Vevelstad museum og bygdetun

About the museum

Vevelstad museum og bygdetun lies just south of Forvik ferry landing. The museum building Ristning/Tjaalege opened in spring 2024, was designed by Atelier Oslo and lies along Kystriksveien. The exhibition “Spor” (Traces) takes visitors from the Stone Age through the Iron Age to the Viking Age and tells of the natural and cultural history of Southern Helgeland. The theme is rock art such as petroglyphs, runes and cave paintings. There is an activity station where you can draw your own petroglyph impression, a cave with recreated cave paintings and an animation of an Iron Age longhouse. The exhibition also presents Old Norse poems (kvad) from Helgeland.

The farmstead was established by Vevelstad Historielag in 1980. The local history society was founded in 1963, and Arnt O. Åsvang was one of its driving forces. The farmstead has eleven cultural-history buildings and a museum garden, with textiles and porcelain from the 1800s, a storehouse (stabbur), a smithy, a brandy shed (brennevinsbu) and Nordland boats. Dortheastua has an exhibition about Åsvang's life and work. In the children's cowshed (barnas fjøs) the youngest can care for wooden animals, and the cowshed exhibition has been extended to the whole floor of the barn.

The outdoor area is open all year round. From the farmstead a nature and culture trail, Vistnesstien, about three kilometres long, leads to the petroglyph field in Vistnesdalen, which is 4,000–5,000 years old. Vevelstad church from 1796 lies right nearby. The site is part of Helgeland Museum.

Highlights

• The exhibition “Spor” on rock art and prehistory
• Activity station for petroglyphs
• Rural heritage farmstead with eleven buildings and a museum garden
• The children's cowshed with wooden animals
• Trail to the petroglyph field in Vistnesdalen

Permanent exhibitions

• Spor – Exhibition on rock art and prehistory from the Stone Age to the Viking Age in Southern Helgeland, with an activity station, a cave and an animation of an Iron Age longhouse.
• Vevelstad bygdetun – Eleven cultural-history buildings with a museum garden, textiles, porcelain, a smithy and Nordland boats.

Founded

1980

Operated by

Helgeland Museum

Admission & discounts

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• 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

The outdoor area is accessible all year round.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations

The exhibition “Spor” has an activity station where you can draw your own petroglyph impression, also digitally, and a cave with recreated cave paintings. In the children's cowshed the youngest can care for wooden animals.

Getting there & parking

The museum lies just south of Forvik ferry landing along Kystriksveien (County Road 17). The petroglyph field in Vistnesdalen lies by a small car park along County Road 111 and can be reached via Vistnesstien.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit