The Fram Museum on the Bygdøy peninsula is built around a single object: Fram, the stout wooden ship designed for Fridtjof Nansen in the early 1890s to be frozen into the Arctic pack ice and carried across the top of the world by the drift. It is housed in a high triangular hall that was designed to hold the vessel, and the great surprise is that you are allowed aboard. You can climb on deck, look at the wheel and the rigging, and go below to the cramped cabins and saloon where the crews lived through dark winters locked in ice. The ship is preserved in extraordinary condition, and standing beside the hull gives a sense of scale that photographs never do. Fram made three famous expeditions. Nansen used it for his drift towards the North Pole in the 1890s, then Otto Sverdrup led a long scientific expedition in the Canadian Arctic, and finally Roald Amundsen sailed it south to Antarctica, from where his party set out on the journey that reached the South Pole in 1911. The exhibitions around the ship tell each story with original equipment, sledges, clothing, photographs and a polar bear or two, and they are strong on the human detail: what the men ate, how they kept sane, how they fixed things with almost nothing. The museum also displays Gjøa, the small sloop in which Amundsen first navigated the Northwest Passage, in a hall of its own. Everything is well explained in English, and there are simulators and activities that appeal to children, including a chance to feel what a polar storm or a bear encounter might be like. It is easy to spend two hours here without noticing, and the museum is one of the best value-for-time visits in Oslo. It suits history lovers, families with children from about six, and anyone who enjoyed Kon-Tiki or The Terror as a story.
How to visit well
Arrive when the museum opens, or in the last couple of hours of the day, and start in the main hall with the ship before going into the surrounding galleries. Go aboard first, while it is quiet, and then read the story of each expedition on the walls. Allow time for the Gjøa hall and for the Antarctic gallery, which covers Amundsen and his rival Scott with a refreshing lack of bias.
Getting there
The Fram Museum is on the Bygdøy peninsula, which is reached on bus 30 from the centre all year, and by a seasonal ferry from the City Hall pier in the warmer months. It is a short walk from the Kon-Tiki Museum, and the two make an easy pair. Check the museum for current opening days and hours before you plan, as they change by season.
Pairing
Kon-Tiki is next door, and the Norwegian Folk Museum and the Viking Age museum site, which is closed for rebuilding, are on the same peninsula. If you only have a short time on Bygdøy, Fram and Kon-Tiki are the efficient pair. With a full day, add the Norwegian Folk Museum and its stave church. The Oslo Pass covers the Bygdøy museums, so look at it if you plan several visits.
What to expect
The experience
A museum hall built around the original wooden polar ship, which visitors can board, with galleries on three expeditions and the Gjøa sloop.
Best time
Opening time or the last two hours of the day, when the ship is quieter.
How long
One and a half to two hours.
Tips
Go aboard first, then read the exhibits, and pair it with the Kon-Tiki Museum next door.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Polar history, ship lovers and curious children.
- Families
- Excellent: you can board the ship and there are simulators and hands-on corners.
- Couples
- A good rainy-day pair with Kon-Tiki, then a harbour-side lunch on the peninsula.
- Pair with
- The Kon-Tiki Museum and the Norwegian Folk Museum on Bygdøy.
- Time needed
- Two hours, or half a day with Kon-Tiki.
Good questions
Can you go on board the Fram?+
Yes. The museum lets visitors climb on deck and go below to the cabins and saloon, which is the highlight of the visit.
Who sailed on the Fram?+
Fridtjof Nansen drifted in it across the Arctic, Otto Sverdrup explored the Canadian Arctic with it, and Roald Amundsen took it to Antarctica for his South Pole expedition.
How do I get to the Fram Museum?+
Take bus 30 to Bygdøy all year, or the seasonal ferry from the City Hall pier in the warmer months.
Is it good for children?+
Yes. Boarding a real polar ship appeals to most ages, and there are simulators and activities for younger visitors.
What else is nearby?+
The Kon-Tiki Museum is a short walk away, and the Norwegian Folk Museum is also on the Bygdøy peninsula.
