Visit the Fram Museum to learn about some of the most daring expeditions in history and the ships powered by steam or sail that made them possible. Climb aboard the Fram, the Norwegian-built vessel that took explorer Roald Amundsen to Antarctica where he discovered the South Pole.
The Fram was the strongest wooden polar vessel ever built, designed to withstand the pressure of the frozen sea. Between 1893 and 1912 it took part in three major expeditions to both polar regions. Today, it occupies the center of the museum. Around it on three levels are artifacts from those voyages.
Walk along the deck, put yourself at the wheel and envision what it must have been like to navigate through the Arctic and Antarctic waters. Inside the ship, see how crews coped with the extreme cold of the polar regions. Imagine living or working in the cabins, lounges, cargo hold, kitchen and engine room. Observe the gramophone and piano that would have entertained the explorers during the long voyages.
Peruse the displays of scientific instruments, personal and medical equipment. These include sledge compasses, wind gauges and the chronometer that Amundsen used during the South Pole expedition. Visit Framheim, a recreation of Amundsen’s base in Antarctica.
The Dark Walk is a three-room immersive experience of a polar expedition gone wrong. Stand on a moving ship deck as fantasy creatures attack and the temperature plummets to 15 degrees Fahrenheit (minus ten degrees Celsius). Walk through the ice tunnel, but beware of the advancing polar bear.
The museum also has exhibition space devoted to less well-known Norwegian explorers. They include Carsten Borchgrevink, who led the first expedition in winter on the Antarctic mainland.
Situated on the Bygdøy Peninsula, the museum is easily reached by bus from the center of Oslo. A ferry operates from the City Hall pier in the summer months.
The Fram Museum is open every day except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. There’s a small fee for admission.
