Vadsø museum – Ruija kvenmuseum
Museum in the former NRK building in Vadsø with a main exhibition on the Kven people and the Arctic Ocean, an exhibition on NRK Finnmark, a café and a shop.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Vadsø museum – Ruija kvenmuseum is located at Grensen 1, built as Lille Marienlyst. NRK (the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) opened its first district office in Vadsø in 1934, and German aircraft bombed the broadcaster on 2 June 1940. The present building was erected in 1948–49, and the museum took it over in 2016. After rebuilding from April 2020, the house reopened on 26 August 2021.
The main exhibition “Kohtaaminen Jäämeren kans – Møtet med Ishavet” opened at the same time. It tells of the Kven people and the Norwegian-Finnish population who came from Finnish-speaking areas before the Second World War, and of the Kven language, which is today recognised as a national minority language. A separate exhibition, “NRK Finnmark – på grensen”, opened on 25 June 2022 and shows the history of NRK and broadcasting in Vadsø.
The house also has a museum shop and the café Kaffipaikka. The museum is part of Varanger museum, which runs several visitor sites in Vadsø, including Esbensengården, Tuomainengården and Vadsøya kulturpark. Vadsø museum is open all year round.
Highlights
- The main exhibition “Møtet med Ishavet” about the history of the Kven people
- The exhibition “NRK Finnmark – på grensen” about broadcasting in Vadsø
- The Kaffipaikka café and museum shop in the main building
- Joint ticket for all visitor sites in Vadsø
- Open all year round
Permanent exhibitions
- Kohtaaminen Jäämeren kans – Møtet med Ishavet – The main exhibition on the history of the Kven people and the Norwegian-Finnish population, with Kven as a national minority language.
- NRK Finnmark – på grensen – Exhibition on the history of NRK and broadcasting in Vadsø, where NRK opened its first district office in 1934.
- Founded
- 1971
- Operated by
- Varanger museum IKS
Admission & discounts
| Adults | NOK 120 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | NOK 100Students, seniors and conscripts |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 15 · Children under 16 enter free. School classes and kindergartens enter free. |
| Seniors | NOK 100Seniors (honnør) |
| Students & apprentices | NOK 100 |
| Groups (10+ people) | NOK 100 per personGroup price per person for groups of at least 10 people. |
| Joint ticket for all visitor sites in Vadsø | NOK 150Per person |
| Local annual pass for all sites in the chosen municipality | NOK 200 |
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
The café Kaffipaikka and the museum shop are located in the main building together with the exhibitions.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
