If you’re thinking of visiting this place, you have to realize this is actually a museum about hunting. If the mass slaughter of innocent animals for profit is your jam, you will LOVE this place. I’m not judging (too much) - the people who in times past made this their living did so out of necessity or cultural background. But that doesn’t mean I’m that desperate to immerse myself in such a past, especially since the museum has a rather celebratory tone towards killing baby seals. I’d rather pass.

The best museum in Tromsø! A must see for anyone visiting. Filled with fascinating information about polar explorers and the lives of people who live in the polar regions.

Nice place to visit if you are interested in the history and culture of hunters of Norway. But sometimes it feels bad about the number of animals that were hunted during the past. Tickets can be purchased in a combination of the Culture Museum. Might be a bit difficult for accessibility since you'd need to climb a set of stairs to access the first floor.

It's a very good museum that is quite quick to do and covers the Arctic culture in its entirety (way of life, fauna and flora, hunting and fishing tools...) the advice I can give you is to remember to bring a student card (if you are a student) as there is a reduced rate. Don't forget to ask the hostess/hostess at the entrance to give you a booklet (there are in English, German and French) which explains the different parts of the museum in detail, it's very interesting to understand each piece, work or setting. Count on about 1h30 for the visit in order to see each part well. Concerning the parking, I recommend you to park in a big parking place not far from the museum, just on the street behind, it's not free but it's allowed and it will cost you about 2€20 The souvenir shop in the museum is a bit expensive, others in town are much cheaper I think

At first glance, it is a small building, but once you step inside, it's actually huge. There are a lot of things to see in the museum and I am sure there is something interesting for everyone. The only downside, also the reason why I cannot give them 5 stars, is that none of the artifacts has an English description - everything is in Norvegian. You get a booklet when you pay for your ticket (which you must return when you leave), but that booklet doesn't tell you what each artifact is. The booklet tells you the overall story of each room you step in, and leaves you with a lot of questions about what are the objects in front of you. The price for the ticket is worth it, this museum is a must when visiting Tromsø.

Small museum, located in an 1830s warehouse on the seafront, but full of historical exhibits. Following its establishment as the “Gateway to the Arctic” in the late 19th century, Tromsø became a base for many polar expeditions. The Polar Museum preserves and conveys stories related to this aspect of the history of Tromsø and the Arctic. The Polar Museum’s permanent exhibitions deal with sealing, overwintering trapping, the stories of famous trappers such as Henry Rudi and Wanny Wolstad, the expeditions of Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen. Worthy of a visit.

This was very educational. Lots of information and every turn you make opens up a room full of new things to see. Recommend keeping adequate time to explore the place. Be sure to look up when you're there. There are surprise finds in unexpected places. The outside of the building is as fascinating as the inside. The wall art is phenomenal

Amazing museum! Not very large but documents the exploits of Norwegian polar expeditions very nicely. Would definitely recommend a visit!

A good one time visit, too bad they couldn't organise some better English descriptions for their display items. You get a booklet when you pay for your tickets but it is quite cumbersome to keep searching in the booklet the items you are looking at. Would be nice if they could re-do the exhibition with better English translations / descriptions, I bet it wouldn't take too long to do something like this. There are plenty things to see, a lot of tools and stuffed animals, some musical instruments and a lot of nautical items. Nice to see the history of trying to get to the most northern part of the world. Overall, the 100 NOK they ask for admission is somewhat worth it, but they could do a bit more for their customers to be a lot more happier.

It was a great experience, there are some discounts with the tickets if you are a student and they provide you with a paper guide in Norwegian or English, so you don't miss anything. 100% recommended if you are really interested in Norwegian history and the polar expeditions of the late 19th century. And yes, it is a bit hard to see stuffed animals in the exhibits, but it is important to remember that it is not an apology for hunting, it is a call to reflect on our ancestors and the way they lived and how they saw their world by then.

- small museum located near the sea - definitely worth to visit and see - need maximum 1 hour - close early

Very useful information to learn more about the life of a Norwegian throughout history. The illustrations look extremely real. I enjoyed reading about the map of the northern part of the globe. The evolution of clothing textile blew my mind as well. I recommend going there for 1 - 2 hours as there’s quite a lot to see and read.

Great history and exhibits. Brochures in many languages to help guide you through the museum. You definitely get a feel for and understanding of arctic exploration and life. Well worth it.

Visited during winter time. Very informative museum featuring the history of seal & bear hunting in the polar region. They also feature explorers like Amundsen, Nansen, Wanny, among others. Recommended 😊

Seems pretty small from photos, but despite the size of the building they can fit surprisingly lot of stuff into 3 floor exhibitions. If you are into polar adventure and hunting, you'll love it. If you are coming with kids be aware of the fact it's dedicated mostly to hunting. So you might explain why those cute little seals are on hooks... It's a nice place to go when weather is bad. And it's just behind the corner of the city centre and main meeting spots. Recommend to start early as it might get pretty crowded.

very authentic. the whole story of hunting, exploring is told and shown in many room. Guides with multiple languages available

Quite informative museum on Arctic region, polar animals, their hunting and local people. A section on Amundsen was quite informative.

Very good museum, having 10 rooms. All details in Norwegian language but a booklet with almost all details provided from the ticket counter.

A very nice museum which tackles the history surrounding the northpole from a norwegian perspective to the fullest and in details about the fauna there as well. We get taught about the famous norwegian explorers like Amundsen, Nansen and even the female explorer Wanny. A paperback script is handed to the guests which contains a good 20 pages of thorough information about all the exposition rooms in the museum, translated into various languages since the museum signs themselves are in norwegian most of the time, so the paper script serves as translation for them. The entry is free for students and I highly recommend it!

Pretty interesting. Go as part of a tour, not many places in Norway label up in English as well.

Definitely worth a visit. The museum itself is wonderful inside and even the walk to and around it is gorgeous for pictures.

Highy recommended to anyone visiting Tromsø and wants to learn more about early history of seal hunting.Polarmuseet is easily accessible on foot and it’s located along the shores with a great view of the tromsø bridge and the cathedral. Went there with my family and we bought tickets on arrival.The staff were helpful and friendly.

Exciting museum which tells the story of trappers on Svalbard since the 17th century, and the many polar expeditions with Norwegian pioneers around 1850 to 1920.

Nice museum. You can buy a combined ticket with the Tromso museum for 150 NOK, students enter for free. I would recommend getting both tickets, not sure if it is worth to go only to this museum.

A great collection of explorers their belongings, pictures, stories and etc. particularly Amundsen who won the expedition of the South Pole and became a national hero in Norway. Definitely worth visiting, to improve your experience, you can read a bit about polar expeditions, particularly South Pole, story of Shakelton and others who died for that goal.

Awesome museum located at the heart of tromso city center. Entrance fee is 100 nok for adults, and it took me 50min to complete at a casual pace. Exhibits told the history of hunters, trappers, explorers and expeditions into the north pole. They have guidebooks written in English available for loan. Overall a fantastic and informative experience. I do suppose that it might not be for everyone as the exhibits and descriptions of animals getting hunted might be too vivid for some.

Super nice museum, you get a guide booklet in different languages if you don't speak Norwegian. The exhibition is the right mix between information and visualization. The exhibits are great and there's a lot to see and learn! If you want to know more about Tromsø's history and culture, this museum is a must-see! The staff was also super friendly and helpful. I'll definitely go again with friends and family.

The museum is nice, their expositions provide lots of informations about polar expeditions and hunting. It was sad to notice how cruel humans can be.. But some parts was quite “boring”.. anyway, it is quickly.

Extremely educational exhibition about polar exploration and its impact on remote environment. The downside is a slap on one's face about how lethal and greedy mankind can be. Definitely worth a lengthy visit

It's a nice little museum with history on polar expeditions. Very informative- they give a little guidebook for English speakers. Many in previous reviews complained about the fact that animals being hunted in the past so don't visit if you can't bear it. It is a part of their past so it's unavoidable. Since then, the government imposed restrictions on hunting.

An interesting museum to visit. Not the most modern, but it gives an insight into the actual activities taking place in the Arctic regions. Exhibits around hunting seals and other wildlife makes a large part of the collection. We enjoyed the atmosphere and appreciated the leaflet in english, as most of the descriptions were in norwegian.

Free for students!! Friendly staff and very interesting experience! I believe you can also follow a guided tour and they offer English guides.

Very nice and interesting place.. is not big but it worth a lot, also the guides come in different languages so you can learn a lot even if you don't speak English. I enjoy the visit and I recommend it for 2- 3 hours activity in Trømso city.

Second time of visiting, a gap of about 8 years ,but enjoyed it, this time had a lot more time and was fascinating insight in to exploring and the people behind all these amazing stories. Lots of intresting tales ,adventures ,how they lived in places like Slavbard and beyond Lots of artifacts and information to immerse yourself in An historic building where events took place and as a deal on the entrance fee ,so £8.40 for this entry and to the Tromso museum was a steal Take time out and vist,set on the harbour front (currently lots of building work in progress) but very much worth your time

It’s more designed for visitors from norway and not for international tourists. Most texts are in norwegian. You get a tiny booklet in your language but it doesn’t explain the exhibition quite good and has some typos. Still there are some interesting things inside.

Very cool museum. Not all information is available in English but you can always borrow a guide book. Ventilation could have been better.