Would you like to gain some fascinating insights about Helgeland? One of the best ways to do so is to visit Helgeland Museum. Actually it’s not just one museum – there are 18 museum facilities spread throughout the region. Each highlights some aspects of Helgeland’s history, cultural heritage or natural history.
These 18 museums, as well as various other worthwhile exhibitions, will give you a deeper understanding of the people who live here, their livelihoods and traditions, and the landscape that surrounds them.
See the museums
Grane Museum
Laksforsen nature and cultural gallery tells the history of the Salmon River Vefsna, specifically its use and recreation close to one of Norway’s most fantastic waterfalls. You’ll find the gallery in the lower floor of Laksforsen café, approximately 30 km south of Mosjøen and approximately 8 km north of Trofors in Grane.
Hattfjelldal Museum
In Hattfjelldal it is Fjellfolkets Hus (House of the mountain people) which is the museums home base. Here you’ll find great exhibitions and disseminations services about the place. In the house there is also a Tourist Information Office, a café, accommodation and place for meetings and events.
The Zahl building and the old sexton´s residence in Nesna
The main facility of the Nesna Museum is the building that once housed the business of the local Zahl family. This large and stately commercial building, which dates from 1907 and has Swiss-style decorations, has been expanded both in width and towards the rear. Nesna is amongst other things known for “Nesnalobben”, and an exhibition in the museum is dedicated to this footwear.
Træna museum
Træna Museum documents the this archipelago’s history going back to the Stone Age. Some of the archaeological discoveries displayed date back at least 9000 years. For this reason, Træna can rightfully call itself “the oldest fishing community in Norway”.
Bindal Museum and the old croft at Vassås
Bindal Museum at Terråk documents local forestry, boatbuilding and other wood-working traditions. It contrasts past and present practices. The museum also includes Bindal Bygdetun, an open-air museum at an authentic old croft at Vassås, 2.5 km north of Terråk.
Jacobsenbrygga and the folk museum in Mosjøen
The Vefsn Museum has numerous exhibitions focusing on rural life and urban history at several locations in the town of Mosjøen. You can also join a guided tour of the historical street Sjøgata, which is lined with 19th-century houses.
Velfjord Museum
The Brønnøy and Velfjord districts share an ancient history of fishing and farming, as well as a proud indigenous Sámi culture. You can gain many cultural insights by visiting the exhibitions in the old supermarket at Minnetun, as well as in the goahti (reconstructed turf hut) near here.
Norwegian Aquaculture Centre – A salmon success story
The Norwegian Aquaculture Centre is beautifully situated by Toftsundet. The actual fish farm is reached by a gangway from the shore. This is the place to learn more about the fascinating life cycle of salmon, and the pioneering work that made Norwegian aquaculture such an international success.
Hemnes open-air museum
Hemnes Bygdetun consists of a beautifully situated farm that can be just glimpsed from highway E6. The farm has a 500 year history, so its buildings and collections offer many insights into how our ancestors, both rich and poor, lived.
Ristning-Tjaalege, Vevelstad museum and bygdetun
Not far from the Forvik ferry terminal, the Ristning/Tjaalege museum building stands next to the open‑air museum, alongside Vevelstad Church. At the open‑air museum, visitors can explore everyday life in the 19th century through guided tours and hands‑on activities, while the museum building takes you further back in time.
