The Oslo Historical Museum was designed by architect Henrik Bull and built in 1903 in the Art Nouveau style. The museum building, which has 2 rounded towers and flowing facade lines, was opened to the public in 1904. Its exhibition consists of three collections: a collection of antiquities, a collection of coins and medals, and an ethnographic museum.
The antiquities collection tells the history of Norway from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. The collection is based on numerous archaeological finds.
The first floor houses a collection of coins, money notes from different periods and medals. There are 6,300 Greek and Roman coins, donated to the museum by Professor Georg Sverdrup of the Norwegian University.
The Ethnographic Museum, which occupies the third floor of the building, tells the story of Arctic expeditions, the cultures of the peoples of the North, East, America and Africa, as well as Egyptian mummies and antique art objects.
All inscriptions under the exhibits are in three languages: Norwegian, English and German. Entrance to the museum is free. During the summer, guided tours are organised.
