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Maison Oslo / Art history / Munch

Art history · 3 hours · English or French

Munch: the museum, the building and the man

One walk, one painter. The tower that now holds his life's work, on a waterfront he never saw, and the museum inside it. MUNCH holds the largest Munch collection in the world, and most visitors rush through it. On summer evenings, from mid-June to mid-September, the museum lets independent guides lead small groups, and the building is at its calmest: we use every minute of it, from the Frieze of Life to the late self-portraits.

Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1893
Photo: Edvard Munch · Public domain

Why you'll love it

  • One walk, one painter: nothing else to fit in
  • The building: why it caused a scandal, what it is clad in, why it leans
  • Two full hours inside with your own guide, which the museum only allows on summer evenings
  • The Frieze of Life, the family paintings, the self-portraits from youth to old age
  • The top floor: the fjord, the Opera and Ekeberg hill in the evening light
  • Headsets inside, so you hear every word without crowding

What we will focus on

about 1.5 km, flat, mostly indoors

When: Summer evenings, 15 June–15 Sept: Wed, Fri, Sat 18:00. MUNCH lets groups bring their own guide only from 15 June to 15 September, Wednesday to Saturday, 18:00–21:00; the rest of the year only the museum's own guides may lead tours inside. This walk therefore runs on those summer evenings only. Prefer another season? 'The Scandinavian painters' includes The Scream at the National Museum all year.

A selection of the places and buildings we explore, in no fixed order. The exact route varies with the day, the weather and opening hours.

  • The Bjørvika waterfront
  • MUNCH
  • The Frieze of Life
  • The top floor and its view
F

Your guide · Urban planner and founder of Maison Oslo · English · Français
Every walk is prepared with the makers, curators and sources behind each stop. Ask anything, in English or French.

Add-on

The pre-walk booklet

Key facts, timeline, glossary and reading list for this walk, to print at home or delivered printed to your hotel.

Good to know

Why only in summer?

MUNCH allows independent guides to lead groups only from 15 June to 15 September, Wednesday to Saturday, 18:00–21:00. The rest of the year, choose 'The Scandinavian painters', which includes The Scream at the National Museum.

Will we see The Scream?

MUNCH shows its own versions of The Scream in rotation, because light damages works on paper; we plan around what is hanging. The 1893 painted version is always on view at the National Museum, on our other walk.

Is it tiring?

No: most of it is indoors, with benches, and we walk slowly.

Can I combine it with the National Museum?

Yes: see 'The Full Day of Art', which pairs the National Museum with this same evening at MUNCH.

In French?

Yes. Every walk runs in English or French: choose when you book.

Read before you go

The MUNCH museum tower next to the Opera
Art history24 Sep 20263 min read

Is the Munch Museum worth it? An honest guide for 2026

MUNCH drew 775,000 visitors in 2025, but the building divides people and the museum faces cuts in 2026. Who should go, how long to spend, and what to see.
Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1893, National Museum, Oslo
Art history24 Sep 20263 min read

Where to see The Scream in Oslo (and why there is more than one)

The 1893 painted Scream hangs at the National Museum. MUNCH rotates its own versions. And the view that inspired it is a tram ride away. How to see all three, and when.

After the walk

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