National Museum (Nasjonalmuseet)

The largest art museum in the Nordic countries, the National Museum gathers the collections of the former National Gallery, Museum of Contemporary Art, and Norwegian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design together under one roof. Highlights of the permanent collection include Edvard Munch’s The Scream and Harald Sohlberg’s Winter Night in Rondane. Temporary exhibitions rotate throughout the year. The National Museum is a stop on hop-on hop-off bus tours of Oslo.

It is a good idea to book admission tickets in advance to ensure you get your chosen time slot. The National Museum is wheelchair-accessible and has elevators and step-free access to all public parts of the building. Jackets, umbrellas, and bags larger than A4 size must be placed in lockers on the first floor. Food may not be brought into the exhibition spaces but the museum has several eateries, including a rooftop terrace café overlooking the Oslo Fjord. The museum offers free guided tours: check the website’s calendar for details. You can download a free visitor guide app.

The National Museum is on the Oslo Fjord, within walking distance of attractions such as Akershus Castle (Akershus Slott), the Munch Museum (Munchmuseet), and the Oslo Opera House (Operahuset). The closest train and subway station is Nationaltheatret station, a 10-minute walk away. Tram lines 11 and 13 also stop at Nationaltheatret and line 12 stops at Aker Brygge, 5 minutes away.

The National Museum is open every day except Monday. Opening hours are from mid-morning until early evening—on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, it stays open until late evening. The museum closes over Christmas and New Year and on May Day (May 1) and Constitution Day (May 17). The museum is typically busiest on weekends and during Oslo’s peak visitor season, from June through August. As the museum is huge, allow at least two hours to explore.

Works by Indigenous Sámi artists are included in the museum’s celebration of art from Norway. The most notable piece on display at the National Museum is Pile O’Sapmi by Maret Anne Sara; it consists of a curtain of 400 reindeer skulls, each of which has a bullet hole in the forehead. The piece made waves in Norway and was inspired by the artist’s brother, who was forced to cull his reindeer by the Norwegian government.