New Museum Dedicated to (and Shaped Like) Whales Opening in Norway Next June

A new knowledge and experience center is opening in Andenes, Northern Norway, on June 4, 2027, and it’s entirely dedicated to whales and the oceans they inhabit. In fact, the museum is even shaped like the tail of a whale rising from the ocean’s surface. Instead of fitting into a single museum category, The Whale encompasses many museums in one: art, history and nature.

Through science, art, storytelling and architecture, the museum gives visitors deep insight into how whales live and their role in marine ecosystems. Exhibits explain how whales communicate, migrate, feed and interact with the ocean.

At the center of The Whale is The First Encounter, a full-scale whale sculpture introducing visitors to the physical presence, sounds and behaviors of whales. The Species Gallery, meanwhile, details how whales adapted to life in the sea 50 million years ago, spanning all 90 modern-day species in an ever-evolving art installation.

Visitors can also explore Under the Skin, a mysterious vault where body parts sit in glass containers. Here, hundreds of jars hold the blood of just one whale, while whale ribs span the entire room like arches. Whale skulls and other bones are also featured within.

Other unique spaces include a space dedicated to the deep sea realm where whales feed, herd, nurse and breathe their last breaths; an immersive, multisensory space where visitors are surrounded by the melodic world of whale sounds; a gallery delving into the impact of historical industrial whaling and the long road to recovery through art, literature, testimony and film; and a space showing how whale habitats and migration routes overlap and crisscross with global ship traffic and other anthropogenic activities.

The Whale is also home to a café and restaurant, with a menu highlighting seasonal ingredients and local flavors. An outdoor area invites visitors to safely walk out to the edge of the sea and experience the open coastline up close, blurring the lines between land and sea, human and whale. The roof of the museum is also accessible and promises panoramic views of the ocean, mountains and horizon.

Andenes is accessible via Andøya Airport, with daily connections from Tromsø (TOS) and Bodø (BOO), as well as seasonal non-stop flights from Oslo (OSL).