Bomsholmen fløtingsmuseum

About the museum

Bomsholmen fløtingsmuseum lies by the Nidelva river between Hammeren bridge and the E18 bridge at Røed in Øyestad. The museum tells the story of timber floating (tømmerfløting) in the Arendal watercourse, all the way back to the 17th century. The timber was floated from Vrådal in Telemark to the mouth of the Nidelva, and at Asdal boom just below Bomsholmen it was stopped and sorted before it went on to the owners.

The museum consists of four buildings: Lønningshuset, a main house from the 1850s used as an office; Tauhuset (the rope house) from around the 1860s, which houses the main exhibition; bomkaret (the boom chamber) with a large brake winch (brattspill) that opened and closed the boom; and a crew barracks used as a meeting and school room. Little of the boom itself in the river has been preserved, so the history is conveyed through the buildings, maps, objects, films, pictures and models.

The Nidarå Fellesfløtningsforening (Nidarå Common Floating Association) owned the facility until timber floating ended in 1971, when Øyestad Historielag took over the site, the buildings and the equipment. The local history society runs the museum in cooperation with Arendal municipality and Aust-Agder museum and archive.

Highlights

• Four preserved buildings from the timber-floating facility
• Main exhibition in the old Tauhuset
• The brake winch in the boom chamber
• The history of timber floating from Vrådal to Arendal
• Run by Øyestad Historielag

Permanent exhibition

• Tømmerfløting i Arendalsvassdraget – Main exhibition in Tauhuset on the history of timber floating, with maps, objects, films, pictures and models.

Operated by

Øyestad Historielag (i samarbeid med Arendal kommune og Aust-Agder museum og arkiv)

Admission & discounts

Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

From Arendal take Vesterveien (Rv 420) towards Fevik, turn off at Natvig towards Asdal and follow the signs.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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