Meløy bygdemuseum

About the museum

Meløy bygdemuseum has a long history that begins in 1866, when Christian Stenes became a teacher in Meløy. He wanted to set up a permanent school instead of itinerant schooling, and in 1876 he bought property at Dalen and had the white house moved here from Namdalen.

Over time the small Nordland house (nordlandshus) became too cramped, and in 1923 the yellow school building was erected. It is today the museum. The pupils lived at the school in shifts of a fortnight while they attended here, and visitors can walk through the historic classrooms and get a feel for the atmosphere of school and boarding-school life.

The museum displays old school equipment and tells of teaching methods and the lives of the children who lived and learned here. In the basement there is an exhibition on the world of the fishing-farmers (fiskerbønder), with the combination of fishing and farming that shaped life along the coast for several hundred years. The museum is run by Nordlandsmuseet.

Highlights

• School building from 1923 with historic classrooms
• Boarding-school life and school equipment
• Exhibition on the lives of the fishing-farmers in the basement

Permanent exhibition

• Skolehistorie og fiskerbønder – Historic classrooms and school equipment in the school building from 1923, and an exhibition on the lives of the fishing-farmers in the basement.

Operated by

Nordlandsmuseet

Admission & discounts

Separate prices apply to visits outside regular opening hours.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• 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

A long staircase and high door thresholds prevent wheelchair users from getting in. The toilets are not universally designed and are out of order in 2026. The exhibitions are not adapted for people with visual or hearing impairments.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The site lies along the main road at Reipå, about 1 hour and 40 minutes by car from Bodø.

Amenities & dining

During the summer half-year it is possible to sit outside in the garden.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit