Justismuseet
National museum for the police, the justice system and the prison service in two protected buildings in Trondheim, with exhibitions on investigation, punishment and the war.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Justismuseet was founded in 2000 under the name Norsk rettsmuseum and is the national museum for the police, the justice system and the correctional services. The museum aims to build knowledge about law and justice from both a historical and a contemporary perspective, and to show why the democratic state governed by the rule of law is worth fighting for. It is run by a foundation and financed through the state budget.
The exhibitions are located in two protected buildings beside Ilen church. Kriminalasylet (the criminal asylum) was completed in 1833 as Slaveriet, a prison building for convicts at the Skansevakten military complex. It was designed by Ole Petter Riis Høegh according to modern prison principles, with an oval central space and peepholes into the living quarters. At the end of the 19th century the building was fitted out as the country’s first asylum for dangerously insane people. The second building, Det militære sykehus (the Military Hospital), houses reception, the shop and several of the exhibitions.
The collection is built up around objects from the police, the justice system and the prison service, including the torture equipment of the Rinnan group, which police officer Gerhard Geving collected after the war, and an Enigma machine. Much of the collection is available on Digitalt museum.
Highlights
- The SPOR exhibition on criminal investigation
- The war exhibition with the torture equipment of the Rinnan group and an Enigma machine
- The uniform exhibition from 1796 to the present
- The account of punishment, including executions and leg irons (fotlenker)
- Kriminalasylet, a protected prison building from 1833
Permanent exhibitions
- SPOR – The exhibition in Det militære sykehus addresses the role of the police in the legal process and what, how and why in criminal investigation.
- Krigsutstillingen – The exhibition in Kriminalasylet invites visitors to reflect on what happens to legal security when a foreign power takes over, with the torture equipment of the Rinnan group and the Enigma machine.
- Uniformsutstillingen – The exhibition in Kriminalasylet shows police uniforms from 1796 to the present day.
- Founded
- 2000
- Operated by
- Stiftelsen Justismuseet
Admission & discounts
| Adults | NOK 110 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | NOK 80Seniors/concessions (honnør) and students |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 15 · Visitors under 16 do not pay. |
| Seniors | NOK 80Concession ticket (honnør). |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · A companion has free admission with a companion card. |
| Students & apprentices | NOK 80 |
| Groups | NOK 120 per personGuided tours for pre-booked groups during opening hours on weekdays: NOK 120 per person for groups of up to 20 people (minimum charge NOK 450). Separate prices apply outside opening hours and at weekends. |
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: not available
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description
Both buildings have ramps, accessible toilets, space to turn a wheelchair and a lift to all public floors. The buildings are protected, and some doors in Kriminalasylet are too narrow for wheelchairs. The films in the exhibitions have Norwegian subtitles, but the exhibitions have not been translated into sign language. The exhibitions SPOR and STRAFF are audio-described via QR code and website. Short descriptions of the exhibitions can be read before the visit.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Skansen
The museum lies by Ilen church, about a 10-minute walk from Trondheim torg. Because of work in Kongens gate, the nearest bus stop is Skansen.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
The museum has no guest parking of its own. There is paid street parking in Erling Skakkes gate, and the car park at Leütenhaven is about a 7-minute walk from the museum.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
The museum shop is located in Det militære sykehus by the reception.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours for groups with different themes must be booked in advance via formidling@justismuseet.no. The museum has programmes for kindergartens, primary and lower-secondary schools, upper-secondary schools and higher education. |
