Vikingtidsmuseet

About the museum

The Vikingskipshuset (Viking Ship House) on Bygdøy opened to the public in 1926 with the Oseberg hall, and the cathedral-like museum building was designed by Arnstein Arneberg. The museum displayed the ships from Oseberg, Gokstad and Tune together with finds from the great ship burials in Vestfold, including the cart, sledges, beds and textiles from the Oseberg find. The ships were brought from the University's Antiquities Collection (Universitetets Oldsaksamling), where they had stood in poor conditions after the excavations.

Interest in the ships was always great. The old museum was designed for around 40,000 visitors a year, but in the last year it was open more than half a million people came. The conditions for the ships and objects were also not good enough, and the museum was therefore closed to make way for a new museum complex.

The government gave the go-ahead for the construction in 2019. The project became more expensive than planned and was delayed, partly because the ships and sledges had to be secured against damage and vibration during construction. The new Vikingtidsmuseet is being built as an extension of the old Vikingskipshuset, which will play a central role with the entrance, ticket sales, auditorium, shop and cloakroom. Statsbygg is the client, AART architects designed the building, and Kulturhistorisk museum (Museum of Cultural History) is responsible for the exhibitions and visits.

In spring 2026 all the Viking ships and the fragile Oseberg sledges were safely moved into the new building. The museum plans to open in November 2027, but the date may still change. For as long as the building is closed, Viking Age objects can be seen at the Historical Museum (Historisk museum) in central Oslo.

Highlights

• The Oseberg ship, the Gokstad ship and the Tune ship
• More than 5,000 objects from the Viking Age
• The Oseberg cart and the Oseberg sledges
• The Gjermundbu helmet and the Langeid sword
• The textiles from Oseberg

Founded

1926

Operated by

Kulturhistorisk museum, Universitetet i Oslo

Visitors per year

approx. 538,037

Admission & discounts

Vikingtidsmuseet is closed until its planned opening in November 2027.

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 new museum is to be built according to the principles of universal design, and there will be parking spaces for visitors with reduced mobility.

Kids & families

Vikingtidsmuseet is closed until its planned opening in November 2027.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

The new museum will have a café and restaurant, and the old building will house a museum shop and cloakroom.

Events & venue rental

Vikingtidsmuseet is closed until its planned opening in November 2027.