Svalbard Museum
Svalbard Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The exhibition presents fragments of Svalbard's 400-year history and describes factors that help support life and the activities taking place here, which together reveal the close relationship between sea and land, nature and cultural history. Family friendly.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingFull view
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
17 within 3 miles
Attractions
9 within 6 miles
See what travellers are saying
- abmilwMilwaukee, Wisconsin674 contributionsworth a strollIn english the Foreskining Museum means something totally different and one no-one would visit. But if you wandering the downtown area and have an extra hour - this museum actually does a good job of explaining the area and showing its history. They have some nice books there too.Visited April 2023Written 12 June 2023
- Dianne L3 contributionsWhat a delight !!Very much enjoyed this dedicated museum housing a vast array of exhibits including plenty I haven't seen before - many of which taught me something new. Hugely interesting tales of local people and their struggles. And not least - a very small charge for entrance to the shop and museum plus - extremely friendly and helpful staff !! What's not to like ?!Visited July 2023Written 24 July 2023
- Russ855Palm Springs, California461 contributionsA small but interesting museumI wish we had spent more time here than on the bus tour we took. It is a small museum with local arctic history based on artifacts. They have just about every animal and bird stuffed so you can see what you missed in the wild! Unfortunately, not all the interpretation is given in English as well. This is probably the highlight of Svalbard besides seeing the harsh landscape of the permafrost tundra.Visited July 2023Written 24 July 2023
- Laia SolerLongyearbyen, Norway8 contributionsSolo visitNoce visit to learn about the history, peoples lives back in the day were coal mining was the main activity. It also has a lot of tools and a walk through a cabin. It was a nice and informative afternoon. Not too crowded when I visited.Visited March 2023Travelled soloWritten 9 August 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
1,365 reviews
Excellent
744
Very good
491
Average
118
Poor
10
Terrible
2
Y K
Leicester, UK48 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
A great museum explaining how such a fascinating place came to be
We spent a couple of hours engrossed in the time lines and working through the history of Svalbad
We spent a couple of hours engrossed in the time lines and working through the history of Svalbad
Written 22 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Georgie W
4 contributions
Sept 2023 • Solo
An absolutely fantastic museum with great information covering all aspects of Svalbard's history. The lay out itself is really interesting with a great flow - they've really utilised the space so well.
Written 30 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Teresa
Stockholm, Sweden23 contributions
Sept 2023 • Friends
Very interesting and smart museum. We learned a lot and where highly entertained during our visit. Friendly staff and an overall very enjoyable experience.
Written 3 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GapYrCol
Colorado Springs, CO73 contributions
Aug 2023 • Solo
This was an awesome intro on the local area, way of life, exploration throughout Svalbard, political amd cultural history, some of the local people and what's happening today (temporary democracy exhibit). There are displays on the hunting, mining, and now tourism industries and impacts. I spwnt well over 2 hours at the museum and could easily have spent more. You do have to contend a little with cruise ship passengers depedong on your timing (I was there during the shoulder season). The museum is located at the university building which is great and very walkeable from any point in town. A must do if you have time in the local area.
Written 3 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Scott T
Cave Junction, OR6 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
This museum is presented very nicely and is worth a look. You can learn a great deal about the fascinating history of Svalbard and get a good look at its natural inhabitants too.
Written 23 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laia Soler
Longyearbyen, Norway8 contributions
Mar 2023 • Solo
Noce visit to learn about the history, peoples lives back in the day were coal mining was the main activity. It also has a lot of tools and a walk through a cabin.
It was a nice and informative afternoon.
Not too crowded when I visited.
It was a nice and informative afternoon.
Not too crowded when I visited.
Written 9 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2016Annette13
Baden, Switzerland160 contributions
Jul 2023
A very good, beautifully made museum, that teaches and explains a lot about expeditions and life in this polar region.
Written 7 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
D P
Wellington, New Zealand6,695 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
It’s a bit pricey to look around but they did have a lot of cool things to look at and the exhibits are beautifully laid out.
Lots of books and a nice gift section for you too check out afterwards.
Lots of books and a nice gift section for you too check out afterwards.
Written 26 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Russ855
Palm Springs, CA461 contributions
Jul 2023
I wish we had spent more time here than on the bus tour we took. It is a small museum with local arctic history based on artifacts. They have just about every animal and bird stuffed so you can see what you missed in the wild! Unfortunately, not all the interpretation is given in English as well. This is probably the highlight of Svalbard besides seeing the harsh landscape of the permafrost tundra.
Written 24 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dianne L
3 contributions
Jul 2023
Very much enjoyed this dedicated museum housing a vast array of exhibits including plenty I haven't seen before - many of which taught me something new. Hugely interesting tales of local people and their struggles. And not least - a very small charge for entrance to the shop and museum plus - extremely friendly and helpful staff !! What's not to like ?!
Written 24 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
alirod257
Buenos Aires, Argentina13 contributions
Hola Hamelina. Quisiera viajar para enero de 2018. cuantos noches me aconsejas que me quede para conocer lo basico de SVALBARD? Viajaré desde Bs As, quisiera armarlo con tiempo y bien. Agradeceré tu respuesta. Saludos Cordiales.
Key C
Barcelona, Spain18 contributions
Hola, Las posibilidades de ver cosas interesantes varian mucho si es verano o invierno.
Longyearbyen tiene pocas cosas interesantes a ver. Lo guapo son las excursiones que puedes hacer desde la capital.
En verano (cuando yo fui) se puede navegar en barco por los fiordos y visitar un par o tres de sitios interesantes. En invierno las excursiones - algunas de mas de un dia- son con motos de nieve o trineos y creo que puedes llegar a mas sitios espectaculares. Informate sobre estas excursiones para decidir.
Helene V
Pretoria, South Africa5 contributions
Is the museum open on Sunday afternoons - we arrive in Lonyearbyen on Sunday, the 24th of April?
Erlend S
Narvik, Norway2 contributions
Hi,
in April we are open from 10:00-17:00 every day.
For details see our web page:
svalbardmuseum.no/apningstider/?lang=en
Welcome to Svalbard!
Erlend S,
Svalbard Museum
Claudianaiz
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain1 contribution
Si vienes a Longyearbyen... no te arrepentiras... :) y para que estes tranquila aca hay cero criminalidad....
Viajera E
Madrid, España65 contributions
Por favor, quisiera saber si el museo está alejado del puerto, cuanto se tarda mas o menos caminando.
Y si la calle por la que se va al museo es una calle que esté concurrida. Muchas gracias
GABYZENDEJASM
Mexico City, Mexico235 contributions
Hola! Longyearbyen es una ciudad muy pequeña, a todos lados vas caminando, en caso de que necesitaras transporte para alguna excursión, siempre pasa alguna camioneta a recogerte al hotel donde estés. El museo está junto a la universidad. Si hay peligro de encontrarse a un oso, siempre irás acompañada de un guÃa local y ahà todos llevan rifle y saben usarlo. No hay tanto peligro como parece. EscrÃbeme si tienes más dudas: gaby.zendejas en gmail. (No me dejó escribir el correo)
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingSVALBARD MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Svalbard Museum
- Svalbard Museum is open:
- Sun - Sat 10:00 - 17:00
- Hotels near Svalbard Museum:
- (0.16 mi) Radisson Blu Polar Hotel, Spitsbergen
- (0.17 mi) Svalbard Villmarkssenter
- (0.17 mi) Guesthouse Russkiy Dom
- (0.25 mi) Mary-Ann's Polarrigg
- (0.44 mi) Basecamp Spitsbergen
- Restaurants near Svalbard Museum:
- (0.12 mi) Barentz Gastropub
- (0.13 mi) Restaurant Nansen
- (0.30 mi) Fruene Kaffe Og Vinbar
- (0.27 mi) Vinterhagen Restaurant
- (0.27 mi) Cafe Huskies