Inside the museum

Myths and fairy tales

Norwegian tales with their heroes and villains are brought to life through handmade figures, whole-scene installations, classic illustrations, and most importantly -- storytelling.

Trolls

Descendants of the mythic ice giants and a representation of the wild and untamable nature, trolls are a staple of Norwegian fairy tales. They come in many shapes and sizes, some of which may surprise you.

History

The stories we tell don't come from nowhere -- they are shaped by and representative of our culture. This is why the historical context of myths and fairy tales matters.

The Land Where Trolls Still Live

Come and see for yourself

When did you stop looking for magic?

Come As You Are, Aged Five to Ninety-Nine

Somewhere between childhood and now, most of us quietly stopped believing in trolls. We stopped looking twice at a boulder shaped like a face. The mountain turns back into rock. Fog becomes weather. The forest flattens into scenery you drive past. This museum exists to hand that second look back to you.

Troll figures of the museum, a boy, a small troll and the old troll king in a mountain scene

Why children and grown-ups both stay to the end

Who This Museum Is For

Most families know the museum compromise. Either the kids drag their feet while the adults read every label or the adults trail behind while the kids sprint for the one interactive corner. Here that split never really happens. This is the first museum in Norway devoted entirely to trolls and fairy tales, and it runs on two levels at once. Both of them stay open the whole way through.

Two visitors playing the museum's troll board game in the reading room

From the first troll footprint to the last cup of hot chocolate

What You'll Experience

Your visit begins as a walk. Troll footprints run along the floor and set the route, so you never have to wonder where to go next. The museum is small on purpose. Nothing hurries you. Tablets wait at almost every installation, and they change what you're looking at: point one at a figure and it starts to move, tap the screen and things appear that only trolls are supposed to see.