Norwegian Folk Museum: A museum where you can learn 600 years of Norwegian history

Norway has a facility called the Norwegian Folk Museum that exhibits the country’s history from the Middle Ages to the present day. The exhibits range from wooden houses, crafts, and traditional costumes, some of which recreate the lifestyle of farmers. In this article, I will introduce the Norwegian Folk Museum, where 600 years of Norwegian history and culture come together.

Features of the Norwegian Folk Museum

The Norwegian Folk Museum is a museum that exhibits approximately 600 years of Norwegian history and culture from the Middle Ages to the present day. It was built in 1898 by historian Hans Aall and is located on the Bygdøy peninsula in western Oslo, Norway, boasting a vast site area of 14 hectares. 

The museum exhibits buildings and cultural assets that convey Norway’s history, as well as exhibits that focus on the lifestyle of people at that time. In addition to the usual indoor exhibition halls, it also has the largest outdoor exhibition space in Norway. 

Traditional wooden houses, farming tools, clothing, crafts, and more are on display on the premises, recreating old Norway in its entirety.

Exhibits of cultural assets from the Middle Ages to the present day

The Norwegian Folk Museum exhibits a diverse range of displays, including buildings and cultural assets that convey Norway’s history, as well as exhibits that focus on the lifestyle of people at that time. Items used by Norwegian farmers, such as textiles, furniture, and farming tools, are on display. The museum also features staff dressed in traditional Norwegian costumes called Bunad, who serve as guides.

Bunad is made of beautifully embroidered fabric with different patterns depending on the region. Folk dance events featuring people dressed in traditional costumes are held in the summer. Demonstrations of craft making are also held, offering visitors the chance to experience life in Norway at that time.

Outdoor museum featuring 150 traditional wooden houses

The Norwegian Folk Museum has the largest outdoor exhibition space in Norway. The premises exhibit buildings built in Norway over the past 600 years, with a variety of types ranging from grand churches to simple wooden houses. All the buildings were actually relocated from various parts of Norway, with over 150 in total.

Both the exterior and interior of the buildings convey the way of life of Norwegian farmers at that time, including farms, workplaces, and living rooms where families gathered, making it an ideal place to learn about the life of Norwegian farmers.

Famous Stave Church from the 13th century

There are many historical buildings in the outdoor museum, but one of the most famous is the Stave Church. The Stave Church is a wooden church built around 1200 when Vikings were active in Scandinavia.

At its peak, there were over 1,000 Stave Churches, but only 28 remain in the 21st century. One of them is owned by the Norwegian Folk Museum, and it is a spot that attracts many visitors. 

The Stave Church is particularly important cultural asset in Norway, and many tourists from both domestic and international visit to see it. For more information about the Stave Church, please see the article below.

Conclusion

The Norwegian Folk Museum has the aspect of being the largest open-air museum in Norway. The museum exhibits Norwegian history and cultural assets from the Middle Ages to the present day.

The Bigdøy Peninsula, where the museum is located, is also known as an area with a high concentration of museums in Norway.

In addition to the Norwegian Folk Museum, other famous museums such as the Norwegian Maritime Museum and the Viking Ship Museum are located nearby, so be sure to check them out as well.