Munch Museum
Ideal: Ideal for art, modern museum experiences, and Oslo culture routes.
Munch bequeathed everything he owned at his death — roughly 26,000 works — to the city of Oslo. The new thirteen-storey building that opened in 2021 leans toward the fjord at the top. Three versions of The Scream are here, but only one is shown at a time: pastel and tempera are so fragile that each is displayed for one hour then covered, then the next takes its turn. The old museum building is remembered for the 2004 daylight theft when armed men pulled The Scream off the wall; the painting was recovered two years later.
Quick facts
- Built
- 1963
- Opened
- 29 May 1963
Facts from Wikidata, photos from Wikimedia Commons.
Did you know?
How many versions of The Scream are there?
Four principal versions — two painted, one in pastel and one on cardboard — plus lithographs made by Munch himself. The museum rotates several of them in its displays.
What is the hidden inscription on the painting?
One version carries a pencilled note reading "could only have been painted by a madman". Analysis in 2021 confirmed that Munch wrote it himself.
Who did Munch leave his work to?
On his death in 1944 he left everything to the city of Oslo: roughly 1,100 paintings, 4,500 drawings and 18,000 prints. The museum's collection rests on that bequest.
Why go?
- To see Edvard Munch's artistic world up close
- To experience a museum linked to iconic works like The Scream
- To explore Oslo's modern culture and architecture
Travel tip
Exhibition layout can change — check the current programme for works you especially want to see.
