Stavanger Museum facts for kids

Stavanger Museum

Stavanger Museum is a fun place in Stavanger, Norway. It teaches you all about nature and history. The museum first opened in 1877. It has many different collections. These include animals, cultural history, and even a royal home called Ledaal.

The museum is made up of several cool departments. These are the Stavanger Museum of Natural History, Stavanger Maritime Museum, Norwegian Children's Museum, Norwegian Printing Museum, Stavanger School Museum, Stavanger Art Museum, and Norwegian Canning Museum.

History of Stavanger Museum

Stavanger Museum started in 1877. It was first in a small wooden house in Gamle Stavanger. The museum got its own building in 1893. This building was designed by architect Hartvig Sverdrup Eckhoff. The building was made bigger in 1930 and again in 1964.

Ledaal is an old summer house. It belonged to the Kielland family. The museum bought Ledaal in 1936. It opened as a royal residence in 1949. The house is from around 1800.

Breidablikk villa is another old, beautiful house. It was built in 1881-1882. It was for a rich merchant named Lars Berentsen. Architect Henrik Nissen designed it. Breidablikk villa is in Eiganes in Stavanger.

Over the years, different museums joined Stavanger Museum. The Maritime Museum joined in 1979. The Graphical Museum joined in 2006. The Children's Museum became part of it in 2007. The School Museum joined in 2008.

Stavanger Museum of Natural History

The Stavanger Museum of Natural History is all about animals and nature. It used to be the Department of Zoology. When the museum started in 1877, this part collected local animals. It also collected "exotic" animals. Sailors and travelers donated these.

Since 1918, the museum has studied birds. They have a special place called Revtangen Ornithological Station. This area has many different birds. The museum uses this station to tag or ring migratory birds. This helps them study bird movements. The station started in 1937.

Stavanger Maritime Museum

The Maritime Museum teaches about ships and the sea. It started in 1926. It became part of Stavanger Museum in 1979. The museum moved to old buildings by the port in 1985. These buildings are from the 1770s to 1840s.

The museum shows how shipping and fishing changed. It covers the last 200 years. The museum also owns two old sailboats. One is Anna af Sand from 1848. The other is Wyvern from 1896.

Norwegian Children's Museum

The Norwegian Children's Museum is a fun place for kids. It opened to the public on November 24, 2001. The museum is located in the Stavanger Cultural Centre.

Norwegian Printing Museum

The Norwegian Printing Museum teaches about printing. It started in 1991. Stavanger has always been important for printing in Norway. The museum is in Bjergsted. It is in an old canning building from 1913. The building has been fixed up to look like it did originally. The museum officially opened on October 23, 1993.

Stavanger School Museum

The Stavanger School Museum shows the history of schools. It used to be called the Vestlandske Skolemuseum. The museum is in an old schoolhouse from the 1920s. This schoolhouse is in Hillevåg.

The museum opened in 1925. It covers the history of schools in the Rogaland area. Kids can even do role-play here. They can dress up in old school clothes.

Stavanger Art Museum

The Stavanger Art Museum shows beautiful art. It used to be the Rogaland Museum of Fine Arts. The museum is on the west side of a lake in Stavanger. It opened in 1991.

The museum has a huge collection. It has over two thousand artworks. These are by Norwegian and international artists. They are from the 1800s to today. The museum has many works by Lars Hertervig. It has over 70 of his paintings. Other famous Norwegian artists are also shown. These include Kitty Kielland, Edvard Munch, and Harriet Backer.

Norwegian Canning Museum

The Norwegian Canning Museum teaches about canning food. It started in 1975. It is in an old cannery in Gamle Stavanger. The oldest parts of the building are from 1841. Canning happened here from 1916 to the mid-1950s.

The museum shows old machines and tools. It also has photos, labels, and old commercials. These all tell the story of the canning industry.

Images for kids

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  Ledaal royal residence

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  Breidablikk villa

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  Revtangen Ornithological Station

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  Norwegian Children's Museum

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  Norwegian Canning Museum