Museum of the Viking Age
Oseberg dramatisert. Foto: RAA
Vikingtidsmuseet – Norway’s Ultimate Viking Experience
Welcome to the new museum in 2027
The old Viking Ship Museum is closed during the construction period.
The world's leading Viking museum
The Viking Ship Museum is closed and will reopen in 2027 as the Museum of the Viking Age.
At the Museum of the Viking Age, you can experience the world's best-preserved Viking ships and more than 5500 other objects from the Viking Era. As a research museum, we are responsible for the preservation of these national treasures, for both the present and for future generations.
The Vikingtidsmuseet (Museum of the Viking Age) is set to become one of the world’s premier Viking museums, offering a unique insight into Norway’s rich Viking heritage. Previously known as the Vikingship Museum, this attraction on Bygdøy in Oslo is undergoing a major transformation and is scheduled to reopen in 2027 as a modern, interactive Viking experience.
A World-Class Viking Collection
The museum will house some of the best-preserved Viking ships and artifacts in the world, offering visitors an unparalleled glimpse into the Viking Age (800–1050 AD).
Must-See Exhibits:
⛵ Oseberg Ship – A beautifully decorated Viking burial ship, showcasing intricate carvings and incredible craftsmanship.
⛵ Gokstad Ship – A large, seaworthy Viking ship, demonstrating advanced shipbuilding techniques.
⛵ Tune Ship – One of the earliest Viking ships ever discovered, with fascinating mysteries still surrounding it.
⚔ Viking Artifacts – Weapons, jewelry, sleds, textiles, and household objects from Viking burials.
These artifacts provide an authentic look at Viking life, from their seafaring adventures to their religious beliefs and daily routines.
What to Expect at the New Vikingtidsmuseet
1. Interactive and High-Tech Exhibitions
🎥 3D reconstructions of Viking cities, ships, and daily life.
🛡 Virtual Vikings who share their personal stories.
🔍 Hands-on digital experiences allowing visitors to explore Viking artifacts in detail.
2. A Journey into the Viking Age
🌍 Discover the Vikings' vast trade networks and legendary raids.
🏠 Learn about Viking homes, rituals, and mythology.
🚢 Experience what it was like to sail the open seas on a Viking ship.
3. Architectural Innovation Inspired by Viking Craftsmanship
The new Vikingtidsmuseet is designed with sustainability in mind, using materials and structures inspired by traditional Viking construction techniques. It will include:
🏛 Expanded exhibition spaces for both permanent and temporary exhibits.
📚 Dedicated research and education facilities.
🍽 A modern café and gift shop with Viking-inspired items.
Practical Information
📍 Location: Bygdøy, Oslo
🕒 Expected Opening: 2026 (currently closed for renovations)
🎟 Tickets: To be announced closer to opening.
🚆 How to Get There:
Bus 30 from central Oslo to Bygdøy.
Fjord ferry from Aker Brygge to Bygdøy (summer only).
Why Visit Vikingtidsmuseet?
✅ See the world’s best-preserved Viking ships up close.
✅ Engage with cutting-edge interactive exhibits.
✅ Explore Viking history through artifacts, storytelling, and digital experiences.
✅ Perfect for history enthusiasts, families, and tourists alike.
When the Vikingtidsmuseet reopens in 2026, it will be a must-visit destination for anyone interested in Viking history and Nordic heritage. Get ready for an epic journey back to the Viking Age! ⚔⛵✨
About the Museum of the Viking Age
The new museum
In the new museum, the Viking ships and the rest of the Viking Age collection will be displayed in a safer and more audience-friendly way than is possible today. The Museum of the Viking Age will ensure the population and future generations access to cultural-historical knowledge and understanding of the Viking Age.
The Museum of the Viking Age will exhibit the world's most extensive collection of objects from the Viking Age, including the best-preserved Viking ships in the world. Our scientists are constantly making new and groundbreaking discoveries that we share with the rest of the world. It is equally important that we will recreate the Viking Age and make one of the leading cultural heritage in the world alive for all our visitors in a modern and exciting way.
The new Museum of the Viking Age will be three times as large as the current Viking Ship Museum. In total, the new museum will be approx. 13,000 m2, of which approx. 9000 m2 is audience space, including 5500 m2 of exhibitions.
The interest in the Viking Ship Museum, the ships and objects has been enormous right from the start of the excavations in the 19th and 20th centuries. The conditions in our former building are not good enough for the Ships, and a new climate-regulated building with new support systems will be able to secure our unique objects for future generations. In the new museum, we will be able to present the Viking ships, and the rest of the collections from the Viking Age, in a safer way than what was possible in the Viking Ship Museum.
In addition to a tripling the exhibition area, the new museum facility will include a restaurant, lecture hall, museum shop, museum park, a separate area for visiting schoolchildren, a laboratory with access for the public, and a research center.
Archaeologists and a multitude of other staff work together to find good and innovative ways to create exhibitions, so that the museum reaches the goal of becoming the world's most important communicator of the Viking Age.
Statsbygg is now in the process of planning in detail the new building, which will be a continuation of today's building. The museum's professionals in conservation and collection management collaborate with Statsbygg in a security project to find solutions for safe handling of ships and objects during the construction process, and on safe methods for moving to the new building.
The existing building is linked to the new building by a glass extension. This is not only an elegant architectural solution, but also allows the exhibition design to reinforce the initial experience concept. Nothing is more “in the moment” than being able to stand under the sky in daylight before being cast into a different world, more specifically a late summer afternoon in Oseberg in the year 834.
About the building project
User: Museum of Cultural History
Contractor: Statsbygg
Client: Ministry of Education and Research
Owner and operational responsibility: University of Oslo
Architect: AART architects
Main Contractor: AF Gruppen
Technical advisors: Multiconsult, Brekke & Strand
Total area: approx. 13,000 m2 BTA
Exhibition area: approx. 5000 m2 BTA
Opening for the public: 2027
Timeline
2027: The museum opens
2023: Start of construction
2021: The Viking Ship Museum closes to the public
2018: Preliminary project complete
2016: AART architects wins the architectural competition among 111 entries
2015: The international architectural competition is announced
The Collection
The Museum of the Viking Age has the world's most important and most complete collection of Viking Age artifacts. The collection consists of more than 50,000 items, and we are continuously making new discoveries.The objects are the keys to the Viking world. A range of objects from the Oseberg ship, to the sword from Langeid to small pearls from Kaupang all testify to a bygone era. Together, they evoke an image of a society that underwent major changes.
The Oseberg ship
The Oseberg ship was built around the year 820 CE and is made of oak. The ship is richly decorated with carved animal ornaments that wind up along the bow and end up in a spiraling serpent’s head. Such an ornately decorated ship has been reserved for special members of the aristocracy. Each of the strakes overlaps the one below and they are fixed with iron rivets. The side of the ship consists of 12 strakes. Below the waterline, they are only 2‒ 3 cm thick, while the two upper strakes are a little thicker. The deck is made of loose pine planks. The mast is also pine and was between 10 and 13 meters high. The Oseberg ship could be both sailed and rowed. There are 15 oar holes on each side so the ship would need 30 oarsmen to be fully manned. The oars are made of pine, and some of them show traces of painted decorations.
The Gokstad ship
The Gokstad ship was built around the year 890 CE. It is a flexible and fast ship well suited for sailing on the high seas. The Gokstad ship could be both sailed and rowed, there are holes for 16 oars along each ship's side that provide space for 32 rowers. There are no sign of thwarts, presumably the rudders have been sitting on chests, which could also contain personal equipment. The Gokstad ship is made of oak and is 5.18 m wide and 23.22 m long. It is clinker built with 16 rows of strakes. The nine strakes below the waterline are only two to three centimeters thick, making the sides of the ship light and flexible. The keel is made of one straight piece of oak. The deck consists of planks of pine that can be lifted up so that the crew could easily bail out water if necessary.
The Tune ship
The Tune ship was built around 910 AD and is a clinker-built ship made of oak. The ship is estimated to have been 18.7 m. long, 4.2 m. wide and to have had 12 rows of strakes. In the ship’s present state we can only see the 10 lower strakes, but there are holes and marks for fastening the upper two rows. The two extra strakes would have given a sufficiently high freeboard to prevent fairly big waves from swamping the ship. The Tune ship has a strong mast support, which would have made it possible for the sail to be as large as 100 square meters. Combined with the shape of the hull, this made the ship a fast, sea-going vessel with excellent sailing properties.The ship was also well suited to moving people quickly, an important quality for a warship. Perhaps this was the Tune ship’s main function
Other important findings
The animal head posts
Five beautifully carved animal heads were found in the Oseberg grave, four were found inside the burial chamber itself, while one was found on the fore ship. The four found in the burial chamber were connected by a rope that went through the mouths of the heads like a log.
At the bottom of the neck there has been a shaft that was about half a meter long. With it, the heads could be carried, but they may also have been attached to walls, for example by a high seat. Even for an experienced wood carver, it has been challenging to make the animal heads. It seems that they are made of different wood carvers. None of the animal heads are alike, and two of them are also decorated with silver nails.
The unique Gold spur
This gold spur was found in 1887 at Rød farm in Rygge during plowing work, together with an accompanying gold fitting. Thirty years later, the second fitting was found in the same field. No trace of a grave was found, so the gold objects have ended up in the soil in a different way. Spurs attach to the boots and are used to control the horse during riding. They are worn in pairs, but the second spur was never found.
The gold spur is the only one of its kind from Viking-era Scandinavia. Covered in intricate patterns in gold, pearl thread, and soldered gold grains, it depicts animals and patterns in the Viking age Borre style. A Scandinavian jeweler probably made it in the second half of the 900's. One theory is that the spur was made in a Danish royal workshop.
Gjermundbu helmet
The Gjermundbu helmet was found during the excavation of a burial mound at Ringerike in 1943. The excavation showed that this was the last resting place of a powerful man who died sometime between 950 and 975.
He was buried with full equestrian equipment, one sword, two spears, two axes , chain mail, kitchen utensils, game pieces. The helmet from Gjermundbu is the inspiration of almost all reconstructions used in re-enactments, films, games and so on. The helmet is quite famous. Horns have never been attached to the helmet.
The Viking Age
The Viking Age lasted from the last half of the 8th century to the last half of the 11th century.
It is a period when people from Norway, Sweden and Denmark traveled to other parts of the world on a large scale. With the help of sails and excellent sea-going ships, they established themselves as a political factor in Europe. It is also in this period that Norway is developing into a kingdom, influenced by the meetings between Scandinavian people and other societies and cultures.
Travel
The Viking ships are the very symbol of the Viking Age and the Vikings' journey is a favourite motif both in the saga literature and in modern popular culture. People from Scandinavia travelled the world on a large scale. On the many journeys west, south and east, they met other cultures and societies and they brought home riches and new ideas, while at the same time bringing their own jewellery, weapons and customs out into the world. The Vikings' travels and encounters with other cultures formed in many ways the basis for the great societal changes that took place in Scandinavia during the Viking Age.
Treasure
In the summer of 1834, a farmhand worked at Nedre Hoen farm in Viken. He was hired to help the farmer drain a bog on the property. During the digging of a trench, he got the surprise of his life when he dug up Norway's largest gold treasure from the Viking Age- the Hoen treasure. The treasure consists of a unique collection of valuables; large gold rings, Franconian gold jewelry, Arabic coins, colorful pearls, Roman antiques and an English ring. The treasure reflects the Vikings' travels and network; from the Caliphate in the east to the British Isles in the west.
This circular pendant is made of gold and weighs 14.65 grams. The pendant are decorated with a technique called filigree, were fine treads of gold are soldered to the plate. The pattern consist of elements both from Scandinavian animal style and Frankish plant ornaments, and the pendant were probably produced locally after Frankish fashion.
The Violent Viking
The weapons and war equipment from the Viking Age testify to a society where power and status belonged to those who were not afraid to use violence. The weapon- culture and the principle of the right of the strongest made the Viking raids possible and many were tempted by opportunities for wealth, high status and power - if they survived. There was no central state in the Viking Age, and people depended on the clan for protection. However, society was not lawless. The people of Scandinavia were concerned with individual ethics and morals. There were laws and rules, and a case could be presented at the Things to be solved.
Faith
The Viking cosmology and religion was not a question of belief – the world simply was. This included knowledge of how the world came to be, how it functioned, and how it would end at ragnarok. The Vikings believed that the humans lived in the middle of the world, gods and giants had their territories, but there were also other creatures such as elves, disir, huldres and dwarves. They lived in the forests, the lakes, the sky and in the soil and mountains. Some were helpers, others feared, and although they were rarely seen, no one ever doubted their existence.
A Changing Society
Through their many journeys, the Vikings encountered many Christians. Eventually, some Scandinavians switched to Christianity, either out of personal conviction, or because this was important for alliances in trade and politics. At home in Scandinavia, politics and religion were closely linked, and kings and rulers used both coercion, violence and reward to introduce Christianity. Among most people, traditional religion and Christianity lived side by side for some time into the 11th century.
Burials
The Vikings buried their dead in many different ways. The grave itself could be anything from a large burial mound to no marking at all. The dead could be cremated along with burial gifts and ashes and remains laid in the grave, or the dead could be buried unburned. Often animals, especially horses, were laid in the grave along with the dead. In many graves, the dead put to rest in a boat or ship. This may have been intended as a vehicle for the deceased on the journey to the realm of the dead.
Dokumenter om utstillinger i Vikingtidsmuseet
I forbindelse med planlegging av utstillingene i Vikingtidsmuseet beskriver følgende dokumenter foreløpige planer for utstillingene. Disse er tilgjengelig for tilbydere, samarbeidspartnere og andre interesserte.
Masterplan for utstillinger (pdf): Beskriver museets intensjoner med utstillingene og annen formidling.
Utstillingsopplevelse (pdf): Rapport som beskriver det generelle konseptet for utstillingsopplevelse i de permanente utstillingene.
Tekniske retningslinjer (pdf): Beskrivelse av overordnede tekniske prinsipper for museet.