Norsk Folkemuseum

Founded in 1894, the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History gathered buildings from across the country onto a site on Bygdoy: farms from Setesdal and Numedal, storehouses on staves, a Sami settlement, town buildings including a whole apartment block section with flats furnished decade by decade from 1879 to 2002, and the Gol stave church of about 1200, moved here in the 1880s under King Oscar II's patronage. Around 160 buildings stand in all. Indoor galleries hold folk costume, furniture, toys and the largest collection of Norwegian folk art. In summer staff in period dress work the farms, bake flatbread and demonstrate crafts; in December a Christmas market fills the site.

History

The librarian and historian Hans Aall (1869-1946) founded the museum in 1894, acquired the core of its present site in 1898 and opened it to the public in 1901. In 1907 King Oscar II's neighbouring collection was incorporated: five relocated buildings around the Gol Stave Church, begun in 1881 and regarded as the world's first open-air museum (Wikipedia, Norwegian Museum of Cultural History).

What you'll find

• The Gol stave church - a medieval church moved here in the 1880s.
• The apartment block - flats furnished by decade from 1879 to 2002.
• The regional farms - buildings brought from valleys across Norway.
• The folk art collections - costume, furniture and decorative traditions indoors.

When to go

May to September, when the outdoor buildings are open, staffed and demonstrating; in winter most buildings are closed and only the indoor galleries run, except during the December Christmas market.

Before you go

Outside summer much of the site is shut and the ticket buys far less. The grounds are large and involve a lot of walking on gravel and grass. Bygdoy parking is very limited, so bus or ferry is the practical option.

Nearby

The Fram, Kon-Tiki and Maritime museums are on Bygdoy; Huk beach is at the peninsula's tip.

Key facts