University Museum of Bergen - Natural History

What University Museum of Bergen - Natural History does

The University Museum of Bergen – Natural History (Universitetsmuseet i Bergen) is a state-owned natural history museum and research institution established in 1825 as Bergens Museum and now operating as a division of the public Universitetet i Bergen (University of Bergen) in Bergen, Norway. The institution maintains scientific collections spanning zoology, botany, geology, and paleontology, and conducts research in marine biology, deep-sea science, archaeology, and biodiversity — including a multi-institutional EvoCave project investigating glacial cave deposits up to 122,000 years old in partnership with the University of Oslo, NMBU, and the Research Council of Norway.

The museum's public-facing offering centers on a portfolio of permanent and temporary exhibitions — including Hvalsalen (The Whale Hall, with 19 whale skeletons), the deep-sea exhibition, and themed displays on birds, insects, mammals, plants, crystals, and geology — supplemented by the Universitetshagene (University Gardens) system comprising the Botanical Garden at Milde, the Arboretum, the historic Muséhagen in the city center, and the 2018-built Archimedes' Labyrinth. The institution monetizes through one-time ticket sales via betal.universitetsmuseet.no and fee-based school educational programs, but the bulk of operating funding flows from Norwegian public higher-education allocations to UiB.

The museum celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2025 and is organized into five internal divisions: Natural History, Cultural History, Research Communication, Collection Management, and Administration. Its primary customer segments are general public visitors, Norwegian school groups served through UiB's school-program office, and academic researchers from universities and research institutions.

Name

University Museum of Bergen - Natural History

Legal name

Universitetsmuseet i Bergen

Website

https://universitetsmuseet.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1825

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The University Museum of Bergen – Natural History is a 200-year-old Norwegian state-owned museum and research institution under the University of Bergen, operating natural-history exhibitions, botanical gardens, and collections in zoology, botany, geology, and archaeology for public visitors, school groups, and academic researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)

Keywords

• Natural history museum
• Scientific collections
• Botanical gardens
• Museum exhibitions
• Public science education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bergen

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: The museum sells tickets to visitors for access to exhibitions and the natural history museum. Ticket purchasing is available through betal.universitetsmuseet.no.
2. Educational Programs: The museum offers school programs and educational services for school classes, generating revenue from educational outreach activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The University Museum of Bergen - Natural History operates as a public natural history museum and research institution, presenting exhibitions on whales, the deep sea, geology, birds, insects, mammals, plants, crystals, herptiles, and biodiversity. It maintains botanical gardens and arboreta (Muséhagen, Arboretet, Fjellhagen, Japanhagen, Rosariet, Arkimedes' Labyrint, Victoriadammen, Norwegian Trees) and delivers school educational programs. Revenue is generated from admission ticket sales and educational programs, supplemented by public funding through the University of Bergen.

Product overview

The University Museum of Bergen - Natural History is a natural history museum that operates as a single unified institution offering educational exhibitions and research services rather than a software product platform. The museum's product portfolio centers around its core exhibitions located at Muséplassen 3 and Haakon Sheteligs plass 10, plus the University Gardens (Universitetshagene) at multiple locations. The natural history exhibitions include Hvalsalen (The Whale Hall), the deep sea exhibition, geological exhibitions, and biodiversity displays covering birds, insects, mammals, plants, crystals, and more. The museum also maintains extensive outdoor gardens including the Botanical Garden at Milde (with Japanhagen, Fjellhagen, Rosariet, and Arkimedes' Labyrinth), the Arboretum, and Muséhagen in the city center. These exhibitions and gardens serve educational, research, and public engagement purposes for the University of Bergen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hvalsalen (The Whale Hall)

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of OslocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020EvoCave project collaboration - a multidisciplinary research project investigating up to 122,000-year-old glacial deposits from cave systems in Northern Norway. Led by Sanne Boessenkool at University of Oslo, with operational excavation phase handled by Universitetsmuseet i Bergen under Trond Klungseth Lødøen.
• Norges miljø- og biovitenskapelige universitet (NMBU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvoCave project collaboration - multidisciplinary team analyzing cave deposits using archaeology, geology, evolutionary biology, paleozoology, genomics, and fossil DNA research.
• Norges Arktiske UniversitetsmuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvoCave project collaboration - partnered with Universitetsmuseet i Bergen for archaeological excavation operations.
• Senter for dyphavsforskning (Center for Deep Sea Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormerly K.G. Jebsen Senter for dyphavsforskning at University of Bergen - international leading deep sea research center contributing to the deep sea exhibition and ongoing marine research.
• Studio LouterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition design partner for the 'Underverk av mangfald' (Wonder of Diversity) biodiversity exhibition.
• Opera AmsterdamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition development partner for the 'Underverk av mangfald' biodiversity exhibition.
• HypsosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition implementation partner for the 'Underverk av mangfald' biodiversity exhibition.
• Hans Munhte-Kaas (Mathematics Professor)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMathematics professor who designed the Arkimedes' Labyrinth (Arkimedes' Labyrint) according to mathematical principles for the Botanical Garden.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Natural History Museum, London: One of the world's preeminent natural history museums with deep collections in paleontology, zoology, botany, and entomology. While vastly larger, it operates in the same natural history museum category with dinosaur, mammal, and ecology exhibitions.

Direct peers

• Naturalis Biodiversity Center: Dutch natural history research institute and museum combining biodiversity research, large scientific collections, and public exhibitions. Operates a similar university-affiliated research-and-exhibition model with comparable scope in zoology, geology, and botany.
• Swedish Museum of Natural History (Naturhistoriska riksmuseet): Sweden's national natural history museum combining scientific collections, research, and public exhibitions. Closely comparable in mission, structure, and Nordic context to the Bergen museum.
• Tromsø University Museum (Norges arktiske universitetsmuseum): Norwegian university museum in the Arctic region that is also a partner on the EvoCave project. Operates a similar university-affiliated natural and cultural history museum model in a different Norwegian region.
• Finnish Museum of Natural History (Luomus): University of Helsinki-affiliated natural history museum operating botanical gardens, zoological collections, and research programs. Highly comparable Nordic university museum model with similar research-and-exhibition integration.
• Natural History Museum, University of Oslo (NHM): Norway's other major university-affiliated natural history museum. NHM Oslo operates a comparable model combining scientific collections, public exhibitions, and research, making it the most direct peer in the Norwegian context.

Regional players

• Bergen Aquarium (Akvariet i Bergen): Bergen-based marine and aquatic visitor attraction. Operates in the same Bergen tourism market and shares marine biology overlap with Bergen's deep sea research and whale exhibitions, but with a more commercially focused visitor model.
• Stavanger Museum of Natural History: Regional Norwegian museum in Stavanger with natural history and cultural history collections. Comparable in scope but operates in a different Western Norwegian region, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.
• KODE Art Museums and Composer Homes (Bergen): Bergen-based art and cultural institution grouping multiple museums and historic homes. Operates in the same Bergen cultural tourism market and shares the city's museum visitor base, but focuses on art rather than natural history.

Others

• Norwegian Maritime Museum (Norsk Maritimt Museum): Norwegian museum focused on maritime cultural history. While thematically adjacent to Bergen's coastal and marine identity, it does not directly compete on natural history, making it a thematically related peer rather than direct competition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Mittmuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/universitetsmuseet_i_bergen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-museum-of-bergen---natural-history

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University Museum of Bergen - Natural History