7 Best Sights in Oslo, Norway

Although he never gained the fame of his older brother Gustav, the creator of Vigeland Park, Emanuel is an artist of some notoriety. His alternately saucy, natural, and downright erotic frescoes make even the sexually liberated Norwegians blush. To get here, take the T-bane Line 1 toward Frognerseteren and get off at Slemdal, one of Oslo’s hillside residential neighborhoods. Slightly off the beaten path near the neighborhood of Slemdal, this museum is a true wonder. Plan ahead, as hours are limited.

The Fram was used by the legendary Polar explorer Roald Amundsen when he became the first man to reach the South Pole in 1911. Once known as the strongest vessel in the world, this enormous Norwegian polar ship has advanced farther north and south than any other surface vessel. Built in 1892, the Fram made three voyages to the Arctic (they were conducted by Fridtjof Nansen and Otto Sverdrup, in addition to Amundsen). Climb on board and peer inside the captain's quarters, which has explorers' sealskin jackets and other relics on display. Surrounding the ship are many artifacts from expeditions. It boldly calls itself "the best museum in Norway," and it must be agreed that this is the quintessentially Norwegian fun-for-all museum.

A feat of world-class engineering, this beloved ski jump was first constructed in 1892 and has been rebuilt numerous times, remaining a distinctive part of Oslo's skyline. The cool, futuristic-looking jump you see today still hosts international competitions. The ski-jump simulator puts you in the skis of real jumpers, and the world's oldest ski museum presents 4,000 years of ski history. 

The brainchild of Rafael Goldin, a Russian immigrant, this museum showcases an unusual collection of children’s drawings from more than 150 countries. You can see the world though the eyes of a child in its exhibitions of textiles, paintings, sculptures, and other works of art.

The museum celebrates Norway's most famous 20th-century explorer. Thor Heyerdahl made a voyage in 1947 from Peru to Polynesia on the Kon-Tiki, a balsa raft, to lend weight to his theory that the first Polynesians came from the Americas. His second craft, the Ra II, was used to test his theory that a reed boat could have reached the West Indies before Columbus. The museum also has a film room and artifacts from Peru, Polynesia, and Easter Island.

Thirteen traditional boats from the 19th century, an original Viking boat, paintings of fishermen braving rough seas, and intricate ship models are all on display here. Also available to view is the breathtaking movie The Ocean: A Way of Life, which delves into Norway’s unique coastal and maritime past. 

Tucked away in Frogner Stadium, this is Norway’s only museum devoted to ice skates and ice-skaters. Gleaming trophies, Olympic medals, and plenty of skates serve to celebrate the sport. Photographs of skating legends such as Johann Olav Koss, Hjalmar Andersen, and Oscar Mathisen line the walls. Take a look at ways that skates have evolved—compare the bone skates from 2000 BC to the wooden skates that came later.