Vestnorsk utvandringssenter

About the museum

Vestnorsk utvandringssenter (West Norwegian Emigration Centre) is an open-air museum with buildings that Norwegian Americans built in Minnesota and Dakota between 1860 and 1920. Towards the end of the 20th century the houses stood empty, and they were given as gifts back to Norway. The buildings were dismantled by volunteer labour, shipped across the Atlantic and set up again at Sletta on Radøy, where volunteers built up the emigration centre.

Here stand the Emigrantkirken (the Emigrant Church), a school, a doctor’s surgery, a dwelling house, a town hall and a jail, which together form a genuine Norwegian-American prairie village. Among the houses are the Nybyggerstua (Underwood Pioneer House) from 1869, the schoolroom Marboe Township School from 1893 and Dr. Serklands legekontor (Dr. Serkland’s surgery) from 1904. The town hall and jail, Elizabeth Town Hall and Jail, were erected in the 1880s and later joined together.

The centre tells the story of the great Norwegian emigration to America and draws parallels with cultural encounters and migration in our own time. The site is owned by a foundation, and operations were taken over by Museumssenteret i Hordaland (MUHO) in 2010. In the basement of the Emigrantkirken is the café and museum shop Emigranten, and a friends’ association of volunteers contributes to the operation.

Highlights

• A genuine Norwegian-American prairie village on Radøy
• The Nybyggerstua from 1869 and the schoolroom from 1893
• The surgery from 1904 and the town hall with jail
• Emigrantkirken with café and shop in the basement
• Exhibitions on emigration and migration today

Permanent exhibitions

• Nybyggerstua – The Underwood Pioneer House, built in 1869 by Andreas Seem in Underwood, Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
• Skulestua – Marboe Township School from 1893, a typical one-room school from Sargent County in North Dakota.
• Legekontoret – Dr. Serkland’s surgery from 1904.

Operated by

Museumssenteret i Hordaland (MUHO)

Admission & discounts

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Family events with activities for children and adults are held during the year.

Getting there & parking

From Bergen follow the E39 north through Åsane to Vågsbotn and onwards over the Nordhordland Bridge (Nordhordlandsbrua) towards Knarvik. In Knarvik follow Riksvei 57 to Isdalstø and then Riksvei 565 towards Radøy; the journey takes about 50 minutes from Bergen. Do not turn off towards Manger.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Emigranten, the basement of the Emigrantkirken, has a simple café with coffee and something to eat, and the soup of the day every Thursday. The museum shop sells local goods, books, souvenirs, and yarn and knitwear from MUHO. The café can be rented for companies and meetings.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The café Emigranten can be rented for companies and meetings.

Plan your visit