Getting around

Deichman Bjørvika / Oslo Public Library, Main Branch

Oslo Public Library (officially called in Norwegian Deichman bibliotek, Deichman Library) is the municipal public library serving Oslo, Norway and is the country's first and largest library. It employs over 300 people and has over 20 branches throughout the city.

The library opened on 12 January 1785 following an endowment from Carl Deichman, who also bequeathed 7,000 books and 150 manuscripts which formed the basis of the library's collection.

The library has several specialised departments, such as a music department, and a department for children and youth (decorated by Tulla Blomberg Ranslet), a department for prison libraries and a library for patients at the Rikshospital. It previously also housed The Multilingual Library, which is now part of the National Library of Norway.

• Location: Anne-Cath. Vestlys plass 1

• Hours:

  • Monday–Friday 08:00–22:00

  • Saturday-Sunday 10:00–18:00

More information: https://deichman.no/

National Library

The National Library collects and preserves everything that is published in the Norwegian public, and contributes to increasing interest and knowledge about Norwegian history and cultural heritage. Here you can see scripts, books, films, music, TV and radio clips, posters and small prints. The building from 1914 contains two permanent and two temporary exhibitions, as well as a museum shop and café.

The National Library regularly presents their collection in exhibitions, concerts, lectures, readings and guided tours.

• Location: Henrik Ibsens gate 110

• Hours:

  • Monday–Friday 09:00–21:00

  • Saturday 10:00–18:00

• More information: https://www.nb.no/

Norsk Folkemuseum / Norwegian Museum of Cultural History

The Norwegian Folk Museum is situated a 25-minute bus ride from the Railroad Station, or, if you want to, a 1 hr and 10-minute walk. Entering the Folk Museum is like stepping into a world of old. If you would like to see as much of Norway as possible, this is a great place to go as it provides you with houses and scenery from all over the country and is packed with folk history and cozy feelings.

In addition to historical buildings, the museum has exhibitions inside some of the bigger buildings. There is enough to see here to spend an entire day!

• Location: Museumsveien 10

• Hours:

  • Monday–Sunday 11:00–16:00

• Prices:

  • Adults Admission 180 NOK

  • Senior Admission 140 NOK

  • Young people 18-25 Admission 100 NOK

  • Under 18 years Free entrance

• More information: https://norskfolkemuseum.no/en

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum has recently opened a new section with fossils, minerals, and many other beautiful items to look at. There are two sections to the museum - the zoological and the geological. There is also a little library there, aimed for children, but with room to take a break with a cup of tea or coffee.

The museum is located a 15- to 20-minute bus ride, or a 25-minute walk, from the Railroad Station. It is within the Botanical Gardens which are also open to public.

• Location: Sars' gate/Monrads gate

• Hours:

  • Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–17:00

• Prices:

  • Adults Admission 150 NOK

  • Senior/Student Admission 75 NOK

• More information: https://www.nhm.uio.no/english/index.html

The National Museum

The largest art museum in the Nordic countries opened in Oslo. Here, you can experience both older and modern art, as well as contemporary art and design, all under one roof. The National Gallery closed in 2019. It is now a part of the National Museum.

The National Museum gathers the collections of the former National Gallery, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Norwegian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design. The presentation of the artworks is chronological and shows the main features of Norwegian art history, in addition to selected foreign works. The main exhibition creates a coherence across the various collections and the various historical epochs.

• Location: Brynjulf Bulls plass 3

• Hours:

  • Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–21:00

• Prices:

  • Adults Admission 180 NOK

  • Senior Admission 110 NOK

  • Between 18 and 25 Admission 110 NOK

  • Groups min. 10 pers. p.p. Admission 120 NOK

  • Under 18 years Free entrance

• More Info: https://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/en/

Museum of Oslo

Oslo Museum collects all types of cultural material that can illuminate the historical and contemporary Oslo. The objects are stored in reservoirs at Frogner Manor, and in some satellites around Oslo.

Many of these are digitized and made available to the public on DigitalMuseum. Particularly valuable are the art collection and photo collection with Oslo scenes and portraits. The photo collection is one of the largest and documents the city's development from photography's infancy to the present

• Location: Frognerveien 67

• Hours:

  • Tuesday–Sunday 11:00–16:00

• Prices:

  • Adults Admission 100 NOK

  • Senior Admission Admission 80 NOK

  • Student Admission 60 NOK

  • Under 18 years Free entrance 0

  • Free admission every Saturday

• More info: https://www.oslomuseum.no/museum-of-oslo/

Vigeland Sculpture Park

Frogner Park is a public park that is historically part of Frogner Manor, and the manor house is in the south of the park, and houses Oslo Museum. Both the park, the entire borough of Frogner as well as Frognerseteren derive their names from Frogner Manor.

Frogner Park contains, in its present centre, the Vigeland installation, a permanent sculpture installation created by Gustav Vigeland between 1924 and 1943. It consists of sculptures as well as larger structures such as bridges and fountains.

• Location: Frognerparken

• Hours:

  • Monday–Sunday 00:00–00:00

• More info: https://vigeland.museum.no/

Oslo City Hall

Oslo City Hall opened in 1950 and is open to everyone. The City Hall tower is home to the largest carillon in the Nordics.

The building as it stands today was constructed between 1931 and 1950, with an interruption during the Second World War. It was designed by architects Arnstein Arneberg and Magnus Poulsson. It houses the city council, the city's administration and various other municipal organisations.

• Location: Fridtjof Nansens plass

• Hours:

  • Monday–Sunday 09:00–16:00

• More info: https://www.oslo.kommune.no/oslo-city-hall/

The Royal Palace

The Royal Palace was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norwegian residence of the French-born King Charles III John, who reigned as king of Norway and Sweden.

The palace is the official residence of the current Norwegian monarch while the Crown Prince resides at Skaugum in Asker west of Oslo. Changing of the guards every day at 1.30 pm.

The palace is located at the end of Karl Johans gate in central Oslo and is surrounded by the Palace Park with the Palace Square in the front.

• Location: Slottsplassen 1

• More info: https://www.royalcourt.no/

Karl Johans gate

Karl Johans gate is the main street of the city of Oslo, Norway. The street was named in honor of King Charles III John, who was also King of Sweden as Charles XIV John.

The street includes many of Oslo's tourist attractions. In addition to the Royal Palace, Central Station and Stortinget, there are the National Theatre, the old University Buildings, the Palace Park and the pond at Eidsvolls plass, which serves as a skating rink in winter. Oslo Cathedral's lower end is surrounded by the Bazaar Market, which is integrated with the historic Fire Watch.

Karl Johans is the main shopping street which goes from the Central Station square to the Royal Palace.

• Location: Karl Johans

• More info: https://www.visitnordic.com/en/attraction/karl-johan-shopping-street