Photo: Elias Jonassønn
Museum Nord is a non-profit, government-supported organisation within the national museum network, operating 21 different museums in northern Nordland.
Museum Nord contributes to the collection and documentation of historic sites and objects, carrying out research, and disseminating and promoting the cultural and natural history of Ofoten, Vesterålen and Lofoten. In this context the museum works towards the preservation of archaeological and architectural buildings and monuments, physical environments of cultural significance, and the region’s intangible cultural heritage.
Despite its location above the Arctic Circle Museum Nord is one of Norway’s most visited museums. Among our 21 venues, there are large facilities that welcome a large number of visitors each year. At the same time, we also operate many smaller sites, such as community museums and heritage centers with local significance.
Lofotr Viking Museum in Vestvågøy is built on an extraordinary archaeological site that uncovered a chieftain’s seat from the Viking Age. The Hurtigruten Museum in Stokmarknes tells the story of the coastal route and its great importance for communication along Norway’s coast through the ship MS Finnmarken. The SKREI Center in Vågan focuses on the migratory patterns of skrei (Atlantic cod) to the spawning grounds in Lofoten and the cultural and economic significance of the world’s largest cod fisheries. In Narvik, we convey the industrial history associated with mining and the iron ore railway from Kiruna, while the uniquely preserved herring oil factory in Melbu tells the story of the herring boom.
While we work with all the traditional museum areas from collection care, research, exhibition development to outreach, Museum Nord has a keen interest in exploring notions of the present and future. Our employees are not afraid to challenge themselves and traditional museum practices through our collaboration with partners from research and educational environments at home and abroad. The GAIA project in Vesterålen, which has received great recognition, is a good example of this and how Museum Nord explores new paths, utilising the potential of history and keeping it alive.
Museum Nord was established in 2002 by recommendation of the Ministry of Culture with the aim to consolidate and professionalise all the public museums in these three regions, and to communicate heritage knowledge to a wider audience. There are three regional museums like Museum Nord in Nordland County today: Helgeland Museum (South), Nordland Museum (Middle) and Museum Nord (North).
organiSation
Museum Nord’s top body is the Board, consisting of nine people representing three different regions, the themes of the museums, the academic environment, the employees and Nordland county municipality.
Overview of our strategic documents
Our annual reports
Årsrapport 2025
Annual report 2025Årsrapport 2024
Annual report 2024Årsrapport 2023
Annual report 2023Årsrapport 2022
Annual report 2022Our Values
- It is important for us to be open and accessible.
- We are always welcoming and respectful when welcoming guests, colleagues, stakeholders and partners. Cooperation and collaboration are of great value to us, internally and externally.
- We think and work in a solution-oriented and innovative way. We support an ambitious and forward-looking attitude.
- It is important for us and our operations and in our projects to be relevant in the context of where we work and live.
- We want to be and to show that we are competent, curious and optimistic because we have a role in society and we set examples in a changing world.
- We believe that we can influence how the future will be.
economy
The concern Museum Nord (that is the Museum Nord Foundation and its subsidiary Lofotr Næringsdrift AS) had a turnover in 2024 of NOK 159,6 mill NOK. More information is available in the annual reports (in Norwegian).