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Henrik Ibsen museum

Type:Museum

Venstøphøgda 74, 3721, Skien

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Add Henrik Ibsen museum to your Itinerary

From NOK40.00
family at Henrik Ibsen Museum Venstøp
  • family at Henrik Ibsen Museum Venstøp
  • family on a tour of the Henrik Ibsen museum
  • children sit in front of a barn at the Henrik Ibsen museum
  • employe at the Henrik Ibsen museum in Skien
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  • Bowling alley at Henrik Ibsen museum Venstøp
  • Girls in the garden at Henrik Ibsen Museum Venstøp in Skien

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About

Ibsen's Venstøp is 4 kilometers north of Skien. ​The farm at Venstøp, which was Henrik's childhood home for 7 years, is today the Henrik Ibsen museum. Here, skilled guides are ready to tell you about the upbringing of the little boy who became one of the world's most read and acted playwrights.

Henrik Ibsen's childhood home
The Venstøp farm consists of the listed main building from 1815, brewer's house, boys' room, barn and storehouse. Venstøp is located in a beautiful cultural landscape in Gjerpensdalen in Skien. The outdoor area is well suited for a rest, and in the garden there is a skittle alley, similar to the one in Henrik's time. You can use it when you visit Venstøp, as the guests who came to Knud and Marichen Ibsen did in the 1830s.

Fun for the kids
In a separate room there are dress-up clothes for the children and here they can also play puppet shows. The skittle alley is also very popular with the little ones.

Cafe and souvenir shop
The Henrik Ibsen museum has both a souvenir shop and a cafe. In the cozy little cafe you can buy coffee and cold drinks, delicious waffles, ice cream and of course gingerbread, which Ibsen was so fond of! If the weather is bad you can sit inside, otherwise it's a lovely to sit outside when the sun is warm. In the souvenir shop you can buy things related to Ibsen. You can also buy the books of first conservator Jørgen Haave's book "Familien Ibsen" here. It was published in 2017 and sheds light on Henrik's upbringing in Skien.

History
At first the Ibsen family lived in Stockmanngården by the town square, then in Altenburgergården further up town. In 1834 the family moved out into the countryside, to the farm Venstøp. Henrik's father, Knud, had a heavy debt burden, and the family's assets had been sold at auction. From when Henrik was 7 years old, and until he was 15 years old, he lived at Venstøp. In 1843, the situation went from bad to worse for Knud Ibsen, and the Ibsen family had to move to the Snipetorp district, one of the city's poorest areas at the time. New research shows that Henrik did not move to Snipetorp with his family, but that he went directly to his apprenticeship post in Grimstad.

Facilities

Museums, Galleries and crafts

  • guided tour by appointment
  • guided tour during opening hours

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    Recent Reviews:

    • RoyalKitty51
      Smyrna, Delaware
      Trip Type:
      Friends getaway
      Under Ibsen's Hat
      5 of 5 stars
      Tuesday, 3rd June 2014
      Great tour of where Ibsen lived as a child and where many ideas came from for his future plays and poems. The attic must have been scary for a child! Tour guide was excellent. Read full review
    • Miroslaw T
      Trip Type:
      Friends getaway
      Ibsen's museums
      4 of 5 stars
      Thursday, 15th October 2015
      It is one of the most interesting museums in Skien vicinity. Unfortunately, opening hours are only from 1. May.- 31. August, every day, 11am-17pm. As a matter of fact there are three Ibsen's museums... Read full review
    • Laszlo U
      Budapest, Hungary
      Trip Type:
      Business
      Feels very Fanny and Alexander
      4 of 5 stars
      Saturday, 17th October 2015
      A true rural surrounding and a fairly big farm-building with some furniture and memorabilia from the time the Ibsen family lived there. You don't have to know Ibsen's work by heart to appreciate the... Read full review

    Guide Prices

    Ticket TypeTicket Tariff
    ChildrenNOK40.00 admission
    AdultsNOK100.00 admission
    Other pricing informationNOK400.00 admission
    Other pricing informationNOK150.00 admission

    Prices are subject to change.

    Map & Directions

    Contact

    Tel: 35 54 45 00

    Opening Times

    Season (1 May 2024 - 31 Aug 2024)
    DayTimes
    MondayClosed
    Tuesday - Sunday11:00 - 17:00

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