The National Museum — Attraction in Oslo

A Stunning Experience at the National Museum, Oslo

I had the pleasure of visiting the National Museum in Oslo, and it was truly an inspiring experience. The museum is beautifully designed, blending modern architecture with a deep sense of history. What impressed me the most was the creative and technologically advanced way in which Norway presents its cultural heritage — from digital displays to immersive installations that make the past come alive.

As a Sri Lankan, it made me reflect on how we also have a rich and much older history, yet our presentation methods often don't do justice to our incredible past. Sri Lanka's history spans over 2,500 years of written records, including ancient kingdoms, sophisticated irrigation systems, and a deep-rooted Buddhist heritage. In contrast, Norway's recorded history begins around 800 CE, during the Viking Age. Yet, the National Museum in Oslo showcases every era of their history with elegance, clarity, and pride.

When I compare this to the Sri Lanka National Museum, while it holds some truly priceless artifacts — like those from Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa — the presentation can feel outdated. The spaces lack interactivity, and many displays don't fully convey the context or cultural richness behind the items. Sadly, much of Sri Lanka's ancient heritage was lost or looted during colonization, with many treasures now held in museums abroad, such as in London. But that’s all the more reason to protect and exhibit what remains in the most dignified and engaging way possible.

Norway has shown how history can be preserved not only through conservation but also through storytelling and experience. I strongly believe Sri Lanka can take inspiration from this — by integrating technology, upgrading museum environments, training staff in curation and museum education, and, above all, investing in making our own people proud of our heritage.

The Oslo museum visit left me with both admiration and hope — admiration for what Norway has accomplished and hope for what Sri Lanka can still achieve.

And to anyone reading this — I warmly invite you to visit Sri Lanka and explore its ancient cities, timeless traditions, and stories...

Definitely in my top three museums I've ever been to. The layout, the exhibits/paintings, and the design were all amazing. It's also very reasonably priced.

The first floor is more dedicated to "things" rather than paintings. I rarely see these outside of more niche museums, but I appreciate seeing them, because history is more than just art; it's what people used. There are a few paintings but the space is mostly for how people lived throughout Norway's history. Even the choice of paint on the walls and the sound (in some areas) were immersive and tied into the theme of what was being shown. I think the one that stood out the most to me was a section on religious material that had medieval hymns softly playing, and the walls were a very regal, deep red. I really loved the exhibits that showed entire rooms, the vintage attire, and the graphic design! You don't see that very often outside of niche museums.

The second floor was paintings and sculptures. They go by era. I typically find that museums dedicate more space for Renaissance-era art, but the balance for all eras here was really good. I was especially impressed by the contemporary art area; it isn't one most museums dedicate a lot of space to! As all art, not everything was for me, but it is important to display. Seeing the famous The Scream in person was fun. There's a large Munch section, which is to be expected. There's also a copy of the Mona Lisa! It startled me until I read the caption.

The third floor is for special exhibits. At the time I went, it was Rothko paintings.

Surprisingly, the gift shop was kind of lacking. I wish they sold prints aside from postcards, as there were several paintings I loved so much that I wanted to take them home, haha.

Overall, I was here for like four-five hours. I rarely spend so much time in museums but I was just so absorbed and really taking my time. I'd go...

This is an excellent museum in a beautiful location, surrounded by some of the finest cafes and restaurants for brunch, lunch, or dinner. They have an impressive and always interesting collection of exhibits, and the presentations of objects are done with care and passion. One thing I especially enjoyed about spending a few hours here was the obvious love, knowledge, and creativity that had gone into how the exhibits are set up to create an interesting narrative. It's not just a collection of art works that each by themselves are worth seeing, but they are placed in a larger context conveying an interesting story about society, art, and artists.

Even when you'd have only a day in Oslo, I would put the National Museum high on my list for a visit, and even for a revisit. When we visited in early September 2024, the place was calm with a good number of people but never any need to queue for paintings, no annoying screens of smartphones blocking your view, no noisy tourist-groups with screaming guides. The museum also has excellent toilets and a wonderful 'bar / restaurant' both inside on the 2nd floor, as well as outside in the courtyard at the entrance.

I enjoyed the special exhibition on Rothko very much that was on during our visit. The careful and considered way in which his art had been organised and displayed to tell a story of his life and the times he lived was done amazingly well.

It's definitely worth visiting both the Munch Museum and the National Museum. With the Oslo Pass entry is included anyway, making it all very easy and convenient. The modern art museum is a 5 minute walk away, city hall and the Nobel Peace museum just around the corner, the Munch museum about 20min walk, and on the way there you pass the Akerhus Castle. If you check into all, you will have broken even on your...