Vigeland Park
Ideal: Ideal for art, outdoor walks, and a different kind of city experience.
All 212 sculptures in the park belong to a single artist, Gustav Vigeland — he designed not only the figures but the park layout, bridge, and gates. In 1921 he made an unusual deal with the city: Oslo would provide a studio and salary, and he would leave everything he produced to the city. The central Monolith was carved from a single granite block — shaping 121 intertwined human figures into 14 metres of stone took three stonemasons fourteen years. The park is free and open around the clock.
Quick facts
- Opened
- 1914
- Area
- 32 km²
- Heritage status
- cultural heritage preservation in Norway
Facts from Wikidata, photos from Wikimedia Commons.
Did you know?
Who made the sculptures in the park?
All of them are by one artist, Gustav Vigeland: 212 sculptures with over 600 figures, the product of some 20 years' work, all owned by the city of Oslo.
Which sculpture is photographed most?
Sinnataggen, the angry little boy. Constant touching has polished the bronze on his hand, and the statue has been stolen twice and recovered both times.
Is there an entrance fee for the park?
No — it is open 24 hours and completely free. It receives roughly two million visitors a year and is Norway's most-visited attraction.
Why go?
- To see Oslo's most distinctive open-air sculpture park
- To study Vigeland's powerful human-themed sculptural compositions
- Because it offers a free, spacious walking area in the city
Travel tip
The park is large — allow time especially for the Monolith and sculptures around the bridge.
