Henie Onstad kunstsenter

About the museum

Henie Onstad Kunstsenter opened its doors for the first time in 1968 and is located at Høvikodden, surrounded by the fjord, beaches and a large sculpture park. Sonja Henie and Niels Onstad donated their art collection and the building to the centre. When it was established, the foundations of Sonja Henie and Niels Onstad held 100 paintings, while the collection today counts more than 8,000 works.

The centre is a leading venue for national and international art with a changing exhibition programme. Here you can experience photography, avant-garde, modernism, contemporary art and music, and Yayoi Kusama's work Hymn of Life is permanently installed. The collection is shown, among other things, in the exhibition Merz! Flux! Pop!, and a separate exhibition shows objects, trophies and the history of Sonja Henie's life.

Around the art centre lies the sculpture park with 30 sculptures by Norwegian and international artists on a site of 140 mål (a traditional Norwegian unit of area). Several of the works are site-specific, and many are commissions. In addition to the art, you can see the Filipstadbananen, which inspired the artist Claes Oldenburg. The centre also has a shop, a café and a workshop for children, Labben.

Highlights

• Yayoi Kusama's permanent installation Hymn of Life
• The collection of over 8,000 works
• The sculpture park with 30 sculptures
• The exhibition about Sonja Henie
• The workshop Labben for children and families
• Free admission for everyone under 18

Permanent exhibitions

• Yayoi Kusama: Hymn of Life – Permanent installation by the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.
• Merz! Flux! Pop! – New display of the collection.
• Sonja Henie: Objekter, premier og historie – Exhibition about Sonja Henie with objects, trophies and history.

Founded

1968

Operated by

Stiftelsen Henie Onstad Kunstsenter

Director

Anne Hilde Neset

Admission & discounts

Members of the Klubben have free admission and can bring one guest for free. Tickets can be bought online.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

Labben is a workshop where creativity and your own ideas are at the centre, open to all visitors. Regular family offers include family tours, Kunstsøndag (Art Sunday), Kunstdetektivene (the Art Detectives) and Jakten på skulpturen (the Hunt for the Sculpture). Children's birthdays can be celebrated in Labben, and the art centre has offers for school classes and nurseries.

Getting there & parking

Høvikodden is about 15 minutes by car from central Oslo, well signposted from the E18. From Blommenholm station it is about a 15-minute walk. From Aker Brygge a 12 km cycle path runs along the fjord.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Høvikodden café with lunch, coffee and cakes. The shop sells design and gift items, art books and posters and is open during the art centre's opening hours; membership cards for the Klubben can also be bought there.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Meeting rooms and venues for rent, with course and conference facilities. The café delivers food for meetings and events and can also be rented for closed events.

Plan your visit