Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
The Natural History Museum, University of Oslo is a state-funded museum department of the Universitetet i Oslo that combines public natural history exhibitions, a Botanical Garden, and academic research built on a 6-million-object scientific collection, serving general visitors, schools, and PhD/master's researchers in Norway.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersOslo, Norway
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Natural History Museum, University of Oslo does
The Natural History Museum, University of Oslo (Naturhistorisk museum) is a state-funded museum department within the Universitetet i Oslo, headquartered at Sars' gate 1 in the Tøyen district of Oslo, Norway. The institution combines public-facing natural history exhibition and education with academic research infrastructure, employing roughly 65 staff (including more than 70 researchers) studying biological and geological diversity. Its core asset is a scientific collection of approximately 6 million objects spanning zoology, botany, geology, and paleontology — including mammal skulls, wildflower seeds, gold nuggets, DNA samples, and sperm samples — made searchable to researchers and the public through a digital samlingsportal. Adjacent to the main building is the Botanical Garden (Botanisk hage), a living collection of over 4,500 plant species including the 150-year-old Victoriahuset greenhouse, open daily with free admission.
Public-facing products include physical exhibitions, the Klimahuset (Climate House) exhibition space featuring a new film installation on Norwegian oil, seasonal programming such as "Haisommer" (Shark Summer), guided tours, free school and kindergarten visits, and a museum shop selling natural-history merchandise. The museum also runs PhD, Master, and Bachelor academic programs in collaboration with the University of Oslo, and contributes to national and international research schools (BIOCORE, DEEP) and applied research projects including NATSORB (dypingite mineral sorbents for heavy-metal water filtration with SINTEF, NIVA, and the University of Münster) and GREENPEG under NORMIN.
The revenue model is dominated by public funding flowing through the University of Oslo and Norwegian government allocations, supplemented by discretionary commercial streams: exhibition ticket sales, museum shop sales, group guided-tour fees, and Klimahuset amphitheater rental for events. Distribution is primarily regional walk-in access in Oslo, with global research reach via the digital collections portal. Customers span general public visitors, schools and kindergartens, academic researchers and students, and group/event clients.
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
- Legal name
- Naturhistorisk museum (Natural History Museum, University of Oslo)
- Website
- https://nhm.uio.no
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Natural History Museum, University of Oslo is a state-funded museum department of the Universitetet i Oslo that combines public natural history exhibitions, a Botanical Garden, and academic research built on a 6-million-object scientific collection, serving general visitors, schools, and PhD/master's researchers in Norway.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Natural History Museum Services
- NAICS
- Museums (71211), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)
Keywords
Where Natural History Museum, University of Oslo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oslo
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Public funding: As part of the University of Oslo, the museum receives government funding for its operations, research, and public outreach activities.
- Ticket sales: Admission fees for exhibitions with tickets available for purchase. Opening hours are 10-17 daily for exhibitions and museum shop.
- Museum shop sales: Sale of dinosaur models, animal replicas, posters, books, botanical prints, and other natural history-themed merchandise.
- Educational programs: PhD, Master, and Bachelor study programs at the museum with access to collections and research supervision.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Exhibition admission |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo is a publicly funded museum that maintains approximately 6 million scientific collection objects in zoology, botany, geology, and paleontology, and operates public exhibitions, a Botanical Garden with over 4,500 plant species, and the Klimahuset climate exhibition space. It serves both general public visitors and academic researchers, offering free school and kindergarten programs, PhD/Master's/Bachelor's study programs, guided tours, a digital collections portal, and a museum shop, supported by over 70 researchers.
Product overview
The Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo operates as a unified institution combining public engagement through exhibitions and educational programs with academic research. The core offerings include physical and digital exhibitions (Exhibitions, Klimahuset), the Botanical Garden with over 4,500 plant species, a Digital Collections Portal with approximately 6 million searchable objects, educational programs from kindergarten through PhD levels, and a museum shop. The institution leverages its research collections and infrastructure to support both public visitors and academic researchers, with approximately 70 researchers studying biological and geological natural diversity.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Digital Collections Portal (Digital samlingsportal) A digital portal enabling researchers and the public to search and explore the museum's collections of approximately 6 million objects, from mammal skulls and wildflower seeds to gold nuggets and DNA samples.
- Exhibitions (Utstillinger) Public exhibitions showcasing 4.5 billion years of natural history, including dinosaur exhibits, Klimahuset (Climate House), and special seasonal exhibitions such as Haisommer (Shark Summer). Open daily 10:00–17:00 for general public visitors.
- Botanical Garden (Botanisk hage) The Botanical Garden houses over 4,500 plant species from around the world and is open daily 07:00–21:00, with the Victoriahuset (Victoria House) and Palmehuset (Palm House) greenhouses open 10:00–17:00. Communicates knowledge of plant diversity and conservation value.
- Klimahuset (Climate House) An exhibition space dedicated to communicating climate, environment, and sustainability through exhibitions, education, and events. Features the film installation 'Norwegian Oil - Between Facts and Storytelling'. Klimahuset's amphitheater can be rented for open and closed events.
- Museum Shop (Museumsbutikken) Gift shop offering nature-themed merchandise including dinosaur models, animal figurines, posters, books, and botanical prints. Open daily 10:00–17:00.
- Educational Programs (PhD, Master, Bachelor) Academic study programs in natural history disciplines at bachelor's, master's, and PhD levels, with access to museum collections and research infrastructure in collaboration with the University of Oslo. Students are guided by leading researchers and participate in field work.
- School and Kindergarten Programs Educational programs for schools and kindergartens offering free tickets with or without teaching support, including museum pedagogy sessions and self-guided activities for curriculum-aligned natural history education.
- Guided Tours Professional guided tours available for groups covering exhibitions and the Botanical Garden, including free garden tours and specialized topic tours such as 'Trees in the Botanical Garden'.
Quantifiable outcome
- Schools and kindergartens receive free admission tickets
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- KKOA (Kriseressurssamarbeidet for kulturinstitusjoner i Oslo og Akershus)coreCrisis resource collaboration for cultural institutions in Oslo and Akershus. The network aims to jointly improve preparedness and prevent and handle crisis incidents in museums, archives, and display and conservation institutions for art and culture. NHM has notified which resources they can provide in emergency situations and can ask other members for assistance.
- SINTEFcoreResearch collaboration in the NATSORB project investigating dypingite mineral as a nature-inspired sorbent for heavy metal water pollution management. SINTEF contributes expertise in industry applications and field testing at abandoned metal mines.
- University of MünsterminorAcademic research partner in the NATSORB project contributing to the scientific characterization of dypingite mineral.
- Municipality of RørosminorField testing location partner for NATSORB project where new functional materials will be tested in flooded abandoned metal mines.
- NIVA (Norwegian Institute for Water Research)minorResearch collaboration in NATSORB project contributing water quality expertise and environmental assessment.
- BIOCORE (Biodiversity Collections and Research Education)minorNational research school where the museum contributes to biodiversity education and research training for PhD candidates and master's students.
- DEEP (Norwegian Research School for Dynamics and Evolution of Earth and Planets)minorInternational research school where the museum participates in doctoral education for dynamics and evolution of Earth and planets.
- GREENPEGminorResearch project under NORMIN focusing on sustainable mineral exploration and green mining technologies.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Natural History Museum of Denmark (Statens Naturhistoriske Museum): University of Copenhagen's natural history museum with botanical garden, geological and zoological collections, and active research programs. Directly comparable Nordic university-museum model with similar dual public-engagement and research mandate.
- Finnish Museum of Natural History (Luomus): Operates under the University of Helsinki and manages Finland's natural history collections, botanical gardens, and visitor sites. Highly comparable structural setup to NHM Oslo as a university-embedded natural history institution with botanical garden assets.
- Museum für Naturkunde Berlin: Germany's largest natural history museum, integrated with Humboldt University, holding 30+ million specimens. Comparable as a research-integrated European natural history museum with significant geological and biological collections and major public exhibitions.
- Swedish Museum of Natural History (Naturhistoriska riksmuseet): Sweden's primary natural history museum and research institution, operating exhibitions, scientific collections, and biodiversity research. A geographically proximate Nordic peer with very similar scope (zoology, paleontology, geology) and comparable visitor-facing and academic roles.
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center: Major Dutch natural history research institute and museum combining extensive biological and geological collections with active taxonomy, biodiversity, and citizen-science programs. Closely matches NHM Oslo's combination of public-facing exhibitions, research collections of comparable scale, and digitization initiatives.
- Natural History Museum, London: One of the world's leading natural history museums, housing 80+ million specimens across zoology, botany, paleontology, and geology. Directly comparable in mission, collection scale, research depth, and public exhibition model to NHM Oslo, and serves as a benchmark for European natural history museums.
- Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin: Combined botanical garden and herbarium/museum under Freie Universität Berlin, with a 20,000+ species living collection and major research mandate. Closely matches NHM Oslo's botanical-garden-plus-museum structure and university-affiliated research model.
Regional players
- Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology (Teknisk Museum): Norway's primary science and technology museum in Oslo, sharing the same regional visitor pool and educational-outreach audience (schools, families). Adjacent rather than overlapping in subject matter, but competes directly for the same school-group visits and family day-trip demand in Oslo.
Emerging players
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World-leading botanical institution with the world's largest living plant collection and seed bank. Comparable to NHM Oslo's Botanical Garden and 4,500+ species collection, with overlapping focus on plant diversity, conservation, and public science engagement.
Broad incumbents
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: The world's largest natural history museum, with 145+ million specimens and unmatched research output. Functions as a scaled-up reference model for NHM Oslo on collection curation, research programs, and digital public access, though its size and scope materially exceed NHM Oslo's.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo social profiles
Digital presenceNatural History Museum, University of Oslo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Natural History Museum, University of Oslo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
What does Natural History Museum, University of Oslo do?
The Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo is a publicly funded museum that maintains approximately 6 million scientific collection objects in zoology, botany, geology, and paleontology, and operates public exhibitions, a Botanical Garden with over 4,500 plant species, and the Klimahuset climate exhibition space. It serves both general public visitors and academic researchers, offering free school and kindergarten programs, PhD/Master's/Bachelor's study programs, guided tours, a digital collections portal, and a museum shop, supported by over 70 researchers.
Is Natural History Museum, University of Oslo a public or private company?
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Natural History Museum, University of Oslo founded?
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo was founded in -1. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Natural History Museum, University of Oslo based?
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does Natural History Museum, University of Oslo make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Public funding is the primary driver. The others are ticket sales, museum shop sales and educational programs.
Who are Natural History Museum, University of Oslo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Natural History Museum of Denmark (Statens Naturhistoriske Museum), Finnish Museum of Natural History (Luomus), Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Swedish Museum of Natural History (Naturhistoriska riksmuseet), Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Natural History Museum, London and Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin. Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology (Teknisk Museum) is listed as a regional player. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is listed as an emerging player. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Natural History Museum, University of Oslo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Natural History Museum, University of Oslo.
What industry is Natural History Museum, University of Oslo in?
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo's product category is Natural History Museum Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAC, Natural History Museums, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAA, Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty). Its NAICS code is 71211 and its SIC code is 8731.