Polar Museum (Polarmuseet)

The basics

The Polarmuseet can be found right in the thick of the Tromsø action, just a few blocks from city hall and a few blocks more to the Tromsø Cathedral. Inside the 200-year-old warehouse, you’ll move from Sami life here in the Arctic during the 16th and 17th centuries to the exploratory days of Fridtjof Nansen, who set records for “furthest north,” and Roald Amundsen, who raced to the South Pole in December 1911. You’ll also get a deep dive into Norway’s hunting, sealing, and trapping industries, which brought seals, polar bears, reindeer, whales, and walruses near the brink of extinction.

Things to know before you go

• The museum is usually open every day, though check the website before visiting.

• If you’re a student, show your ID for a discounted ticket.

• If you speak English, German, or French, grab a booklet at the entrance to provide information on the exhibitions.

How to get there

The Polar Museum is about a 7-minute walk from Tromsø’s city center. While parking lots are scattered throughout the city and you can park on certain streets (often for a fee), you’re better off on foot or riding the bus—the Kystens Hus bus stop is just steps from the museum.

When to get there

The museum is open every day, typically opening in the late morning. Crowds won’t be too much of a concern, though they’ll be bigger in summer during the city’s high season. Regardless of when you get there, try to allot roughly 2 hours for an unrushed visit.

More museums to explore

The Polar Museum is part of a citywide museum complex, which includes Norway’s Arctic University Museum, MS Polstjerna, and a small botanical garden. Should you go beyond the Polar Museum, you’ll find lots of temporary exhibitions worth eyeing, from a dive into Arctic fashion to trends in cod consumption to the history of mittens.