Discover how Norway’s intrepid explorers overcame freezing temperatures to become the first to set foot on the earth’s poles.
The Fram Museum tells the story of the polar expeditions led by three of Norway’s most famous adventurers: Roald Amundsen, Fridtjof Nansen and Otto Sverdrup. Tour the 19th-century ship “the Fram”, used for both Arctic and Antarctic voyages, and discover how these fearless pioneers survived the extreme cold and dangerous conditions to be first to discover the earth’s poles.
The centrepiece of the exhibition is the Fram itself, which holds the record as the world’s strongest wooden ship, capable of withstanding the vast pressure of the frozen seas. Imagine yourself setting sail on a perilous adventure as you climb aboard the ship. Explore the crew’s cabins, kitchen and living quarters, complete with the original piano and gramophone that would have provided the only light relief during the long dark weeks at sea. Make your way across the deck and take hold of the ship’s wheel, just as the navigator would have over 100 years ago.
The museum is also home to an extensive collection of original scientific equipment. Admire the precision of the sextants used to guide ships at sea, the sledge compasses for keeping a true course across the ice, and even Roald Amundsen’s chronometer that he used on his expedition to the South Pole.
Scale models of the Fram locked in ice, of Framheim, Amundsen’s Antarctic base, and of the convoy of dog sledges will give you a clear impression of the extreme conditions endured during these expeditions. If you dare, enter the Dark Walk, an interactive experience that will plunge you into the horrors of an expedition gone wrong. You’ll find yourself on the heaving deck of a ship in a storm, besieged by wild creatures. Feel the bone-chilling cold as the temperature plummets to minus 10°C, enough to deter even the bravest!
The Fram Museum is located on Bygdøy Peninsular. Take the number 30 bus from the centre of Oslo, or, during the summer months, a ferry from the City Hall pier. The museum is open every day, except on 24 and 25 December.
