11 of the Best Museums in Oslo, Norway

There is no shortage of art, culture, or history in Oslo, Norway. This post lists some of the best museums in Oslo, which are perfect for exploring during your stay in Norway’s capital city!

If you are planning on visiting a lot of museums during your trip to Oslo, you might want to consider purchasing the Oslo Pass, which gives you free or discounted admission to many museums and attractions in the city. To learn more, check out my post on whether the Oslo Pass is worth it for you!

The MUNCH Museum

In October 2021, the brand-new MUNCH museum opened right on the waterfront of Oslo Fjord. The MUNCH museum presents the art of the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, an iconic Norwegian painter and printmaker best known for his most famous work, The Scream.

The museum has three versions of The Scream itself – a painting, a drawing, and a print. It rotates these for display so as to keep them in the best possible condition. A fourth version of the painting is housed in the National Museum.

The MUNCH museum has plenty to see besides The Scream, of course. It features a massive collection of work from throughout Munch’s 60-year career. In addition, there is a restaurant and sky bar at the top of the museum from which you can admire expansive views of Oslo fjord and the nearby Oslo Opera House.

Ticket prices and opening hours can be found here.

The Fram Museum

The Fram Museum tells the story of Norway’s history of polar exploration. The Fram was a ship built for Fridtjof Nansen’s 1893 Arctic expedition. The interior of the ship is preserved in this museum. Tickets are 140 NOK for adults and 50 NOK for children.

This museum is located on Bygdøy, a peninsula in the western part of Oslo that is known for being home to several of the best museums in Oslo. You can read more about what to do while exploring Bygdøy in this post.

The Norwegian Folk Museum

The Norwegian Folk Museum showcases daily life in Norway from the 16th century to the present day. This open-air museum features 160 buildings that illustrate the history of Norwegian architecture.

Hours and pricing vary by season. For more information, click here.

The National Museum

Another one of the best museums in Oslo is the National Museum. This museum opened very recently, in June 2022. Its claim to fame is that it is the largest museum in the Nordics, with a permanent collection of around 6,500 objects. It focuses on Nordic design, arts and crafts, and fine art.

In addition to ancient statues like the one above, the first floor of the museum provides a walk through the centuries/decades of Nordic pop culture with a focus on art as design. The second floor houses the museum’s collection of fine and modern art, including a collection of paintings by Edvard Munch. You can also see a painted version of The Scream at the National Museum.

The museum is open from 10 am to 9 pm every day except for Monday, and adult tickets cost 180 NOK.

The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology

The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology is full of exhibits that document Norway’s technological history.

Adult tickets cost 165 NOK, and children’s tickets are 110 NOK. Check here for up-to-date opening hours.

Oslo’s Natural History Museum

Oslo’s Natural History Museum is part of the University of Oslo and is Norway’s oldest and most extensive museum of natural history. On nice days, you can walk through the outdoor botanical garden. The museum also added a new Climate House exhibit in 2020.

Admission information can be found here.

The Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art

The Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art is not only one of the best museums in Oslo but also one of the top modern art museums in Scandinavia. In addition to its permanent collections, this museum hosts several temporary exhibits each year, so you can almost always find something new to see!

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, and ticket prices can be found here.

The Holmenkollen Ski Museum

The Holmenkollen Ski Museum is located right under the massive Holmenkollen ski jump of 1952 Winter Olympics fame. A must-see for ski buffs, the Holmenkollen Ski Museum lets you experience 4,000 years of Norwegian skiing history.

Note: As of March 2023, the ski museum is temporarily closed for refurbishment.

Norway’s Home Front Museum

Norway’s Home Front Museum, located in Akershus Fortress, centers on the Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany in the 1940s. This museum is a great option for history lovers.

Adult tickets are 100 NOK, and children’s tickets are 40 NOK. This museum is open from 10 am to 5 pm every day of the week.

The Kon-Tiki Museum

The Kon-Tiki Museum presents the explorations of Thor Heyerdahl, who crossed the Pacific Ocean on the Kon-Tiki raft in 1947. This museum showcases the original raft used in this famous journey.

Adult tickets can be bought for 140 NOK, and children’s tickets cost 50 NOK. Hours can be found here.

Oslo City Hall Gallery

Far from being a purely administrative building, Oslo City Hall houses a number of magnificent and culturally significant artworks. This building is also where the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony takes place each December!

For more free things to do in Olso, check out this post!

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I hope you enjoy this list of some of the best museums in Oslo! There is a lot to see, but take your time experiencing all the art and culture that Oslo has to offer. Don’t forget to read up on the Oslo Pass in this post if you’re planning a visit soon!

To learn more about Oslo, check out some fun facts here.

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