Asker Museum

About the museum

Asker museum, the Valstad collections, is located in Kunstnerdalen at Hvalstad in Asker. The museum was founded by Tilla and Otto Valstad in 1949, and their artist's home is still at the heart of the museum. Their neighbours Hulda and Arne Garborg lived at Labråten, and this home became part of the museum in 1995. The museum also includes Peter Wessel Zapffe's study and the Mor-ro hut, and is run by MiA – Museene i Akershus.

Visitors can enter the two artists' homes on a guided tour and see how the Valstad and Garborg families lived. The museum has a large and varied collection of houses and objects, with both permanent and changing exhibitions. In the Vognskjulet (carriage shed), which opened to the public on 12 September 2019, vehicles are shown as they were used in Asker before the motor arrived, including the sleigh of Tsar Alexander II.

Outside is a lush museum garden inspired by the Baroque, with animal sculptures by Anne Grimdalen. The garden is open to the public around the clock, all year round, and admission is free. Throughout the year, concerts, lectures, a museum day, a harvest festival, Hulda Garborg's birthday and an ice festival are held.

Highlights

• The artists' homes of Tilla and Otto Valstad
• Labråten – the home of Hulda and Arne Garborg
• Baroque-inspired museum garden with animal sculptures by Anne Grimdalen
• Vognskjulet with the sleigh of Tsar Alexander II
• Café Gunhild in the red lensmannslåven (barn)

Permanent exhibitions

• Valstads kunstnerhjem – The artists' home of Tilla and Otto Valstad, the heart of the museum, shown on a guided tour.
• Labråten – Hulda og Arne Garborgs hjem – The home of the writer couple Hulda and Arne Garborg, opposite the museum, which became part of the museum in 1995.
• Vognskjulet – Vehicles as they were used in Asker before the motor arrived, including sledges, sleighs and carriages, and the sleigh of Tsar Alexander II.

Founded

1949

Operated by

MiA – Museene i Akershus

Admission & discounts

The ticket includes a guided tour of the artists' homes; the museum garden is free. MiA's annual pass gives free admission during regular opening hours. Tickets can be bought online or at the door.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

In the summer holidays a fairy-tale walk is offered in the imaginative museum garden, and at Christmas children visit the nisse elves in the Nisse loft, for nurseries and first grade. The museum also has Barnas rom (children's room).

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Café Gunhild in the main building, the large red lensmann's barn from Fusdal, serves waffles, sourdough rolls, coffee, tea, cocoa, ice cream in season and apple juice from the Baroque garden, with seating indoors and outdoors. The museum shop has books, toys, gifts and its own products with motifs by Otto Valstad.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties

Up to 50 guests.

Café Gunhild can be laid for up to 50 people and rented for company events; Ut i solen stua and Barnas rom can also be hired.

Plan your visit