6 good reasons to visit a museum

Do you associate museum visits with boring class trips, dusty showcases and ancient museum attendants that hush at everything and everyone? Oslo's museums are bound to make you think again!

Whether you are looking for some peace of mind or a new water cooler conversation topic: Here we give you six good reasons to visit a museum in Oslo. Oslo has museums that fit each one perfectly, so you will get plenty of excellent recommendations from us.

Find peace and quiet

During turbulent times many people feel the need to clear their mind and give their head a well-deserved break. Yoga and self-help books are all fine and dandy, but have you realised that a museum visit might be just as good? Behind the museum doors a few hours of spacious quiet halls awaits you. As well as interesting objects that does not insist on your attention, but quietly invites you to reflect and ponder.

A place that really calms the mind is The Vigeland Museum. In beautiful neoclassical rooms with skylights and soft colours you get close to Vigeland's thought-provoking art.

At Henie Onstad Kunstsenter you can relax while enjoying works of art and walk through delightful 1960s interiors. Make sure to pass through Yayoi Kusama's installation Hymn of Life – a room covered in mirrors which literally creates "a room for reflection".

If art isn't your cup of tea you can visit the Fram Museum. While standing on the deck of the world's strongest wooden ship, you will get a magical sensation of the desolated, icy existence of the Antarctic and Arctic regions, complete with northern lights, squeaky ship floors and the smell of tar. You will return to your normal life feeling quite refreshed, guaranteed.

Have some fun

If there was a bit too much seriousness in the previous section, do not despair: You can also go to a museum to have fun with friends and family!

The Norwegian Museum of Science & Technology, with all its nooks and crannies, vehicle exhibitions, whimsical gadgets, buttons you can push, and do-it-yourself installations, is another good suggestion for a fun museum day.

At the Paradox Museum, you can play with optical illusions and learn about the science that makes them possible. The museum has over 70 hands-on exhibits that offer plenty of opportunity for wonder and amazement – and many opportunities for filling your Instagram-feed.

Get inspired

The word "museum" comes from the Greek mouseion, which means 'temple for the muses'. This is obviously not by chance. At museums, you are often told stories about extraordinary people who have achieved extraordinary things. In other words, museums are the perfect place to get inspired!

At The Kon-Tiki Museum you can get inspired by someone who definitely was not afraid to challenge the status quo and tread where no one else dared: Thor Heyerdahl. Awaken your inner explorer among rafts, expedition equipment and artificial sharks.

At MUNCH in Bjørvika you get close to the life and work of one of the most visionary artists of all time, Edvard Munch, and it is hard to leave the museum without having gotten a new idea or two for oneself.

Have you already heard about our National Museum? We are really proud of it and with over 5000 exhibits on three massive floors, there is a lot to discover – no matter how often you visit. If that sounds a bit overwhelming, why not start with a guided tour before you set out to explore the museum by yourself?

Learn more about people

In the world we live in it is increasingly more important to learn about other cultures, as well as learning about your own, and know how the views on human dignity, rights and democracy has evolved throughout history. Oslo offers several museums that engages in these subjects in interesting ways.

Intercultural Museum on Tøyen addresses the history of immigration and cultural changes in Norwegian society, and celebrates diversity through different exhibitions and events throughout the year.

At the Nobel Peace Center you can get to know Alfred Nobel and the history of the world's most prestigious peace prize. The heart of the museum is Nobel's Field, where you get information on all the laureates and their efforts for peace, in an atmospheric room filled with one thousand lights.

The Holocaust Center at Bygdøy includes a permanent exhibition on the Holocaust, where the story of the Norwegian jews during the Second World War is the focal point of the museum. The centre also illuminates other human rights violations, as well as how various religious minorities live around the world.

If you want to cast a glance even further back in time, the Historical Museum is the place for you. From the beginning of civilisation to the Middle Ages, from Vikings to the indigenous people of the Americas, history can teach us a lot about our realities and the forces that shape society.

Expand your horizons

It is important to avoid turning your mind stale, a museum visit is a perfect measure to shake up one's beliefs and preconceived notions.

The Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, is in fact one of Northern Europe's foremost contemporary art galleries. Cow cadavers preserved in formaldehyde, a gilded Michael Jackson sculpture and a few hundred millions are some of the works that turns the world on its head, and lets you partake in the age-old debate of what art is supposed to be.

Your horizons will be expanded in a different way at the Climate House, the Nordics' first exhibition venue dedicated to the climate and its changes. Here you will learn about the earth's climate system, global warming, as well as possible future scenarios – and last but not least you will be challenged to do what you can to take care of the planet.

You need new ideas, but you are not quite in the mood for a whole museum? Visit one of Oslo’s many galleries! You are guaranteed to find an exhibition that intrigues you in our exhibition calendar. If you like to go with the flow and let fate decide what you experience, head to the Kvadraturen and Tjuvholmen neighbourhoods, where many of Oslo’s most well-known galleries are located.

Get something to talk about

Do you need some content for your Instagram account or a conversation topic that will turn people's heads at the next party you attend? Take a trip to one of Oslo's alternative museums, then you definitely will have some sensational and curious facts to bring along with you.

Among Oslo's hidden museum treasures you can find the Nordics' first and only Bible museum, with a collection of over 3000 bibles, including the world's smallest published edition.

Right in the middle of Oslo city centre you can find what is probably the world's only museum of miniature bottles. The Mini Bottle Gallery owns 53 000 miniature bottles, which are used in chandeliers, tables and flooring, among other things. Check out the mysterious basement – if you dare.

Gustav Vigeland's younger brother, cheerful as he was, built a tomb for himself. The Emanuel Vigeland Museum is known today as "Oslo's best kept secret", with an obscure barrel vaulted room completely covered in frescoes, as the main attraction. The museum is only open on sundays – make sure to book a ticket well in advance.

This article is produced with support from Oslo municipality. Top picture: © Yayoi Kusama/Henie Onstad Kunstsenter.