if pleasant and educated.

At the far end of the area called Aker Brygge, modern buildings, lots of restaurants lining the…read morewharf and at the end you will find Astrup Fearnley Museum. It's stunning architecture is mesmerizing. The museum is split into two thou creating one unit. The museum houses contemporary art work, most have a surrealist feel. It took us a few hours to explore every floor and look at all the art work. Some art work was questionable and horrifying. For me, many were disturbing and dark. Though there were some remarkable pieces such as the famous gold porcelain statue of Michael Jackson and his monkey Bubbles and most disturbing was Damien Hirst "Mother and Child" a cow and her calf split in the middle floating in formaldehyde. It's the first thing you see when you enter. Very spacious museum and you didn't feel confined at all. Adult price is $15.00 or 320 NOK. Free lockers are available which is a plus. There is a book store and cafe if you want to relax. There is also an outdoor space for sitting at the cafe which is lovely overlooking Oslo bay.

A fantastic historical place to see and learn from. Great location right at the waterfront and…read moregreat building and structure plus sculpture right at the entrance. There are 2 levels and upstairs is divided into 3-4 sections of exhibit rooms, including how they got started up to now. Main floor is for current winners exhibition rooms, shop and entrance. It is well layout and great exhibition. Really enjoyed and learned a lot from here. Especially with my kid.

We got a half price deal because the center hall was occupied with an event. We still had plenty to…read morelook at the museum. It was so nice to read about the Nobel peace prize, the second floor has a nice display of all the winners. There is a display of the medal that was designed by Gustav Vigeland.

This is a beautiful Culture Centre (Arts Centre? Not sure of the direct translation) just outside…read morethe centre of Oslo. Even if you're traveling with small kids or fussy "meh, not really into art"-types, Henie Onstad is worth a visit. It's a beautiful site, and the drive from Oslo (we took a car, but local public transportation makes it accessible via bus) takes you along the water. Henie Onstad has an indoor structure with a gift shop and whatever exhibitions are on at the time (note: there is a cost for admission). There is also a lovely cafe serving a variety of options. When we were there most were opting for glasses of chilled wine on a balmy July afternoon, with outdoor seating overlooking the water. I can think of few locations better. The real star of the show, though, is the outside of Henie Onstad. It serves as a great public park space where kids and dogs and local Norwegians sit, and picnic, and sun themselves on the rocks. Because the site is on a point there are both public and more private spots to relax; in the case of the former there are two main swimming areas with great jumping spots to launch off of into the water. Spotted around the grounds are also many sculptures; some abstract, some less so, and it's a great time just walking around trying to pick out all of the art. No wifi, but free parking. Recommended visit. Yelp note: it seems like a destination spot for a lot of locals on a sunny day. Looking out over the marina remember to bring your bathing suit and maybe even a few sausages...the man next to us had a portable grill so you could get lucky and score a cheap meal AND a great swimming hole surrounded by art at no-cost (DREAMDATE).