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
Ristning-Tjaalege, Vevelstad museum and bygdetun
Not far from the Forvik ferry terminal lies the new museum building Ristning–Tjaalege and the local heritage site, side by side with Vevelstad Church. Around the museum, you can find intriguing ancient monuments such as rock art (petroglyphs) and burial mounds from the Iron Age.
Falch Old Trading Post, Rødøy
Falch Old Trading is beautifully situated on the Tjongsfjord, and it’s just a short detour from the Coastal Highway, Fv17. This trading post has provided many functions through the years: a fish plant, cod liver oil production, fishnet production, country store, doctor’s offices and pharmacy.
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.
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.
Sømna Bygdetun – An open-air museum
Sømna Bygdetun highlights how the lives of fishermen-farmers and their families changed in the course of the years 1800–1950.
Grønsvik coastal fortress, Lurøy
If you want to see an unusual attraction and gain insights into World War II history, we recommend a visit to the old German coastal fortress at Grønsvik, which is now a museum. As you walk from the attractive parking lot and picnic area, you enter a dark chapter of European history.
Bergh-brygga and Gammelskolen in Leirfjord
Leirfjord Museum is located in the old Bergh-brygga at Leland. Also, make sure to visit the beautiful Gammelskolen, which was in operation until the mid-1950s. Welcome to a journey through time!
Jacobsenbrygga and the folk museum in Mosjøen
The Vefsn Museum has numerous exhibitions at several locations in and around the town of Mosjøen. These focus on everything from rural life and urban history, to weapons smuggling and the work of the Norwegian resistance during Nazi Germany’s World War II occupation. You can also join a guided tour of the historical street Sjøgata, which is lined with 19th-century houses.
Løkta Museum
Be sure to visit Løkta Museum, beautifully located on the west side of the island. Here, you can experience what life was like on a small farm in the old days. The area is open to all and features a picnic area, a fire pit, and a small outhouse.
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.
