Construction of Museum of Viking Age Finally Begins

The Viking Ship Museum is now closed for rebuilding and will reopen as the Museum of the Viking Age in 2026. Construction work is finally underway on the new museum building that will house the Viking ships at Bygdøy. After a year of delays and commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Research, Statsbygg has finally started work on the new museum building for the Viking ships at Bygdøy. Last year, it became clear that the construction project and securing the unique cultural heritage would cost more than expected. Minister of Research and Higher Education Ola Borten Moe decided that financial cuts to the building plans needed to be made, and Statsbygg was tasked with finding features that could be removed. The cost limit for the project has since been increased to approximately NOK 3.8 billion, but it primarily takes into account unforeseen expenses related to securing the unique cultural heritage which the museum manages. Some of the offerings to the public that have now been cut may be realised at a later date. However, the costs will then be significantly higher and the construction time longer than if everything was built now, as was first planned. The savings of all the cuts amount to NOK 250 million.Before the museum closed its doors, the Viking Ship Museum was by far Norway’s most visited museum building. The Museum of Cultural History expects up to one million annual visitors after the opening of the new Museum of the Viking Age; tourists from home and abroad, schoolchildren and people from the local community.

Construction of Museum of Viking Age Finally Begins

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