Museums in Bergen: 8 Museums Worth Your Time

For most visitors, the best museum in Bergen is KODE, home to one of the world's finest Munch collections, by the lake in the city centre. But Bergen has much more: a medieval town beneath Bryggen, the wooden streets of Old Bergen, a hall of whale skeletons and a science centre for kids. Here are eight museums, with hours, prices and local tips.

Stay in the heart of Bergen

Bergen museums at a glance

Bergen packs a lot of museums into a small city centre, and most are within walking distance of each other. These are the eight we recommend:

• KODE: art and Munch by Lille Lungegårdsvann lake

• Bryggens Museum: the medieval town underground

• The Hanseatic Museum and Schøtstuene: Bergen's German merchants

• Old Bergen Museum: the wooden town as it once was

• The University Museum: natural history and whale skeletons

• Bergen Kunsthall: contemporary art

• VilVite: a science centre for all ages

• The Troll Museum: folklore and trolls by Bryggen

Children and young people under 18 get in free at KODE, Bryggens Museum, Old Bergen and the University Museum. If you plan to see several, look at the Bergen Card, which gives free entry or discounts at many of them.

KODE: Munch and Norwegian art by the lake

KODE is one of the largest museums of art, design and music in the Nordic region. Its art museums stand in a row along Rasmus Meyers allé by Lille Lungegårdsvann, and it also runs the composer homes of Edvard Grieg, Ole Bull and Harald Sæverud outside the centre.

For most visitors the highlight is Rasmus Meyer, with Norwegian art from about 1880 to 1920 and a Munch collection that KODE describes as the world's third largest. Our hotel director Kjetil Smørås puts it this way: it is not the biggest, but it is the most beautiful. Read why in the world's most beautiful Munch collection.

• Tickets: NOK 200, valid for all KODE museums on the same day. Free under 18.

• Rasmus Meyer, autumn to spring: Wednesday to Friday 11:00-18:00, Saturday and Sunday 11:00-16:00.

Lysverket is due for refurbishment, and some buildings have no exhibitions at the moment, so check the programme before you go. [SJEKK: status for Lysverket, Permanenten og Stenersen ved publisering]

Heading out to Troldhaugen, Edvard Grieg's home? The park is always open, but the villa itself is closed for restoration until summer 2027.

Bryggens Museum: the medieval town underground

Start here if you want to understand Bergen. Bryggens Museum is built over the remains of the city's oldest houses, dating from the first half of the 1100s, on a site cleared by the Bryggen fire of 1955.

The excavations that followed turned up thousands of finds, including runic sticks carved with everyday messages and goods from across Europe and the Middle East. The exhibition "Under jorden" (Underground) tells the story of ordinary life in the medieval town.

• Address: Dreggsallmenningen 3

• Open: all year [SJEKK: åpningstider vinter 2026/2027]

• Tickets: NOK 170, students NOK 85, free under 18

Then step outside and explore the passages of Bryggen in Bergen.

The Hanseatic Museum and Schøtstuene

For centuries, Bryggen was the Hanseatic League's trading office in Norway, and the Hanseatic Museum tells the story of the German merchants who ran it. The main building, Finnegården on Bryggen, has been closed for restoration since 2018 and is expected to reopen in early 2027 [SJEKK: dato for gjenåpning er ikke annonsert].

In the meantime, Schøtstuene at Øvregaten 50 is open. These were the merchants' assembly halls, and they now house new exhibitions on Hanseatic life and the restoration, with a medieval ruin visible through a glass floor.

• May to October: daily 10:00-18:00, with guided tours in several languages

• Tickets: NOK 160 for adults, including a guided tour. Children free.

• Winter: [SJEKK: åpningstider november-april]

Old Bergen Museum: the wooden town

Old Bergen Museum (Gamle Bergen) in Sandviken is an open air museum of 55 wooden houses, most of them moved here from central Bergen between 1945 and 1981. You walk through streets, shops and homes from the 1800s, and in summer there are short plays on the square.

• Address: Nyhavnsveien 4, Elsesro

• Season: 20 May to 13 September, daily 10:00-16:00 [SJEKK: sesongdatoer 2027]

• Tickets: NOK 170, students NOK 85, free under 18

The houses are closed out of season, but the park and streets are open all year. On a warm day, finish with a swim at Sandviken sea bath next door.

The University Museum: whales and natural history

The Natural History Museum on Nygårdshøyden is one of Bergen's best loved museums, and the whale hall is why. Huge whale skeletons hang from the ceiling, and the hall is an experience in itself.

There are also stuffed birds, insects, minerals and a journey through the history of the Earth. The University Museum's cultural history building is closed for renovation, and its cultural history exhibitions are shown at Muséplassen 3 instead.

• Open: Tuesday to Saturday 10:00-16:00, Sunday 11:00-17:00, closed Monday

• Tickets: NOK 180, students and seniors NOK 140, free under 18

The museum sits next to Nygårdsparken, a lovely park for a walk afterwards.

Bergen Kunsthall: contemporary art

Bergen Kunsthall is one of Norway's leading spaces for contemporary art, in Ole Landmark's 1935 functionalist building by the lake. Until 3 January 2027 it shows exhibitions by Sung Hwan Kim and Olof Marsja.

• Address: Rasmus Meyers allé 5, next door to KODE

• Open: Tuesday to Sunday 11:00-17:00, Thursday until 20:00

• Tickets: NOK 60, students and seniors NOK 30 [SJEKK: pris på kunsthall.no]

Landmark, the café and stage in the same building, hosts concerts and club nights at weekends. There are guided tours for families and adults on Sundays.

VilVite and the Troll Museum: museums for kids

VilVite is Bergen's science centre, where children and adults learn through play. The highlight is Havplaneten (Planet Ocean), an interactive exhibition about the sea, plus over 100 activities on energy, technology and the human body.

• Address: Thormøhlens gate 51

• Autumn 2026: Tuesday to Friday 09:00-15:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00-17:00, closed Monday

• Tickets: adults NOK 250, children 3-15 NOK 215, family NOK 795 [SJEKK: priser på vilvite.no]

The Troll Museum sits by Bryggen and uses art, technology and storytelling to bring Norwegian folklore and Norse mythology to life. The trolls are family friendly, not scary.

• Address: Øvre Dreggsallmenningen 6

• Open: daily, November to March 10:00-18:00, April to October 09:00-19:00

• Tickets: adults from NOK 250, children 5-12 NOK 130, family NOK 600

More ideas for days with little ones are in our guide to Bergen with kids.

How to plan a museum day in Bergen

Central Bergen is compact enough to see two or three museums in a day without rushing. Two routes we like:

1. The art day: KODE and Bergen Kunsthall stand side by side on the lake. Have lunch at Landmark, then walk up to the University Museum on Nygårdshøyden.

2. The history day: Start at Bryggens Museum, continue to Schøtstuene and finish in the passages of Bryggen. With children, the Troll Museum fits into the same loop.

Many museums close on Mondays, so check before you go. On rainy days the museums fill up quickly, so arrive early. More ideas for grey days are in our guide to Bergen in the rain.

Where to stay for Bergen's museums

Most museums in Bergen sit in two clusters: art around Lille Lungegårdsvann and history around Bryggen. De Bergenske has six hotels in the city centre, all within walking distance of both.

Zander K Hotel and Grand Hotel Terminus are a short walk from KODE, while Bergen Børs Hotel is a few minutes from Bryggen and the Fish Market. After a day of museums, you can walk straight to dinner or head back to rest before the evening.

Staying longer? Our guide to things to do in Bergen has plenty more.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best museum in Bergen?

KODE is the museum most visitors should put first in Bergen, especially for the Munch collection at Rasmus Meyer. If you want to understand the city's history, Bryggens Museum is the best choice, with the medieval town beneath it. With children, VilVite and the whale hall at the Natural History Museum are the safest bets. All are in or close to the city centre.

Where can I see Munch in Bergen?

You can see Edvard Munch at KODE Rasmus Meyer, by Lille Lungegårdsvann lake in central Bergen. KODE describes it as the world's third largest Munch collection, shown alongside Norwegian art from about 1880 to 1920. A ticket costs NOK 200 and covers all KODE museums on the same day. Visitors under 18 get in free.

Which museums in Bergen are free for children?

Children and young people under 18 get free entry at KODE, Bryggens Museum, Old Bergen Museum and the University Museum. Children also go free at the Hanseatic Museum and Schøtstuene. VilVite and the Troll Museum charge for children, but both offer family tickets. That makes Bergen an affordable museum city for families.

Are Bergen museums open on Mondays?

Many museums in Bergen are closed on Mondays, including the University Museum, VilVite and Bergen Kunsthall. The Troll Museum is open every day of the year, and in winter KODE Rasmus Meyer opens Wednesday to Sunday. If your museum day falls early in the week, check opening hours on each museum's own website before you go.

Is the Bergen Card worth it for museums?

The Bergen Card gives free entry or discounts at many museums in Bergen. At KODE, entry is free from October to April and 25 percent off from May to September. Old Bergen Museum is free with the card. At VilVite, the card gives free entry from November to February and 25 percent off the rest of the year.

Munch before lunch, the Middle Ages after. Bergen's museums sit close together, and so do our hotels. Stay in the city centre and walk between them.

See our six hotels in Bergen city centre