In a historic customs house near Tromsø's harbor, the stories of Arctic hunters, legendary explorers, and polar survival come alive through exhibits that reveal Norway's intimate bond with the frozen north.

Welcome to the Polar Museum, where the Arctic's human story unfolds in one of Tromsø's oldest buildings.

Perched at 69 degrees north, Tromsø has long been known as the "Gateway to the Arctic," and this museum captures the spirit of that connection. Here, visitors discover how Norwegian trappers survived brutal winters hunting polar bears, how explorers like Roald Amundsen conquered the poles, and how a northern city became the launching point for some of history's most daring expeditions into the frozen wilderness.

A Museum Born from Exploration

The Polar Museum opened its doors on June 18, 1978, exactly 50 years after Roald Amundsen departed on his final, fateful flight aboard the seaplane Latham to rescue a stranded Italian expedition. The date was chosen deliberately to honor the explorer who never returned.

The museum occupies protected wooden buildings from the 1840s that once served as the customs warehouse and toll station. From around 1850, Tromsø established itself as the portal to the Arctic seas, becoming a central base for polar expeditions involving hunting, scientific research, and exploration. These historic walls witnessed the departure and return of countless Arctic ventures.

Collections That Tell Arctic Stories

The museum's permanent exhibitions span centuries of Arctic human activity. A reconstructed trapping cabin from Moffen island in Svalbard, originally built in 1910, shows the harsh reality of overwintering hunters who pursued polar bears and Arctic foxes in months-long darkness.

Visitors find photographs and artifacts from Fridtjof Nansen's 1893-1896 Fram expedition toward the North Pole, alongside treasured items from Roald Amundsen's expeditions. The museum also documents Dutch whaling operations on Spitsbergen following Willem Barentsz's 1596 voyage, and Tromsø's role as a center for seal hunting in polar waters, an industry that sustained the region for decades.

Where History Meets the Ice

What sets this museum apart is its authentic location and intimate scale. Housed in atmospheric 19th-century timber buildings by the harbor, the setting itself transports visitors to the era when seal-hunting ships crowded these docks.

The museum's special focus on polar bears and Arctic survival reveals both the dangers and the determination that defined life in the far north. CNN recognized this authenticity in 2013, naming Tromsø one of the world's 10 best cities for a winter holiday, specifically praising the Polar Museum for providing insight into earlier Arctic expeditions in a way few institutions can match.

Polar Museum Highlights & Tips

• Historic Trapping Cabin from Svalbard See an authentic overwintering cabin from 1910, originally built on Moffen island, that shows how hunters survived months in Arctic darkness.
• Roald Amundsen Exhibition View photographs and personal items from the first explorer to reach the South Pole and navigate the Northwest Passage.
• Fridtjof Nansen's Fram Expedition Discover the daring 1893-1896 expedition where Nansen deliberately froze his ship in ice to drift toward the North Pole.
• 19th-Century Customs House Setting The museum itself occupies protected 1840s buildings that once processed goods from returning Arctic expeditions.
• Harbor Location The museum is located at Søndre Tollbodgate 11, near the harbor in central Tromsø, within walking distance of other city attractions.
• Winter Visit Timing Visiting during the polar night season (November to January) adds atmosphere as you learn about Arctic survival in similar darkness.
• Combine with Arctic Cathedral Tromsø's compact center makes it easy to visit multiple attractions. Plan time for the iconic Arctic Cathedral and cable car views.
• Part of University Museum Network The Polar Museum is managed by UiT The Arctic University of Norway's museum organization, ensuring scholarly accuracy in exhibits.

The Polar Museum offers something rare: a chance to understand Arctic exploration not as distant adventure but as lived experience. Within these historic walls, the courage of overwintering trappers and the ambitions of legendary explorers become tangible through artifacts, photographs, and reconstructed spaces.

Whether you visit during the midnight sun or the polar night, this museum connects you to the human stories behind Arctic headlines. It's a place where Norway's relationship with the frozen north, built over centuries, reveals itself in intimate and unforgettable ways.