Norwegian Museum of Cultural History
Open-air museum on Bygdoy with about 160 relocated historic buildings, including the Gol stave church.
Norsk Folkemuseum was founded in 1894 by Hans Aall and settled on its present site at Bygdoy, where it opened to the public in 1902. In 1907 it absorbed King Oscar II's collection of historic buildings, assembled from 1881 and often described as the first open-air museum in the world. Around 160 buildings have since been moved here from every part of Norway, from Sami turf huts and Setesdal farmsteads to nineteenth-century town houses.
The centrepiece of the open-air area is the stave church from Gol in Hallingdal, built around 1200 and re-erected at Bygdoy in the 1880s. A reconstructed Old Town street shows urban life, and an apartment block moved from Wessels gate in Oslo presents furnished flats from 1879 to 2002. Indoor galleries hold folk costumes, folk art, toys and one of the largest Sami collections in the country, with seasonal demonstrations of crafts and farm work.
Highlights
- Stave church from Gol, built around 1200 and re-erected on the site
- About 160 historic buildings moved here from across Norway
- Apartment block from Wessels gate with flats furnished from 1879 to 2002
- Extensive Sami collection, folk costumes and folk art in the indoor galleries
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