Oslo City Museum, Oslo

The Oslo City Museum is located at Frogner Manor, within the leafy environs of Vigeland Sculpture Park. The museum charts the cultural history and development of the city of Oslo over the last thousand years. Oslo was founded in 1048 by King Harald III, but was practically destroyed by fire in 1624. After this tragedy, the city was moved and rebuilt around Akershus Castle by King Christian IV. The city then became known as Christiania in his honor. In the 1800s as the city grew, Christiania became a municipality, incorporating nearby historic towns like Aker and Bygdøy. The largest city in Norway throughout the region’s turbulent history, it became capital of a newly independent Norway in the early 20th century, and was renamed Oslo once again in 1924.

The museum covers the entire thousand year existence of the city through a collection of permanent exhibitions. The site also contains one of Norway’s largest art galleries. The manor house where the museum is based was built in the 18th century, and boasts an impressive interior that dates from 1750 to 1900. The museum is open from 11am to 4pm throughout the year, with guided tours of Frogner Manor available in the summer months. Admission to the museum and manor house is free of charge.