The 10 Best History Museums in Southern Norway, Southern Norway

Naes Ironworks Museum is located in Tvedestrand, Southern Norway. This is the only one of the old ironworks in Norway where most of the production buildings and equipment are preserved. The most important part of the museum is the blast furnace and the forge. The mechanical workshop has historical exhibitions. The operations at Naes date back to 1665. The ironworks gives a unique opportunity to see how an ironworks was organized, how people lived and worked at there, and how iron and steel were produced. Then visitors get a guided tour inside the production facilities, where the guide tell about how the work was done and demonstrate the rebuilt bellows. In addition to regular tours, the ironworks has many events and activities during the season. Nes Verk is a special national attraction, and a walk along the river Storelva, in the park and on the golf course gives a good picture of this historical area. Guided tours every hour from 11-16 in the summer season.

Welcome to Kristiansand Kannmuseum where the worlds second largest land based canon can be seen. The area around the canon is good for hiking. Please see website for opening hours. We are now closed for the season.

The Gimle estate was built around 1800. Collections of paintings, period furniture, china etc. reflect a family home through five generations. Now a cultural museum of historic interest, surrounded by an Englishstyle landscape manor house park. Combined tickets for the museum facilities at Gimle. Opening hours: Please check our web site.

Et helt nytt sjøfartsmuseum så dagens lys i Hasseldalen i april 2015. Sjøfartsmuseet i Aust-Agder ligger i naturskjønne omgivelser i Hasseldalen i moderne lokaler vendt ut mot Vikkilen. I Hasseldalen har det vært verft og rederivirksomhet i over 150 år. Hasseldalens og Aust-Agders viktige sjøfartshistorie blir i dag fortalt i museet. Vi har utstillinger, museumsbutikk, og historiske omgivelser å tilby til våre besøkende.

Henrik Ibsen came to Grimstad in 1843/44 to start his apprenticeship with apothecary Reimann. He stayed for 6 years, and when he left in spring 1850 it was as the author of the play "Catilina". The museum focus on the period before he achieved success and world fame. Topics such as how Ibsen made a living when his apprenticeship ended, his dire financial situation, the people who inspired him, the love stories and the son born out of wedlock all form part of the exhibition. The very pharmacy in which Ibsen worked is still intact. A museum shop is available.

The town museum is located in a magnificent merchant’s house built in 1805. The museum is home to southern Norway’s largest exhibition on fish, which shows how techniques and equipment have developed over time in the area. The museum also has its own art collection, including Norway’s largest public collection of works by Amaldus Nielsen, probably the most famous artist from southern Norway. There are also works by other local artists such as Adolph Tidemand, Olaf Isaachsen and Gustav Vigeland. You may also vistit the childhood home of the artists Gustav and Emanuel Vigeland at Vigeland Hus in Mandal, only some minutes walk from Mandal museum. The museum houses a worksohop and a small sculpture garden.

DS Hestmanden is a sailing monument paying hommage to the Norwegian warsailors. The ship is the only remaining Norwegian vessel from the merchant fleet who provided supplies for the allied forces in both world wars. A hihlight of her career was when she took part in the allied forces' invation of Normandie, the "Operation Overlord" in June 1944. She miraculously avoided all attacks from submarines and bombs and was in active duty for more than 50 years before she was put out of business in 1964. She was built in 1911 and is currently in the final stage of complete restoration after 30 years of work. The museum will open for public in May 2017.

New and modern museum and archive located at Langsae in Arendal. Exciting exhibitions for kids and adult.

The factory was built in 1894, and has been designated a national monument to the textile industry in Norway. Today the factory is a living museum with its own power station, dye house, spinning mill, weaving mill and finishing plant. If you go on a guided tour, you will be able to see the various machines and production prosesses in action. In the summer season, from 15.6-20.8 Guided tours of the factory starts at 11 a.M., 1 And 3 pm. Wool workshop for children starts at 2 pm. Our shop, with products produced at the factory, is open Monday to Friday 11-15.