Photo: Ryfylkemuseet · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Kvitsøy hummermuseum

Museum in a boathouse in Ydstebøhamn on Kvitsøy, with exhibitions on lobster fishing, the fishing industry and life on the island; open in summer.

Opening hours

Website Directions

About the museum

Kvitsøy hummermuseum (lobster museum) opened in 2013 and is part of Ryfylkemuseet. It lies in a boathouse at Grøningen in Ydstebøhamn, at the outer end of the fjord between Karmøy and Randaberg, on Kvitsøy, the smallest of the municipalities in Ryfylke.

The main exhibition tells the story of the lobster and of the fishing and trade in it. Kvitsøy has been known as a centre for lobster fishing, and the golden age of the fishing and export was the period before 1960. Several lobster pounds (hummerparker) existed on the island at that time, but they were closed as the fishing became less profitable. Today only a few professional fishermen still fish lobster, most of them on a hobby basis.

The museum also shows an exhibition on the everyday life of a fisherman on the island, furnishings from a traditional fisherman’s home, an exhibition on boats and engines, and a large collection of fishing gear.

Highlights

Main exhibition on lobster fishing and the lobster trade
Exhibition on everyday life as a fisherman on Kvitsøy
Furnishings from a traditional fisherman’s home
Exhibition on boats and engines
Collection of fishing gear

Permanent exhibition

Hummerfisket og hummerhandelen – The main exhibition tells the story of the lobster, the fishing and the trade, with additional exhibitions on everyday fishing life, boats and engines.

Founded: 2013
Operated by: Ryfylkemuseet