Tromsø Museum

Description:

• Associated with the University of Tromsø, this museum's collections grew out of artifacts gathered by the oldest scientific institution in North Norway, which was established in 1872. It sprawls over three floors and addresses various aspects of natural science (including loads of information on the ecology, botany, geology, and zoology of Norway's far north). There are also exhibits about the Sami people and some exhibits about the cultural history of Norway's far north. Many of the exhibitions are kid-friendly, especially a life-size dinosaur that children can enter and explore. Our favorite exhibit contains Norwegian church art crafted between the Middle Ages and the 17th century -- at least the little bits of it that remain, since so much of it was burned during the Norwegian Reformation. The church artworks that are on display in the museum escaped destruction during the Reformation because they were kept in church basements and outbuildings, considered less valuable than the works that were actually on display in churches. The museum also contains a device (one of only two in the world, they say) that emulates, planetarium-style, the Northern Lights for which the region is famous. There is also a dazzling video about the Northern Lights phenomenon. Note: The gift shop in the lobby contains copies of Viking jewelry that are a lot better than what's sold in some of the town's tourist shops.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010