National Museum: Munch´s original "Scream" painting

The largest art museum in Norway exhibiting some of the most iconic Norwegian paintings, including the original Scream oil painting and famous national romantic paintings like The Bridal Procession on the Hardangerfjord that define Norway's national identity, all in one building.

Opened in 2022, the National Museum is the largest art museum in the Nordic countries. While the brutalist exterior has been criticized for looking like a "prison" or "security vault," the interior is a masterpiece of light and logic.

Unlike the Munch Museum, which is vertical and narrow, this building is vast and horizontal. You will walk kilometers here. It gathers four former museums (National Gallery, Contemporary Art, Decorative Arts, and Architecture) under one massive roof.

The Scream: The National Museum owns the most famous version of The Scream (the 1893 painted version with the "swirly" sky). Unlike the Munch Museum, which rotates its versions every hour, this version is permanently on display in Room 60. If you want to see The Scream without gambling on a rotation schedule, come here.

The roof terrace connected to the Light Hall offers a view of the fortress and harbor that is different from the Opera House view—and usually less crowded.

Highlights

Room 60 (The Munch Room): Stand face-to-face with the original The Scream (1893) and Madonna, displayed side-by-side in a dedicated hall that is often quieter than the Munch Museum.

Room 64 (The Fairytale Room): Step into the dark, magical "Eventyrrommet" to see Theodor Kittelsen’s iconic trolls and the shimmering Soria Moria Palace—these images literally defined what a "troll" looks like to Norwegians.

The Light Hall (Lyshallen): Take the lift to the top floor to see this spectacular 2,400-square-meter illuminated box used for temporary contemporary exhibitions—it glows like a lantern in the city skyline at night.

Open in Google Maps

http://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/

Best time to go

The museum stays open late (until 20:00), and the "Scream" room is often less crowded after 18:00 when the cruise ship crowds have returned to their boats. Avoid rainy weekends. Since it's the biggest indoor activity in Oslo, it becomes a refugee camp for wet tourists.

Time needed

1–3 hours (short visit to full survey)

Getting there

Metro to Nationaltheatret station and walk for 5 minutes, or tram to the Aker Brygge stop which is right outside the museum.

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