Norwegian Museum of Cultural History (Folk Museum)

This is a outdoor museum about how people in Norway have lived for the last thousand years. From Vikingships from the 980 and upto the 1950s.. If you only visit one museum in Norway this should be it. Really great fun and you learn more in a couple of hours than you do for weeks in books and such.

They actually took one of the old "Stav churches" from some other place in Norway and brought it here. So in 1995 (or something) they built a replica at the Original site.

There is no wonder why so many schools are coming to this museum at least once every couple of years.

Perhaps the best museum in the entire Norway. I LOVE it.
Read more at the website: http://www.norskfolke.museum.no/

You can reach Norway after a delightful day’s journey by train from the Copenhagen airport in Denmark. Travelling firstly through picturesque wooded farmland dotted with lakes and red barns on the Swedish west coast, one reaches Norway’s capital city of Oslo, home to the Norsk Folkemuseum.

From the city centre, a short ferry ride across will take you to the island of Bygdøy, to the open air Folkemuseum, which is the place to view historic arts crafts homes and lifestyle of Norway. Guides dressed in traditional costumes usher you about the collection of 150 traditional Norwegian Stabbur (log homes), relocated from rural districts of Norway, like Telemark, Sestesdal, and Numedal. Many of the interiors are decorated with original Rosemaling; some examples dating as far back as 1670.

A Telemark cottage, especially commissioned by a farm owner to accommodate a V.I.P. guest, in 1800, is completely adorned with the rich scrolls of Telemark Rose- painting on the ceiling, walls, and the furniture. Like the Uvdal and Røldal Stave Churches in Norway, there is more “rosepainting” in the Folkemuseum’s 13th century Stave church, which has been relocated from Hallingdal, (another valley renowned for its Rosemaling style).

If the weather turns nasty, the Folkemuseum has many indoor exhibition that will keep a tourist’s jaw well and truly hung open. Documenting lifestyles, home interiors, the relationship with neighbouring country Russia, as well the evolution of Rosemaling or Rose painting as an art form, this many exhibit contains well preserved examples of arts and crafts such as wood carved hutches and painted turned bowls from the Hallingdal valley, hanging cupboards from Telemark, as well as mangle-boards and tankards from Valdres and other districts. Some pieces are very old, and the artist’s palette was obviously limited to the pigments available in rural areas. Despite this, the old masters were able to achieve stunning colour harmony and magnificence in their work. Don’t miss the splendid trunk from Romsdal dating from 1834, as well as ale dippers, and pretty “sending baskets” (used in olden times for carrying a food hamper to a neighbour who had fallen ill)

You will need a few hours in good weather to travel around the various houses on display. In summer, there is display of folk dancing in bunader, or national costume. There is also a cafe where you can get meals.

The ferry takes a round trip to this island along with Polar Fram and Kon tiki museum.

A fantastic day out if you are interested in history, arts, crafts or architecture.

Me and my friend visited here as a part of our trip. We had walked every a lot on a past week so we were really tired when we went here and didn't walk through whole area, but the most.

This museum is outdoor museum. There is houses build and decorated like past centuries in Norway. It was really interesting to see them and I noticed that they had pay attention to details.
Unfortunately when we visited there many houses were closed (I don't think they were suppose to be). I think they were waiting for repair.
There is possibility to dress up like people did before and kids can make food and other things like in past.
There is also farm animals and possibility for a horse-ride.

Thing that I thought was odd was that we didn't see there restaurant or other place where to eat. Well, there was place to eat, but you had to have your own food with you.

Folkemuseum is really good place to visit for people who are interest about history. Also other people may find it very interesting place, particulary in sunny summer day. If you ever go there take your camera with you.