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SPRI Polar Directory

Museums

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There are 40 entries in the museums directory for Norway:

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Alta Museum

Address:	Altaveien 10, N-9500 Alta
Telephone:	+47-78-43-53-77
Fax:	+47-78-43-58-29
Year of foundation:	1978
Collections:	Prehistoric rock carvings; natural and cultural history of Finnmark; history of Alta northern lights research; boat collection
Publications:	The rock carvings in Hjemmeluft/Jiepmaluokta (Helskog, 1994); Pamphlets (1994-)

Barentsburg Museum

Address:	Kulturhuset, N-9178 Barentsburg, Svalbard
Telephone:	+47-79-02-18-14
Year of foundation:	1963

Bjornoya Museum

Address:	N-9176 Bjornoya
Year of foundation:	1971

Blokkodden Villmarksmuseum [Blokkodden Wilderness Museum]

	[Blokkodden Wilderness Museum]
Address:	Kulturkontoret, Engerdal Kommune, N-2440 Engerdal
Telephone:	+47-64-58-000
Fax:	+47-64-58-057
Year of foundation:	1980
Collections:	Open-air wilderness museum combining natural and cultural landscapes with a museum. Shows Norwegian and Saami use of the region of Femundsmarka over several centuries.

Breheimsenteret

Website:	www.jostedal.com
Address:	5827 Jostedal
Telephone:	+47-57-68-32-50
Fax:	+47-57-68-32-40
Collections:	Visitor centre sited at entrance to Jostedal Glacier National Park.

Det Kongelige Norske Videnskabers Selskab (DKNVS) Museet [Museum of the Royal Norwegian Scientific Society]

	[Museum of the Royal Norwegian Scientific Society]
Address:	Universitet i Trondheim, Erling Skakkes gt. 47B, N-7004 Trondheim
Telephone:	+47-73-592200
Fax:	+47-73-592223
Year of foundation:	1760
Collections:	Current Arctic research activities include studies of Russian hunting in Svalbard and Arctic seas, and Svalbard cultural monuments
Publications:	Gunneria (1977-) [continues Kongelige Norske Videnskabers Selskab. Museet. Miscellanea (1971-77)]

Ethnografisk Museum

Website:	www.uio.no
Address:	Universitet i Oslo, Frederiksgate 2, N-0164 Oslo
Telephone:	+47-22-859300
Fax:	+47-22-859960
Year of foundation:	1857
Collections:	Permanent exhibit on Arctic cultures. Houses one of the finest European collections of Canadian Inuit material culture, with Roald Amundsen's collection of ethnographic materials obtained during his polar expeditions, particularly in northern Canada (1903-06) - including unique photographs of the Netsilik culture - and the Russian Arctic (1919-21). The Saami collections were transferred to Norsk Folkemuseum in 1951
Publications:	Skrifter; exhibition catalogues

Fram Museum

Website:	www.fram.museum.no
Address:	Bygdoynes, N-0286 Oslo
Telephone:	+47-22-43-83-70
Fax:	+47- 22-55-07-66
Year of foundation:	1933
Collections:	The central exhibit is the Fram, the polar exploration ship built by Colin Archer in 1892 and used on the expeditions of Fridtjof Nansen (1893-96), Otto Sverdrup (1898-1902) and Roald Amundsen (1910-12).

Ishavsmuseet Aarvak [The Aarvak Museum]

	[The Aarvak Museum]
Website:	www.ishavsmuseet.no
Contact name:	Webjørn Landmark
Address:	Brandalsvegen 28 – 6062 Brandal
E-mail:	post@ishavsmuseet.no
Telephone:	+47-700-92-004
Open to the public? / Opening hours:	May & September: Daily, 12.00-16.00; June, July & August: Daily, 11.00-17.00
Year of foundation:	1981
Collections:	Ishavsmuseet (the “Arctic Sea Museum”) is beautifully situated in the centre of Brandal in an old wharfside shed formerly used for processing sealskins. Brandal was a centre for sealing and expeditions to the Arctic fitted out from the west of Norway. Ishavsmuseet displays a hundred-year history of sealing, over-wintering hunting expeditions in northeast Greenland, and mining operations in Ny-Ålesund, Spitsbergen, or Brandal City, as the place was first named. In addition to the exhibits is the Arctic vessel, M/S Aarvak, constructed in 1912, brought to land in dry-dock and built in to the side of the museum. The museum also has a section dedicated to the explorer Ragnar Thorseth who was the first Norwegian to the North Pole, and also sailed around the world in the Viking ship "Saga Siglar".
Publications:	Polar magazine 'Isflaket': http://www.ishavsmuseet.no/polarmagasin

Jan Mayen Museum

Address:	Forsvarets stasjon, N-8013 Jan Mayen
Year of foundation:	1964

Kommandør Chr. Christensens Hvalfangstmuseum [Commander Chr. Christensen's Whaling Museum]

	[Commander Chr. Christensen's Whaling Museum]
Website:	www.hvalfangstmuseet.no
Contact name:	Dag Ingemar Børresen
Address:	Vestfoldmuseene IKS, Hvalfangstmuseet, Postboks 396, 3201 Sandefjord, Norway
E-mail:	hvalfangstmuseet@vestfoldmuseene.no
Telephone:	+47-94793341
Open to the public? / Opening hours:	2 Jan-30 Apr: Mon-Sat 11.00-15.00, Sun 12.00-16.00; 1 May-22 Jun: Mon-Sun 11.00-17.00; 23 Jun-31 Aug: Mon-Sun 10.00-17.00; 1 Sep-30 Sep: Mon-Sun 11.00-16.00; 1 Oct-30 Apr: Mon-Sat 11.00-15.00, Sun 12.00-16.00
Year of foundation:	1917
Collections:	The largest whaling museum in Europe with displays and collections illustrating the development of whaling from primitive to modern times. Library.

Museum Nord - Andoymuseet Polarmuseet [The Polar Museum in Andenes]

	[The Polar Museum in Andenes]
Website:	www.museumnord.no/en/andenes-museum
Contact name:	Kjersti Ashagen
Address:	PO Box 11, 8483 Andenes, Norway
E-mail:	andoymuseet@museumnord.no
Telephone:	+47-76115432 / +47-47468568
Open to the public? / Opening hours:	June-August: 10:00-17:00
Year of foundation:	1967
Activities:	Exhibitions on hunters life at Svalbard and a display on the unique geology of the island.

Myntkabinettet [Cabinet of Coins and Medals]

	[Cabinet of Coins and Medals]
Address:	Universitet i Oslo, Frederiksgate 2, N-0164 Oslo
Telephone:	+47-22-859945
Fax:	+47-22-859920
Year of foundation:	1817
Collections:	Includes many medals presented to Norwegian polar explorers, e.g. Roald Amundsen, Fridtjof Nansen, Harald Ulrik Sverdrup and Otto Sverdrup.

Nord-Troms Museum

Address:	N-9086 Sorkiosen
Telephone:	+47-83-65868.

Nordkappsmuseet

Address:	PO Box 260, N-9751 Honninsvag
Telephone:	+47-78-47-20-90
Fax:	+47-78-47-20-32
Year of foundation:	1982

Nordlandsmuseet

Website:	www.museumsnett.no/nordlandsmuseet
Address:	Prinsens gt. 116, N-8000 Bodo
Telephone:	+47-75-521640
Year of foundation:	1888
Collections:	Natural and cultural history of Nordland
Publications:	Bodoboka (1984-, annual)

Norsk Bremuseum & Ulltveit-Moe Senter for Klimaviten [Norwegian Glacier Museum & Ulltveit-Moe Climate Centre]

	[Norwegian Glacier Museum & Ulltveit-Moe Climate Centre]
Website:	www.bre.museum.no
Contact name:	John Brekke
Address:	NO-6848 Fjærland
E-mail:	post@bre.museum.no
Telephone:	+47-57-69-32-88
Fax:	+47-57-69-32-87
Open to the public? / Opening hours:	Open daily April-October. April, May, September, October: 10.00-16.00; June, July, August: 09.00-19.00. Open on request November and March
Year of foundation:	1991
Activities:	Panoramic film about Jostedalsbreen Glacier – the largest glacier on mainland Europe. The Ulltveit-Moe Climate Centre exhibition – a journey through time, from the creation of the earth, through the last ice age and into the future. Interactive models and individual hands-on experiments with real glacier ice. Outdoors Educational Playground with real size mammoth sculptures.
Collections:	The aim of the Norwegian Glacier Museum is to collect, create and disseminate knowledge about glaciers and climate. The exhibitions cover topics within both natural and cultural history, with 24 themes in four main categories. It is shown among others how glaciers build up, how they form the landscape, and why they play an important role in the search for knowledge about past and future climate.
Publications:	- John, B. 1996: Fjærland, A Norwegian fjordside settlement. - John, B. 1996: How glaciers move. - John, B. 1999: Walks in the world of ice. - Weichert, K. 2005. Ötzi – The iceman from Hauslabjoch. - Weichert, K. 2009. Our fragile climate.
Notes:	Authorized National Park centre located close to the Jostedalsbreen Glacier. Educational institution collaborating with schools, colleges and universities. Glacier monitoring. The museum was designed by the architect Sverre Fehn, who has won international awards for his works.

Norsk Folkemuseum [Norwegian Folk Museum]

	[Norwegian Folk Museum]
Website:	www.norskfolke.museum.no
Address:	Museumsveien 10, Bygdoy, N-0287 Oslo 2
Telephone:	+47-22-123700
Fax:	+47-22-123777
Year of foundation:	1894
Collections:	Since 1951 has incorporated the Saami collection of artefacts from the Ethnografisk Museum, Oslo, comprising 4200 items, the largest such collection in Norway. Library and archives, including films, photographs, tape recordings and manuscripts
Publications:	Samiske Samlinger (1952-) [continues Nordnorske Samlinger (1938-51)]

Norsk Maritimt Museum [Norwegian Maritime Museum]

	[Norwegian Maritime Museum]
Website:	www.marmuseum.no
Address:	Bygdoynesveien 37, N-0286 Oslo 2
Telephone:	+47-24-11-41-50
Fax:	+47-24-11-41-51
Year of foundation:	1914
Collections:	Carries out research on and collects/displays relating to Norway's maritime history. Library and archives contains manuscripts, e.g. construction plans, concerning the polar ships Gjoa, Fram and Maud. Photographs of polar ships and Antarctic whaling.

Ny-Alesund Samlingen

Address:	v/Kings Bay Kull Comp., N-9173 Ny-Alesund, Svalbard
Telephone:	+47-79-02-71-11
Fax:	+47-79-02-71-13
Year of foundation:	1989

Olav Bjaalands Museum

Address:	Morgedal, N-3847 Brunkeberg
Year of foundation:	1966
Collections:	Olav Bjaaland was a champion skier who accompanied Roald Amundsen to the South Pole. The museum includes displays relating to this expedition and to Bjaaland's other accomplishments.

Paleontologisk Museum

Address:	Universitet i Oslo, Botanisk Hage, Sarsgate 1, N-0562 Oslo
Telephone:	+47-22-851600
Fax:	+47-22-851810
Year of foundation:	1916
Collections:	Collections include Cambrian-Devonian, Permian, Mesozoic and Pleistocene fossils from Arctic Norway with Svalbard particularly well represented. Library
Publications:	Palaeontological Contributions

Polar- og fiskerimuseet pa Andenes

Address:	N-8480 Andenes
Telephone:	+47-76-14-20-88
Year of foundation:	1967

Polarmuseet i Tromso [Polar Museum in Tromso]

	[Polar Museum in Tromso]
Address:	Sondrtollbugt 9, PO Box 900, N-9001, Tromso
Telephone:	+47-77-68-43-73
Year of foundation:	1978
Collections:	The Polar museum was established in 1978 and was incorporated into Tromso University Museum in 2010. Today, the museum's exhibits focus on winter trapping, seal hunting, polar exhibitions and recent research in the north. A major exhibit, also used on expeditions, is the historic sealing vessel, M/V Polstjerna, one of the only surviving wooden sealers in Norway.

Rana Museum

Website:	www.rana.museum.no
Address:	Fridtjof Nansensgt 22, N-8600 Mo i Rana
Telephone:	+47-87-51384.

Roald Amundsens Hjem "Uranienborg"

Address:	Roald Amundsens vei 192, N-1420 Svartskog, Akershus
Telephone:	+47-66-80-01-05
Collections:	Roald Amundsen's house was given to the State in 1934 and subsequently opened as a memorial museum.

Roald Amundsens Minne

Address:	Postboks 91, N-1601 Fredrikstad, Norway
Collections:	Amundsen's birthplace.

Rorosmuseet Samisk Avdeling

Address:	Nr. Hwy 30, Docktorjonna, N-7460 Roros
Telephone:	+47-724-10500
Fax:	+47-724-10571
Year of foundation:	1930
Collections:	Small collection of Saami utility articles and clothes.

Saltdal Museum

Website:	www.museumsnett.no/saltdalmuseum
Address:	8250 Rognan
Telephone:	+47-75-69-06-60
Fax:	+47-75-68-23-00. Email: salmus@online.no
Collections:	These include the cabin of Quest, polar ship employed on many expeditions and best known for its use on the last expedition of Sir Ernest Shackleton.

Samiske Samlinger [Saami Museum]

	[Saami Museum]
Website:	www.museumsnett.no/trastad/Johan_Hansen.htm
Address:	Nr. Hwy 96, PO Box 143, N-9730 Karasjok/Karasjohka
Telephone:	+47-84-66305
Fax:	+47-84-67121
Year of foundation:	1939
Collections:	Saami dwellings, handicrafts, clothes, means of livelihood and prehistory.

Skimuseet i Holmenkollbakken

Address:	Skiforeningen, Kongevn 5, N-0390 Oslo
Telephone:	+47-22-92-32-00
Fax:	+47-22-92-32-80
Year of foundation:	1923
Collections:	Illustrates the history of skiing in Norway. Polar artefacts on display include many associated with Nansen and Amundsen (e.g. tent, sledge, clothing, provision boxes, and a stuffed husky). Also Scott's skis; history of skiing from prehistoric rock carvings to modern-day polar equipment via traditional skis from different parts of Norway; and the history and development of ski-sport
Publications:	Skiforeningen (1894-, annual); Ski i Norge (Berg, 1993)

Sor-Varanger Museum

Address:	Strand, N-9925 Svanvik
Telephone:	+47-85-95113
Fax:	+47-85-95138
Collections:	Includes materials from East-Saami and Sea-Saami.

Svalbard Museum

Website:	www.svalbardmuseum.no
Address:	PO Box 521, N-9170 Longyearbyen, Svalbard
E-mail:	post@svalbardmuseum.no
Telephone:	+47 79026490
Fax:	+47 79026491
Year of foundation:	1982
Collections:	Norways Arctic Museum - The exhibition presents fragments of Svalbard's 400-year history and describes factors that help support life and the activities taking place here, which together reveal the close relationship between sea and land, nature and cultural history.

Tana Museum

Address:	Polmak, N-9845 Tana
Telephone:	+47-85-29018.

Tromso Museum

Website:	http://uit.no/tmu
Address:	Universitet i Tromso, Lars Thoerings vei 10, N-9006 Tromso
E-mail:	+@imv.uit.no
Telephone:	+47-77-645000
Fax:	+47-77-645520
Year of foundation:	1872
Collections:	Includes extensive holdings of geology, botany, terrestrial and marine zoology, archaeology, Saami ethnography and recent history for northern Norway, Svalbard and the Arctic in general. Exercises responsibility for the protection of ancient monuments on Svalbard. The central collection of Svalbard archaeological artefacts is maintained by the Department of Svalbard and Arctic Archaeology. Another department is devoted to Saami ethnography. Arctic botanical garden and arboretum. The Library and Archives has extensive northern holdings
Publications:	Acta Borealia (1984-, 2pa) [continues Acta Borealia. Ser. B. (1952-79)]; Acta Borealia. Ser. A. (1951-75); Ottar (1954-, 5pa); Tromso Museum Skrifter (1925-); Tromura [Fellesserie (1979-), Kulturhistorie (1982-), Museologi (1978-), and Naturvitenskap (1978-)]; Way North (1992-, annual)

Vadso Museum

Address:	Hvistendahlsgt. 31, N-9800 Vadso
Telephone:	+47-78-95-29-55.

Varanger Samiske Museum / Varjjat Saami Musea

Address:	N-9820 Varangerbotn
Telephone:	+47-78-958255
Fax:	+47-78-958256
Year of foundation:	1983
Collections:	Documents and exhibits the cultural history of the local area, including prehistory and the Sea Saami settlement.

Vardohus Museum

Address:	Per Larsensgt. 32, PO Box 250, N-9951 Vardo
Telephone:	+47-78-988075
Year of foundation:	1894
Collections:	Natural and cultural history of region
Publications:	Vardo: a bibliography; Yearbook (1953-)

Velfjord Bygdemuseum

Address:	at Strom nr. Hwy 803, N-8960 Hommelsto
Telephone:	+47-75-024334
Year of foundation:	1939
Collections:	Open air museum including Saami dwellings. Has archives relating to Saami culture
Publications:	Tia va' sann (1989)

Zoologisk Museum

Address:	Universitet i Oslo, Botanisk Hage, Sarsgate 1, N-0562 Oslo 5
Telephone:	+47-22-851600
Fax:	+47-22-851837
Year of foundation:	ca. 1813
Collections:	Include specimens from both the Arctic and Antarctic.