The Polar Museum in Tromsø
The Polar Museum in Tromsø is a renowned museum that offers an immersive experience into the rich history of Arctic exploration and the polar regions. The museum commemorates Tromsø’s important role as a gateway for Arctic expeditions and highlights the stories of explorers, hunters and scientists who ventured into the challenging Arctic region.
I’ve been to the Polar Museum several times, and truly believe that it’s a must-see when visiting Norway. So, here’s my practical guide for visiting the Polar Museum in Tromsø.
In this article...
Norway's Coastal Ferry
Tromsø is a port of call of Norway’s coastal ferry. Find my guide for the coastal ferry by clicking the link below.
About the Museum
The Polar Museum in Tromsø officially opened on the 18th of June 1978, the 50th anniversary of Roald Amundsens fateful flight aboard the “Latham”.
With its location in the Arctic, Tromsø has served as the gateway to the Arctic for adventurers, hunters and researchers.
The museum is located in the former customs house in Tromsø. The building dates back to 1830, and was used as a bonded warehouse to the customs authorities until the 1970s. The museum also owns the neighbouring building, which was built in 1840. It was also used as a customs house but is now the museum’s administration building.
Inside the Museum
As you can see, the museum is quite small and can get crowded – especially in the afternoons!
Layout of the Museum
The layout of the museum is as follows:
Ground Floor:
Room 1: Trapping in the Arctic
Room 2: Svalbard in the 1600s and 1700s
Room 3: Hunting Situation
Room 4: Seal Hunting – Zoological Exhibition
Room 5: Seal Hunting
1st Floor:
Room 6: Aircrafts & the Arctic
Room 7: Henry Rudi & Wanny Woldstad
Room 8: Walrus Hunting & Polar Bear Hunting
Room 9: Roald Amundsen
Room 10: Fridtjof Nansen
Most text displays are in Norwegian, but there are printed documents with translations into English. You can’t take them with you, however. They are wonderfully detailed, so I actually took photos of all of them so I could read them later.
What the information boards look like. It’s a little tricky to read as it’s quite far away (unless you have amazing eyesight!).
Hunting & Trapping
The first exhibition is about Arctic hunting and trapping. It explores the traditions of Arctic hunters and trappers who braved extreme conditions for survival and trade. Here you can see tools, weapons and artifacts related to seal hunting, the trapping of polar bears and Arctic foxes, as well as the fur trade. The information goes into detail about how they survived, especially in the difficult winters.
The exhibits are wonderfully built. I think this is why I love older museums; there was so much work put into creating displays. New museums (in my opinion) rely too much on tech. But here, at the Polar Museum, you can step into a trappers cabin and see exactly what it looked like. They also have all the tools and furs out on display.
While some scenes may be shocking, it’s important to remember that the world was different 200 years ago, and for many this was their only way to make a living. And, this far north, this type of meat was much fresher than bringing something up from the south.
On the walls you’ll find dozens of photos of actual trapping and hunting that took place. Some of them have captions in English, but not all of them. Some also include captions in German.
These are the translated guides that you have to carry with you. But look below to see how detailed it is!
Svalbard
I love Svalbard (I have a whole section dedicated to Svalbard on the website! Click here to see it), and the Svalbard Museum provides an even better overview than what you get in the Polar Museum. Still, this exhibition provides an excellent overview of Svalbard and may even encourage you to book a trip there. The exhibition on Svalbard provides a historic overview of the region and how it came to be a hub for Arctic hunting and exploration.
Seal Hunting
There is a special section in the museum dedicated to seal hunting. Seal hunting is quite controversial in Norway today, but is a very small industry. The only place I’ve seen seal meat for sale was in Svalbard. Still, this exhibition provides context into why seal hunting was happening, how it worked, and what the seal was used for. There are displays showing all the different types of seal skins, the process of seal hunting, and then seal hunting in modern times and the controversies that come with it. I particularly like the displays showing all the different navigational tools that were used to get to Svalbard (it’s in the same area as the seal hunting).
Polar Bears & Airships
Upstairs you’ll see some models of the various airships that were used in the polar exploration missions. There are even photos on display, including one of the well-known airship Norge, which departed from Vadsø to fly over the North Pole. Most of the text on the wall here is only in Norwegian, making it challenging to follow in English.
Next to it is an exhibition on polar bear hunting, another controversial topic that does not happen anymore. Still, seeing and learning about how these trappers caught polar bears is quite impressive!
Arctic Explorers
On the upper floor the main focus is the polar expeditions, which I find to be one of the highlights of the museum. Here you can learn about the Arctic explorers such as Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen. Their pioneering efforts in navigating uncharted territories and advancing polar science are celebrated with maps, photographs, and equipment. The museum especially focuses on Tromsø as a departure point for Arctic missions and its role in supporting the explorers.
Here you’ll see items that belonged to these iconic explorers, as well as photographs of their missions and diaries they kept on their travels. The English booklets go onto wonderful detail about each polar explorer and break down all their missions. Again, it’s a perfect thing to take a photo of to read later!
Tromsø Historic Photos
As you leave the exhibition to make your way back to the lobby, you’ll find some excellent historic photos of Tromsø. It’s incredible to see how small the town was just 150 years ago.
Practical Information
Local name
Polarmuseet
Getting Here
The Polar Museum is located approximately 15-20 minutes on foot from the Coastal Ferry Terminal. It’s approximately five minutes from the end of the main shopping street, Storgata. The museum is located by the fish market on the harbour.
Admission & Prices
You can view up-to-date prices by visiting their website: https://en.uit.no/tmu/polarmuseet
Opening Hours
The museum is open daily, with the opening hours being 11am to 5pm in the winter.
I recommend checking their website for up-to-date opening hours: https://en.uit.no/tmu/polarmuseet/planlegg
Facilities
There is no cafe here, but there is a lovely gift shop. The gift shop is excellent and has a huge selection of books on the Arctic. You can also pick up beautiful locally made souvenirs.
Guided Tours
During the summer (1 June to 15 August), there are guided tours of the museum at 1pm. I do recommend going; the guides help put everything in context.
Accessibility
Unfortunately, since this is an old building, the museum is only wheelchair accessible on the ground floor, as there’s a set of stairs to the second floor. Even so, the ground floor is very narrow and can be crowded, so it’s not easy to navigate through.
Final Thoughts on the Polar Museum
Overall, I believe the Polar Museum is an important institution educating visitors about the Arctic’s history, wildlife, and the human spirit of exploration. It also underscores Tromsø’s identity as the Arctic capital and provides a sobering reflection on humanity’s interactions with the polar environment. While you may not agree with all the practices that took place here, it’s important to understand why and how it happened.
The museum is a must on any visit to Tromsø!
Be sure to check out my Tromsø travel guide! Here you can find all my recommendations of things to do and see, plus practical information for visiting the beautiful Arctic capital.
