Director Frode Meinich. Photo: Lars Opstad/ The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology
2025 was a very good year for The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology . The number of visitors ended with 245,743 visitors – numbers we have not seen since before the pandemic. At the same time, visits to our digital platforms have increased significantly, and the number of events has been long. This shows that we reach widely and that our offers are perceived as relevant to both the public and partners.
In 2025, we demonstrated this particularly through the diversity of events and experiences. In October, we organized Norway's first women's health festival, which brought together visitors for talks, research dissemination, book baths and workshops in collaboration with the Women in Health and the National Center for Women's Health Research. The Artefacts conference brought together researchers and museum professionals from all over the world for three days of professional discussions on the theme of "Care & Repair".
Through Ask a Minister, school classes have met the Minister of Health, the Minister of Digitalization and the Minister of the Environment for conversations in exhibitions with thematic relevance to the ministers' fields of expertise. During the Science Days , which we organized for the first time together with Tekna, students in grades 5–7 participated in a rocket workshop, saw artificial intelligence in action and experienced a spectacular science show.
The museum's overall educational offerings reached many children and young people in 2025. A total of 40,005 students, teachers and kindergarten children received learning opportunities under the auspices of the museum, an increase compared to the previous year. A strengthened educational offering at the Oslo Science Centre , which welcomed a record number of school classes, contributed in particular to this.
The opening of the museum's large new water wheel brought together over 300 people for an opening party. The wheel is built using traditional Norwegian craft methods, with materials that are as locally sourced and environmentally friendly as possible, and many participated in activities related to energy. The temporary photo exhibition Work Photo/Photo Work opened on December 4. It shows how photographs of working life both document and shape history, and raises questions about the neutrality of photography and its use as a political tool. A basic idea behind the exhibition is that it should stimulate conversations between generations. The exhibition is built as a traveling exhibition.
The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology is an approved research organization and continuously works with knowledge development and research within our fields of expertise. In 2025, this has resulted in, among other things, the publication of a book on Norwegian photography history, while two of our own conservators have submitted their doctoral theses.
We have continued our commitment to renewing basic exhibitions, and in 2025 it was the sawmill exhibition that received its upgrade.
Oslo Science Centre has conducted a pilot to make the museum accessible to those who cannot come to Kjelsås. Science on Wheels visited 14 schools in Oslo with fun experiments. The museum participated in the Maker Festival and the World's Coolest Day .
In February, Åpent Bakeri opened a full-scale café and bakery after three months of a pop-up café, which has been a welcome addition to both the museum and the district. It has made the museum a natural place for remote offices, maternity and retirement gatherings. This is also reflected in the museum shop, which has had stable and steady growth throughout the year.
In collaboration with Åpent Bakeri, we created Oslo's funniest gingerbread town for Christmas, where visitors could contribute with structures made at home or at the museum. Over 100 contributions with everything from houses, trains and trams to Newton's cradle made this a great success.
Our social mission and vision remain unchanged. We continue our work to be the most engaging, informative and fun museum. In 2026, we will open the major initiative, the Technical Mini Museum , an educational area for the youngest children, and we look forward to welcoming even more visitors.
Happy reading!
director at The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology
Photo: Gorm Gaare/ The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology
Erik Solhjell from the Friends' Association is the driving force behind the museum's model railways – the Horten Line, the Industribane Line and the Borg Line. He keeps the trains running for countless hours, and in 2025 he also published the book Fun with Model Trains . Photo: Jill Bottolfsen/ The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology
The Association of Friends
The association originated as the museum's founder in 1914 under the name The The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology .
The purpose of the Association Friends of The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology is to contribute to the development of The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology , and to be a forum for enthusiasts, companies and organizations with an interest in the museum's work and in technical, industrial and medical history.
Membership in the association is still increasing after the pandemic. In 2025, the association had 1,392 paid memberships, which is the 3rd highest in the association's history.
Membership offers in 2025
Family Days - The traditional family days organized by the association in collaboration with Tekna and NITO were held in May and November, with 1,485 visitors in May and 1,204 in November. In 2025, a new record was set for the number of visitors. The purpose of the family days is to market the museum in Norwegian technology communities and to provide our members and their families with an expanded museum offer. The family days are financed and organized through volunteer efforts from the Association of Friends, Tekna and NITO.
Technology History Thursday - The monthly technology history lectures are a free and open offer, arranged in collaboration between the Friends' Association, Tekna, NITO and the museum. In 2025, eight lectures were held.
Boat trip with the veteran ship DS Børøysund - The traditional boat trip in the inner Oslofjord with the veteran ship DS Børøysund was arranged in June for members. On the boat trip, you had the opportunity to look inside the coal-fired steam engine and visit the mate on the bridge. Food and drinks were served during the trip.
Museum projects - In addition to the annual financial contribution, several hundred hours of volunteer work are devoted to projects in the museum.
- The Industrial Model - The Friends' Association ensures ongoing maintenance and operation of the model. It is a miniature model of three typical industrial communities from the 1950s with model trains, boats, cars, houses, artificial sea and waterfalls, and is very popular. Since May 28, 2021, the model train has been driven more than 78,000 times, and the small trains have traveled more than 400 kilometers. The Friends' Association has carried out and paid for the restoration of the model. The model is very popular with young and old visitors.
- The Model Railway - In 2025, the Friends' Association continued to make operational improvements and ongoing maintenance on the large model railway, which the association purchased for the museum in 2020. The model is very popular with young and old visitors.
Financial contribution
The large membership in 2025 contributes to the Friends' Association transferring 535,125,- (50 percent of ticket revenue) to the museum as compensation for our members having unlimited free access.
Overall, 80 percent of the Friends' Association's income goes back to the museum in the form of annual financial support and to the museum's projects.
In 2025, the Friends' Association has decided to allocate one million kroner to the upgrade of the museum's largest object, the Caravel. The Caravel is expected to be upgraded for the public during the first half of 2026.