Avistegnernes hus

About the museum

Avistegnernes hus in Drøbak is a national centre for newspaper cartooning and satirical art. The house is a meeting place for cartoonists and a gallery for art of free expression, and it shows newspaper cartoons, comics and other illustration art, including posters, political commentary and satire, portraits and caricatures, and court and theatre drawings. Newspaper cartooning is fresh material that interprets current political and social conditions, and in hindsight becomes a valuable contemporary document. Both historical and contemporary drawing exhibitions are shown regularly.

The house aims to promote freedom of expression and human rights through political illustration, and is at the same time a tribute to the cartoonist, graphic artist, writer and humorist Fredrik Stabel (1914–2001), who was employed by Dagbladet from 1940 to 1990. In 2024 a new permanent exhibition opened on the first floor with a large collection of drawings, prints and letters by Stabel.

Since 2020 Avistegnernes hus has cooperated with the Storting's art committee (Stortingets kunstutvalg) to select ten newspaper cartoons that hang in an exhibition in the Storting for one year. The museum is housed in an old, protected trading house in the centre of Drøbak and is today a branch of MiA – Museene i Akershus. The ground floor has a bookshop, a museum shop, an education room and temporary exhibitions.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition on Fredrik Stabel on the first floor
• Newspaper cartoons, comics and satirical art
• Exhibitions of historical and contemporary drawings
• Bookshop and museum shop
• Protected trading house in central Drøbak

Permanent exhibition

• Stabels verden – Permanent exhibition on the first floor with drawings, prints and letters by the humorist and newspaper cartoonist Fredrik Stabel.

Operated by

MiA – Museene i Akershus

Admission & discounts

Free admission to the shop and the exhibition on the ground floor. The Fredrik Stabel exhibition and the historical exhibitions on the first floor cost NOK 50. With an annual pass there is free admission during regular opening hours to all sites of MiA, Oslo Museum, Østfold museums, Vestfold museums and Buskerud museums.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: not available
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The house has limited wheelchair access. The entrance has a small step and a raised grille; there are rails along the step, but a wheelchair must be lifted over the last step onto the grille. On the ground floor it is easy to move around, and there is a toilet, but no accessible toilet or changing table. The staircase to the permanent exhibition on the first floor has railings, but no wheelchair access. There are chairs in all rooms. It is possible to stop and drop off passengers by the car in front of the gallery, but not to park there.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities: not available

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Bookshop and museum shop on the ground floor; books, prints and gift items are also sold in the online shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.