One building - many stories
Stavanger Museum is located at Muségata 16. While its history dates back to 1877, its present premises are from 1893. The building is today the venue for exhibitions on natural history and cultural history, and for the Norwegian Children's Museum. Through various objects and stories, the exhibitions provide exciting knowledge about our region. It also houses the Fairy Tale Castle and the Cultural History Games Park, which both focuses on playing through the ages. Inside the museum, you also find a cafeteria and a museum shop.
From January 1st, 2021, children up to 18 years old have free entrance.
The architecture
The architecture of the museum and surrounding areas The neighbourhood surrounding the hill of Våland in Stavanger is a residential area. It's also, however, the location of the most impressive civic architecture in Stavanger with four key institutions, such as the Stavanger Museum, the former Stavanger Gymnastics hall, the Rogaland theatre and the former Stavanger hospital. These important buildings were designed and constructed at the turn of the century, between 1883 – 1897, by the architect Hartvig Sverdrup Eckhoff. The buildings were all made in the classical style of the period, hence why the area became known as the «Acropolis of Stavanger» among the local citizens. The various buildings are monumental and elegant, with temple-like pediments, pillars and decorative elements, and illustrate the ambitions and civic pride of Stavanger at the time. The leading landscape architect in Norway at the time, Poul Holst Poulson, made the surroundings into a tranquil and parklike area with extensive use of lawns and various trees. The small creek adds to the serene atmosphere.
