Kon-Tiki museet

What Kon-Tiki museet does

Kon-Tiki museet (Stiftelsen Kon-Tiki museet) is a private foundation operating a museum on Oslo's Bygdøy peninsula dedicated to preserving the life work of Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl. Founded in 1950 in a temporary building after the 1947 Kon-Tiki expedition and moved to its current premises in 1957, the museum houses the original balsawood Kon-Tiki raft and Ra II reed boat, and curates Thor Heyerdahl's UNESCO Memory of the World-registered archives (inscribed 2011) — 238 collections spanning 1937–2002 including photographs, diaries, manuscripts, 23 book manuscripts, 1,131 library volumes, and the Oscar-winning 1950 documentary film. The institution is governed by a board chaired by Merete Haugli, with family representation from Olav Heyerdahl and Thor's granddaughter Liv Heyerdahl serving as Director; scholarly authority is reinforced by a Scientific Advisory Board that includes Professors Kristian Kristiansen, Ingjerd Hoëm, and Eske Willerslev.

The museum operates 365 days a year and serves four principal customer segments: walk-in tourists and families (tickets 70–400 NOK), Norwegian school groups (free admission plus 1200 NOK guided tours), corporate and diplomatic event bookers (private events for 20–300 persons including galas, dinners, and garden parties), and the retail visitor purchasing Norwegian-design souvenirs and books in the on-site museum store. Revenue is generated entirely through admissions, store sales, private event venue hire, guided tours, and donations; the foundation receives no public funding. Distribution runs through direct online ticketing (booking.duell.no), on-site sales, combination tickets with peer Bygdøy museums Fram Museum and Norwegian Maritime Museum, and partnerships with Visit Oslo and Oslo Guidebureau for visitor referrals.

The institution is currently mid-renewal: a new permanent exhibition opened in May 2025, a further major exhibition with interactive and digital components is scheduled for May 2026, and digital infrastructure (multilingual 3D virtual tours in 10 languages, Voice of Norway audioguide app) is being expanded alongside traditional operations. The museum is family-controlled, operates without external investors, and has no disclosed subsidiaries, funding rounds, or M&A activity.

Name

Kon-Tiki museet

Legal name

Stiftelsen Kon-Tiki museet

Website

https://kon-tiki.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kon-Tiki museet is a private foundation running the Oslo museum dedicated to Thor Heyerdahl, housing the original Kon-Tiki raft, Ra II, and UNESCO-registered archives; it serves tourists, families, Norwegian school groups, and corporate event bookers through admissions, retail, and venue hire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (71211), Historical Sites (71212)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage & Historic District Tours (THAJAAAB), Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC), History, Heritage & Museum-Focused Study Tours (THAKAGAN)

Keywords

• Maritime museum services
• Cultural heritage exhibitions
• Educational museum programs
• Private event venue
• Explorer legacy archives

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Museum entry fees for individual visitors, families, seniors, students, and groups. Ticket prices range from 70-180 NOK per person with family packages available.
2. Museum Store: Retail merchandise including gifts, souvenirs (focus on Norwegian designers), books, and educational materials. Shop operates independently of museum admission.
3. Private Events and Corporate Bookings: Venue rental for private events including galas, dinners, lectures, and garden parties for groups of 20-300 persons. Includes catering options and guided tours.
4. Donations: The museum is a private foundation without public funding, reliant on donations from visitors and supporters to preserve collections and fund operations.
5. Combination Tickets: Joint tickets with Frammuseet and Norsk Maritimt Museum offering 10% discount, increasing visitor throughput across Bygdøy museum peninsula.
6. School Programs: Guided tours for school groups (max 30) at 1200 NOK per session. Norwegian school groups receive free admission with purchased guided tours.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kon-Tiki museet operates a maritime exploration museum on the Bygdøy peninsula in Oslo, exhibiting the original 1947 Kon-Tiki balsa raft and the Ra II reed boat from Thor Heyerdahl's expeditions, alongside rotating exhibitions, a UNESCO-registered archive (238 collections spanning 1937-2002), guided tours, school and children's educational programs, a retail museum store, and private event venue hosting.

Product overview

Kon-Tiki museet is a private museum and research foundation dedicated to preserving and exhibiting Thor Heyerdahl's life work. The museum's core product is its permanent exhibition featuring the original Kon-Tiki raft from the 1947 Pacific crossing and the Ra II reed boat, supplemented by rotating exhibitions, educational programs for children and schools, and private event hosting. The museum offers digital experiences including 3D virtual tours and an audioguide app integration. Key offerings include the Oscar-winning Kon-Tiki documentary film, guided tours in multiple languages, and Thor Heyerdahl's archives (registered on UNESCO's Memory of the World list). The museum is located on Bygdøy peninsula in Oslo and celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Exhibitions Permanent and rotating exhibitions showcasing Thor Heyerdahl's life and expeditions, including the original 1947 Kon-Tiki balsa raft, the Ra II reed boat, and artifacts from various expeditions. Open 365 days a year for general public visitors, families, and tourists.
• Guided Tours Professional guided tours available in Norwegian, English, and other languages covering the Kon-Tiki raft, Easter Island/Rapa Nui, and Ra expeditions, available for groups of up to 30 persons at 1,200 NOK per session.
• Kon-Tiki Documentary Film Screenings Daily screenings of the 1950 Oscar-winning Kon-Tiki documentary film at 12:00 in the museum cinema, included with museum admission.
• Digital 3D Tour Free virtual 3D tour of the museum accessible via the YouiGuide platform, available in 11 languages for remote and prospective visitors.
• Private Events and Venue Rental Exclusive venue rental for private and corporate events including gala dinners, casual dinners, garden parties, lectures, and meet-and-greets for groups of 20-300 persons, with catering options and guided tours.
• Children's Activities Interactive child-friendly exhibitions including the Kid-Tiki play area, treasure hunts, workshops, and family tours featuring characters such as crab Johannes and monkey Safi, designed for visiting families with children.
• School Programs Educational programs and tailored pedagogical tours for school classes and kindergartens, with free admission for Norwegian school groups (1st-13th grade) when accompanied by teachers, and paid guided tours at 1,200 NOK per session.
• Museum Shop On-site retail shop offering Norwegian-design gifts, souvenirs, books, and educational materials, operating year-round and independently of museum admission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 20 million visitors since 1950
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Visit OslominorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial tourism marketing partnership with Oslo's visitor organization for promotion and visitor referrals to the museum.
• DuellcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing the ticketing and booking platform (booking.duell.no) for advance ticket sales, group bookings, and event registrations.
• Frammuseet (Fram Museum)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJoint museum ticketing partnership offering combination tickets at 10% discount. Both museums are located on Bygdøy peninsula in Oslo.
• Norsk Maritimt Museum (Norwegian Maritime Museum)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJoint museum ticketing partnership offering combination tickets at 10% discount. Part of the Bygdøy museum peninsula cluster.
• Oslo GuidebureauminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel operator partnership for guided tours for groups visiting during regular opening hours.
• Heidi DokterminorOthersProfessional photographer providing photography services for the museum's exhibitions and promotional materials.
• Peru's Embassy in OslominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for temporary exhibition 'The Great Inca Trail. Peru: Integration and Diversity' opened June 8, 2024.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Maritime Museum (Royal Museums Greenwich): Larger UK maritime heritage institution with broader scope across multiple Greenwich sites. Comparable in maritime artifact preservation and education but at materially larger scale and with broader mandate.

Direct peers

• Vasa Museum (Vasamuseet): Stockholm-based maritime museum built around a single iconic 17th-century warship, the most-visited Scandinavian museum. Closest international peer in the single-iconic-vessel specialty museum archetype with similar pricing and visitor mix.
• Mystic Seaport Museum: Connecticut-based maritime heritage museum preserving historic vessels and collections of maritime exploration. Comparable in mission (preserving maritime heritage and artifacts), admissions-based revenue model, and educational programming.
• Fram Museum (Frammuseet): Oslo-based maritime exploration museum on the Bygdøy peninsula with combination ticket partnership and shared cluster visitors. Directly comparable specialty maritime/exploration museum of similar scale serving the same tourist base.
• Norwegian Maritime Museum (Norsk Maritimt Museum): Co-located on the Bygdøy peninsula with active combination ticket partnership and shared visitors. Directly comparable maritime-focused cultural institution serving the same Oslo tourist and family market.
• Australian National Maritime Museum: Sydney-based national maritime museum with comparable scope (historic vessels, exhibitions, education) and ticketed admissions model. Relevant peer for international visitor mix and combined museum/event programming.
• Maritiem Museum Rotterdam: Dutch maritime heritage museum with similar exhibition, education, and ticketing model. Comparable in maritime cultural institution category with overlapping tourist and educational audience.
• Viking Ship Museum (Vikingskipshuset): Oslo museum housing iconic Viking-era vessels as primary exhibits, comparable in scale, ticket model, and visitor demographics. Closest structural peer in artifact-centered maritime museum category.

Others

• Museo Nacional de Antropología (Peru) / Inca-related cultural institutions in Peru: Peruvian cultural institutions tied to the Kon-Tiki origin story; partnership with Peru's Embassy in Oslo for The Great Inca Trail exhibition illustrates the linkage. Relevant as a thematic peer for cross-cultural heritage and potential traveling exhibition partners.

Regional players

• Hurtigruten Museum: Norwegian maritime heritage museum in northern Norway focused on coastal shipping history. Relevant peer in the Norwegian maritime museum category but geographically and thematically narrower than Kon-Tiki.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KonTikiMuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kon-tiki-museet

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Kon-Tiki museet