Art Oslo Museums

Expedition · Bygdøy

The Kon-Tiki Museum

Home to the original Kon-Tiki raft and the Ra II reed boat, this museum tells the story of Thor Heyerdahl's audacious voyages across the world's oceans.

Across the Pacific on balsa

In 1947 Thor Heyerdahl and five companions sailed a raft of balsa logs, lashed together in the manner of pre-Columbian South America, 8,000 kilometres across the Pacific from Peru to Polynesia. The voyage of the Kon-Tiki — and the book and film that followed — made Heyerdahl world-famous and turned a scientific argument into an adventure story.

The reed boats

Heyerdahl went on to test other theories of ancient seafaring, crossing the Atlantic in the papyrus-reed boat Ra II in 1970. Both the original Kon-Tiki and Ra II are displayed here, alongside finds from his archaeological work on Easter Island and in the Galápagos.

A theory in timber and reed

Many of Heyerdahl's specific conclusions are now disputed, but the museum makes the case for experimental archaeology — the idea that the only way to understand an ancient voyage is to attempt it. A walk-under view of the raft's hull, complete with a model whale shark, is a favourite with children.

What to see

  1. The original Kon-Tiki balsa raft
  2. The Ra II papyrus reed boat
  3. Easter Island moai and excavation finds
  4. The underwater hull view with its whale shark
Borders? I have never seen one. But I have heard they exist.

Nearby in this guide

  1. 08The Fram MuseumPolar Exploration · Bygdøy
  2. 12The Norwegian Maritime MuseumMaritime History · Bygdøy
  3. 07The Norwegian Museum of Cultural HistoryOpen-Air Museum · Bygdøy