Attractions in Oslo

Akershus Fortress (Akershus festning)
The building of Akershus Castle and Fortress was commenced in 1299 under king Håkon V. The medieval castle, which was completed in the 1300s, had a strategical location at the very end of the headland, and withstood a number of sieges throughout the ages. King Christian IV (1588-1648) had the castle modernized and converted into a Renaisssance castle and royal residence. During the 17th and 18th century the castle fell into decay, and restoration work only started in 1899. Guided tours of the fortress in the summer, all year on request. Changing of the guards (HM The King's Guards) every day at 1.30 p.m.

National Gallery (Nasjonalgalleriet)
The National Gallery has Norway's largest collection of Norwegian, Nordic and international art from the beginning of the 19th century up until today. The main exhibition displays Norwegian and international paintings and sculptures from the 19th century up until today, including many of Edvard Munch's major works.
Changing exhibitions. Shop and café.
CLOSED: Mondays, 1 January, 1 May, 17 May, 24-25 and 31 December.
The National Gallery is part of the National Museum of art, architecture and design.

Norwegian Museum of Cultural History (Norsk Folkemuseum)
In the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, one of Europe's largest open-air museums, you find a variety of traditional houses from all over Norway. During the summer season lots of activities take place such as folk dancing, arts and crafts, baking, domestic animals, shows etc. Several indoor exhibits with traditional handicraft items, folk costumes, furniture and church interiors. Recommended activities for children, horse and carriage ride, visit the animals or an old-fashioned candy store.
CLOSED: 1 January, 17 May, 24-25 and 31 December.
Free entrance with the Oslo Pass.

The Norwegian Opera & Ballet (Den Norske Opera & Ballett)
The Norwegian National Opera and the Norwegian National Ballet - Norway's biggest culture and stage institution. Oslo's new opera house opened on 12 April, 2008 and is now the home of the Norwegian Opera and Ballet. The new opera house is one of the world's most spectacular opera houses, with a fabulous location by the seaside. Renowned Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta designed the building. The new opera house will present a rich and varied programme from three stages: The main theatre (1369 seats), Scene 2 (400 seats) and the Rehearsal theatre (200 seats).

TusenFryd Amusement Park
One park - a thousand opportunities!
Bring your family to an unforgettable day at TusenFryd. Here you will find attractions for all ages, as well as games, shops and places to eat. This year's big new ride is SpinSpider, which "throws" you 44 meters (144 feet) up in the air at speeds of up to 115 km/h (72 mph). Tusenfryd features dozens of spectacular rides, including SpeedMonster, which takes you from 0-90 km/h (56 mph) in 2 seconds, the SuperSplash, with the world's highest and steepest drop to the water, and the ThunderCoaster, one of the world's best wooden rollercoasters. The park also features Barnas Fryd, an area especially made for the youngest children. In summer, guests can enjoy BadeFryd, a waterpark with a swimming pool, a swimming river, a triple slide and beach volleyball.
20% discount with Oslo Pass.Approx. 6% discount online and at the Tourist Information Centres in Oslo.

Fram Museum - The Polar Ship Fram
FRAM was the safe haven for some of the most famous polar explorers and adventurers. She is the strongest wooden ship ever built and still holds the records for sailing farthest north and farthest south. FRAM and the breathtaking stories from her expeditions continue to create excitement among audiences from all over the world almost 100 years after the ship retired from active duty. You are welcome to come aboard the ship and to see how the crew and their dogs lived and managed to survive in the coldest and most dangerous places on earth - the Arctic and the Antarctic. The exhibition is translated into nine languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Chinese and Norwegian. Three films are shown continuously.
Special evening events for groups.

Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisk museum)
The Natural History Museum includes several museums, the Botanical Garden and the greenhouses. The Zoological Museum shows animals from all over the world, and the Mineralogical-Geological Museum building includes the Paleontological Museum and Norway's only dinosaur museum. The botanical variety and diversity in the Botanical Garden makes it an ideal place to relax from the stress of city life. Most of the area is designed as an Arboretum. Entrance to the garden is free. The Botanical Garden opens at 7 am on weekdays and 10 am on weekends and public holidays. The gates close at 5 pm on 1 October-14 March and 8 pm on 15 March-30 September. Free entry. The museums and the greenhouses are closed on Mondays, 1 January, 17 May, 23-26 and 31 December.

The Kon-Tiki Museum
The Kon-Tiki Museum houses a range of boats and artefacts from Thor Heyerdahl's expeditions. Here you can see the original Kon-Tiki raft (1947) with a 30 foot whale shark underneath, statues and a secret family cave from Easter Island (1956), the papyrus boat Ra II (1970), and an exciting collection of archaeological finds from Easter Island, East Polynesia, Galapagos and Peru. And, why not try out the interactive touch screen with CD-ROM facilities? Or visit the cinema with its non-stop showings? The Kon-Tiki Museum can arrange birthday parties for children outside the museum's opening hours. It is also possible to host events (evenings) for groups up to 300 inside the museum and up to 500 outside.

The Viking Ship Museum (Vikingskipshuset)
The Viking Ship Museum presents great Viking-ship discoveries from Gokstad, Oseberg and Tune as well as other finds from Viking tombs around the Oslo Fjord. The world's two best-preserved wooden Viking ships built in the 9th century. Small boats, sledges, cart with exceptional ornamentation. Implements, tools, harness, textiles and household utensils.
Closed every year: 1 Jan., Good Friday, Easter Eve, Easter Sunday, 24-26 Dec. and 31 Dec.
Free entrance with the Oslo Pass.

Vigeland Sculpture Park (Vigelandsparken)
Vigelandsparken is one of Norway's most visited attractions with more than 1 million visitors every year. The unique sculpture park is the life work of the sculptor Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943) with more than 200 sculptures in bronze, granite and cast iron. Vigeland was also responsible for the design and architectural outline of the park. A monumental artistic creation with a human message that is well worth seeing.