Norsk Folkemuseum

Here at Norsk Folkemuseum, or the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, you can explore life in Norway from the Middle Ages to the present day. The museum features extensive exhibitions and one of Europe’s largest open-air museums. Just steps away, you’ll find an iconic attraction: the stave church from Gol, originally built in the 1200s, transported here, and reassembled in 1885. Stave churches are considered some of the world’s oldest standing wooden structures and are among Norway’s most significant contributions to the world’s cultural heritage. In the late 1800s, interest in Norwegian history began to grow, particularly focusing on the early Middle Ages and Norway’s golden age. King Oscar II moved several old buildings to the public park at the royal manor, Bygdø Kongsgård, marking the beginning of the world’s first open-air museum, Oscar II’s Collection. When the congregation in Gol needed a new church, the "Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments" purchased the stave church and gifted it to the king. It was then dismantled, transported from Hallingdal to Bygdøy, and rebuilt here as the jewel of the collection. Today, Oscar II’s Collection is part of Norsk Folkemuseum, and the stave church is its most visited attraction. Step inside to admire the beautifully carved portals adorned with animal heads, dragons, and intricate vines, and experience a piece of Norwegian medieval history that has fascinated visitors for over a century.