Øksnes Museum
The beautiful Alsvåggården, a building with a history dating back at least 450 years. Enjoy a cup of coffee in historic surroundings. Exhibition in the main building every summer.
24 July 2025
Four Saturdays in June and July, Saturday cafés are arranged at Øksnes Museum, which are days with a larger selection in the café, as well as a lecture. On Saturday 19.7, the guests heard Asbjørn Paulsen’s lecture about growing up at Alsvåggården.
Asbjørn Paulsen was the last owner of the farm and lived there for 30 years. Photo: Øksnes museum
Asbjørn grew up on the farm in the 50’s, and told about the dog that always came running every Monday before the local boat arrived, about the shop that had everything you needed, and the people who sat on the bench outside and chewed tobacco. At this time, there was also a Co-op in the village, there were shops on Meløya and in Sørvågen.
The farm had a large servant staff in the 30’s. Photo: Øksnes museum
There was a cod fishery at the quay, and people worked there in all kinds of weather. There was always a lot of work to do on the farm – the youths’ free time was from Saturday afternoon to Sunday evening. To keep the place going, you had to have several legs to stand on. From the mid-60’s, there was greater competition in the fishery, larger boats were introduced and Myre emerged as the best harbour. The fishery then gradually disappeared from Alsvåg, and many reasons contributed to the farm being divided up and sold around this time.
Thanks to Asbjørn and everyone who came to the lecture! Now the last Saturday café has been completed, and then the preparations for Huinndagan begin in full.
Music Festival in Alsvåg
Huinndagan is a music festival that was first held in 2022, which takes place in Alsvåg on the area outside Alsvåggården and Øksnes museum.
Rigging for Huinndagan is underway. Photo: Øksnes museum
On the occasion of the festival, a family day will be arranged during the day on Saturday from 10:30-14. There’s going to be a bouncy castle, a concert with young talents, activities for children, a café, market stalls, and much more!
The museum has free admission to the exhibition My Ship is Loaded with… and arranges the popular activity The Excavators. Here, children get to play archaeologists and dig up real animal bones. In addition, we have a task trail The Hunt for the Ship Treasures based on the exhibition, where task items are hidden around the museum area (tasks are written in Norwegian). All events are free and do not require registration.
In the exhibition you can see the Bruun doll, which is probably Vesterålen’s oldest purchased doll. In the living room, you can cut out and colour your own paper version of the Bruun doll. Here there is also the opportunity to relax with coloring for younger children or those who just want to take it easy.
The Bruun doll is almost 150 years old. Svanhild Reinholdtsen has made a paper version of the doll. Photo: Øksnes museum
Due to the festival, the museum is closed Wednesday 23 – Friday 25 and Sunday 28 August.
The museum is otherwise open in the summer until 10.8 from Tuesday-Sunday at 11-16.
