For many travelers, the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo is the single museum you plan your itinerary around. Those graceful longships at Bygdøy are icons of Norway, and the museum has been closed for a major rebuild since 2021. Understandably, people keep asking when doors will open again and how to plan around it.
Short answer: The Viking Ship Museum will reopen as the new Museum of the Viking Age in 2027. Current plans point to a late 2027 opening, but the exact date is not set and can still shift as construction and conservation work progresses.
If you are dreaming of standing face to face with Oseberg, Gokstad, and Tune, hold that thought a little longer. The good news is that the new museum will be much larger, better equipped to protect the ships, and designed for a richer visitor experience. Let us take a closer look at what to expect and how to plan your visit.
What Is Actually Reopening
The institution many know as the Viking Ship Museum is being reborn as The Museum of the Viking Age at the same Bygdøy location. The famous ships will still be the heart of the experience, but they are being moved onto new, carefully engineered supports and into a climate stable environment. This is not cosmetic. The ships are over a thousand years old and extremely fragile. The rebuild is about safeguarding them for the next hundred years and beyond.
As a Norwegian who grew up with school trips to Bygdøy, I have seen how the old building struggled on hot, crowded days. The temperature would creep up and the air would feel heavy. That might be fine for visitors, but not for ancient oak planks held together by history and skill. The new museum is designed first for the ships’ safety and second for a calm, quality visit.
Reopening Timeline, As It Stands
The official timeline points to 2027, with the museum aiming for a late year opening. There was earlier talk of a faster schedule, but the project evolved as engineers and conservators dug deeper into what the ships needed to be safe. Large heritage projects like this often adjust their schedules as they meet the realities of conservation, construction, and logistics. If your trip hinges on seeing the ships, plan as if they will not be accessible before 2027, and keep an eye out for an exact date closer to time.
From the local side, I would not plan a special trip only for the ships in early 2027. If the museum surprises us by opening earlier, wonderful. If not, you will still have a great time in Oslo, but you will not have seen the ships. Build in flexibility and consider a broader Oslo plan that will be rewarding even if the doors are not open yet.
How Big The New Museum Will Be
The footprint is expanding significantly. The Museum of the Viking Age will be almost three times larger than the old building, with a total area around 13,000 square meters. That scale up matters for two reasons. First, it provides the controlled climate the ships require. Second, it creates space for more Viking Age stories to be told with objects, multimedia, and hands on learning areas that simply did not fit before.
For the visitor, this means a more relaxed flow and more context. In the old days you could do a loop in under an hour if you hurried. In the new building you will want to slow down, look at details, and take in how the ships fit into craftsmanship, trade, belief, and travel.
What To Expect Inside
Expect a calmer, more spacious experience around the ships themselves. The architects and conservators are building for low vibration, stable temperature, and precise humidity control. That also means better viewing platforms and sightlines so you can appreciate the ships without crowding. Around them, you can look forward to new galleries that put the ships in context with artifacts from daily life and seafaring.
Families should find more interactive elements. Travelers who like depth can expect stronger research based interpretation and updated texts. Accessibility is getting attention as well, with better indoor navigation, rest areas, and amenities. In short, the new museum is designed to be both a safe home for the ships and a fuller introduction to the Viking Age.
Planning an Oslo Trip While You Wait
If you are visiting Oslo before the reopening, you can still build a strong Viking themed day.
Start with the Historical Museum in the city center, part of the same university museum network. Its Viking Age rooms give a broader picture of life in the period, from jewelry and tools to hoards and runic objects. It is not the ships, but it fills in the world those ships sailed through.
Head out to Bygdøy for Fram and Kon Tiki, two excellent maritime museums a short walk from the Viking site. Fram tells the story of Norway’s polar exploration and lets you board the ship. Kon Tiki covers Thor Heyerdahl’s experimental voyages. Together they paint a picture of Norwegian seamanship across centuries.
There is also Norsk Folkemuseum on Bygdøy, an open air collection of historic buildings from all over the country. It is not Viking Age, but it is a lovely way to understand how Norway’s rural life and craftsmanship evolved. Give yourself time here on sunny days.
A note for expectations: there is a private attraction in town called The Viking Planet. It focuses on films and VR rather than artifacts. It can be fun, but it is not a substitute for seeing the actual ships. Treat it as a bonus activity if you enjoy media experiences.
Getting To Bygdøy, Now and Later
Bygdøy is easy to reach from central Oslo. Bus 30 runs year round and stops close to the museum area. In the warmer months, there is also a seasonal ferry from Aker Brygge that lands near the museum cluster. The ferry is a pleasant Oslofjord hop that adds a nice flavor to the day, but the bus is more predictable in shoulder seasons and winter. Once the Museum of the Viking Age opens, expect demand to spike for both bus and ferry in peak summer.
Local tip for timing: if you are combining multiple Bygdøy museums in one day, start when they open and work your way back toward the ferry pier in the afternoon. That keeps your walking to a minimum and lines shorter. On sunny days the waterfront is perfect for an ice cream before you head back to the city center.
Tickets, Crowds, and Practicalities
Tickets for the new museum are not on sale yet. Expect timed entry when they do launch. Timed slots are likely because of the ships’ conservation needs and the building’s design capacity. The old museum could feel packed on summer days. The new one is aiming for a better flow, but capacity will still be carefully managed.
Whenever tickets go live, jump early for summer dates and weekends. If your plans are flexible, aim for morning slots or late afternoon. School groups tend to visit mid morning on weekdays. On rainy days, museums across Oslo fill up fast, so booking ahead helps.
Plan for a modest bag. Larger backpacks may need to be stored to avoid accidental bumps near the ships. Photography rules will almost certainly prioritize the ships’ safety over perfect photo conditions. That might mean limited flash and possibly tripod restrictions.
How To Build A Viking Focused Itinerary After Reopening
If you are coming specifically for the ships in 2027 or later, plan a full half day at the Museum of the Viking Age. That gives you time to sit with the ships rather than rush past them. Pair your visit with either the Historical Museum downtown on another day or a Bygdøy circuit that includes Fram or Norsk Folkemuseum.
Food wise, Bygdøy has limited options, but the café scene at Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen is only a short hop away. If you take the ferry back, you will land right by a cluster of eateries and waterfront promenades. On warm evenings the whole area has a relaxed, holiday feel.
If you enjoy guided experiences, consider a local guide with a background in archaeology or history once the museum reopens. Good guides in Oslo tend to be knowledgeable and low key. You will avoid the rush and get a deeper read on details you might miss alone.
Why The Wait Is Worth It
It is easy to be impatient. The Viking ships are headline pieces of world heritage, and people want to see them. But the Oseberg and Gokstad ships are not just old. They are deeply delicate, shaped by burial, excavation, and a century of display. Getting their environment right now is what ensures your grandchildren can meet them in person too. That is the point of this rebuild.
Quick Answers
When will the Viking Ship Museum open again? In 2027, currently targeted for late in the year, but no exact date has been set.
Will it have a new name? Yes. It will reopen as The Museum of the Viking Age.
Will the ships still be there? Yes. Oseberg, Gokstad, and Tune remain the stars of the collection, displayed with better protection and interpretation.
How big will it be? Nearly triple the size of the old museum, around 13,000 square meters in total area.
What should I do until it opens? Visit the Historical Museum downtown for Viking Age galleries, and explore Bygdøy’s Fram, Kon Tiki, and Norsk Folkemuseum for a strong maritime and cultural day.
How do I get to Bygdøy? Bus 30 year round, plus a seasonal ferry from Aker Brygge in summer. Check schedules close to your visit.
Bottom line: Plan on 2027 for the Viking ships in their new home. Keep your itinerary flexible, watch for official announcements on dates and tickets, and use the wait to explore the rest of Oslo’s maritime and history scene. When those doors open, you will be ready.