Oslo Historical Museum

The Oslo Historical Museum (Historisk Museum) is part of the Museum of Cultural History which is housed within the University of Oslo. This incredible museum houses a diverse set of historical collections ranging from prehistoric Norwegian exhibits to those from East Asia and Africa.

History of Oslo Historical Museum

The Oslo Historical Museum was founded under the umbrella organisation of the Museum of Cultural History (Kulturhistorisk museum) in 1999. The museums are currently localised in four main buildings in Oslo city centre, with the Oslo Historical Museum being housed at Frederik’s gate 2 and 3.

Oslo Historical Museum Today

The first floor of the Oslo Historical Museum includes a fascinating array of antiquities, with items from a range of periods in Norway’s past from the Stone Age to medieval times including the era of the Vikings. For antiquities from other countries, the second floor has a selection dating from ancient Greece and Rome.

Beyond this, two of the main exhibits at the Oslo Historical Museum are the Norwegian coin collection which covers around 1,000 years of history, and the Ethnographic section which includes a range of Egyptian mummies. Both are located on the second floor.

Other collections include those dedicated to the Arctic, south and north America as well as Africa, East Asia, China, Japan, and Korea. From weapons to thrones, religious to ornamental items, there’s a variety of things to see.

Tickets are free on the last Saturday of every month. To get the best value out of your trip, use your ticket from the Historical Museum to get free entry to the Viking Ship Museum within 48 hours, where you can see the incredible Oseberg Ship.

Getting to Oslo Historical Museum

From the centre of Oslo, the Oslo Historical Museum is a 15 minute walk or 5 minute bike ride via Kristian IV’s gate. By car, it takes 5 minutes via the Rv162 road. There are also an extensive number of public transport options from Oslo Central Station which stop at the National Theatre Station, from where the museum is a 5 minute walk.