Osterøy museum

About the museum

Osterøy museum is a folk museum at Gjerstad in Lonevåg and part of Museumssenteret i Hordaland (MUHO). The museum builds on more than a hundred years of local history work on Osterøy and tells of craft traditions, rural culture and everyday life on Strilelandet.

In the museum farmstead stand several older houses that were moved to the site between 1933 and 1983, including Solbjørstova, Kleivelandstova, Heimvikstova, Revheimstova, Fjellskålnesloftet and an eldhus. The houses date from the period between 1600 and 1850 and show how people on the west coast lived in clustered farmsteads (klyngetun) until the 1900s. The main building houses the permanent exhibition “Handboren” about local traditions in wood and textiles, costume and bunad, and the development of small-scale industry in the 1900s. A fur farm from Røsland from the late 1980s shows another side of the economy on the island.

Also belonging to the museum is Hosanger Treskofabrikk, a clog-making workshop from the 1920s with belt-driven machines that is run in cooperation with volunteers, and the local history collection Ådnatun in Indre Arna. The collections include, among other things, bringedukar (embroidered cloths), weavings, åklær (woven covers) and patterned knitted sweaters.

Highlights

• Museum farmstead with houses from 1600–1850 moved to Gjerstad
• The exhibition “Handboren” on craft in wood and textiles, costume and bunad
• Bringedukar (embroidered cloths), åklær and patterned knitted sweaters in the collections
• Fur farm from Røsland, showing a distinctive feature of the economy on Osterøy
• Hosanger Treskofabrikk with belt-driven machines from the 1920s

Permanent exhibitions

• Handboren – The exhibition tells of local craft traditions in wood and textiles, of costume and bunad, and of the development of small-scale industry in the 1900s.
• Museumstunet – Older houses from 1600–1850 moved to Gjerstad, showing building traditions and ways of life on Strilelandet.
• Pelsdyrgård fra Røsland – A small fur farm from the late 1980s, telling the story of fur farming and supplementary industries on Osterøy.

Operated by

Museumssenteret i Hordaland (MUHO)

Admission & discounts

Tickets can be booked online.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The main building with the permanent exhibition has step-free access; the entrance door is 95 cm wide but has no automatic door opener. A gravel path leads to the museum farmstead, with a steep final slope, and the houses in the farmstead are old. There are two toilets behind the shop in the main building, one with a grab rail. Disabled parking is right by the entrance. Induction loop and microphone system in the main building.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

By car it takes about 45 minutes from central Bergen.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop in the main building; a selection is also sold in MUHO’s online shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit