Fotoutstillingen arbeidsfoto/fotoarbeid i temporærrommet, er en utstilling som viser fotografier fra arbeidslivet i nær fortid, hovedsakelig 1950 til 1970-tallet. Bildene viser et arbeidsliv som kan virke eksotisk i dag, men som var hverdagen for mange for ikke så lenge siden.

One of the goals of the exhibition is to encourage conversations between generations, and the exhibition space is equipped with specially built benches to facilitate this, in addition to an innovative exhibition architecture that invites exploration and discovery.

The exhibition architecture is modular, and is designed to be used in other exhibitions outside the museum, and adapted to rooms of different sizes. Thus, modules are intended to be able to travel to other places such as public libraries and cultural centers to display images from local cornerstone businesses.

Another motivation for conversations in the exhibition space is the problematization of what photography of work can do. What is the motivation behind the images of work, why are they taken, and what functions can such images fulfill?

The old sawmill exhibition was renovated during the spring and reopened to the public in June 2025.

The large and heavy objects from the previous exhibition have remained as before. The themes have been updated with an emphasis on the sawmill industry from the 1860s to the interwar period. Myrens Verksted was a supplier of saws and planers to the industry. The drawing archive from there, which is kept at the museum, has been important in showing how the mechanical industry contributed to industrialization. The exhibition shows the spread of sawmills along waterways throughout the country with the introduction of steam saws as a power source.

Walls have been demolished, new ramps built at both ends of the exhibition, glass floors have been installed where there was an opening down, the ceiling has been painted, new scenography has been created and a completely new presentation has been written for the exhibition. Several smaller objects have also been exhibited in renovated, reused displays and new lighting has been installed. The museum has received support from the Norwegian Wood Processing Industry to upgrade the exhibition.

Den temporære utstillingen Modeller og miniatyrer åpnet i 2024 og skulle etter planen stå ut 2025. Siden utstillingen har vært meget populær blant museets besøkende, samtidig som den har holdt seg godt, har det blitt besluttet å forlenge visningstiden ut 2026.

The exhibition shows models used for research and teaching, design and construction, play and hobbies. It contains models of the body, architectural models and model trains. Models have always been central to the museum's exhibitions. This time they will play the main role. A basic idea has been that the exhibition should reflect the entire breadth of the museum and point towards our other exhibitions.

The exhibition centerpiece is a Lundby dollhouse ten times its normal size, fully furnished and open to those who want to play. The exhibition also has its own play area with Brio and LEGO. The car track from Trondheim Bilbane Center and the large model railway run regularly.

The exhibition has received financial support from the Sat Sapienti Foundation and the Bergesen Foundation.

The Munch Museum's summer exhibition Lifeblood - Edvard Munch was the central exhibition project for the National Medical Museum in 2025. The exhibition was on display from June 27 to September 21.

The National Medical Museum was the largest lender to this exhibition, which focused on Munch's relationship to health and medicine. Our conservators have had close dialogue about this exhibition with curators from the Munch Museum for several years.

We lent out stethoscopes, spittoons, an anesthetic mask, contraceptives, photographs, an early incubator, and a human skeleton, among other things. The exhibition gave us the opportunity to see our objects in a completely new context and share them with the public – including art enthusiasts and cruise tourists – who do not often visit our museum. It received good reviews in several major media outlets, both in Norway and internationally.

Planning for the exhibition began before the coronavirus pandemic, and it was very rewarding for everyone involved to finally see it realized.

Museets vannhjul har vært sentralt plassert i overgangen mellom foaje og utstillingene siden museumsbygget på Kjelsås åpnet i 1986. Hjulet er en kopi av det store overfallshjulet som drev kjerraten på Sanne og Soli brug i Tune ved Sarpsborg. En av Sanne og Solis sager er også stilt ut i utstillingen Sagen, skogen og maskinene.

During 2025, Løken Bygg AS and Dovre Handverksenter AS removed the old wheel and built a completely new water wheel made of dense pine with pure heartwood.

Apprentices participated in the entire process from felling trees to the finished water wheel in collaboration with experienced professionals. The steel shaft from the previous renovation in 2019 has been retained, but it is now operated only with water. The reconstruction of the water wheel was supported by Sparebankstiftelsen DNB and Statkraft.

On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of public transport in Oslo on October 6, 2025, we launched a special photo presentation on the museum's website. There we shared 150 of our best photos from the history of trams, buses, railways, local trains and ferries in and around the capital.

The anniversary was also celebrated with a guided tour on the tram and a family trail with several public transport stops spread across several of the museum's exhibitions. The markings were supported by Ruter and the Public Transport Historical Council of Oslo and Akershus.