The Hamsun Center and Café Sult
The summer season at the Hamsun Center starts on June 13. The center is open every day and offers a day program so you can get to know both the building and Knut Hamsun's life better.
Photo: Ernst Furuhatt
Daily program
At the Hamsun Center, our facilitators have put together a daily program. The program runs every day so you can come by on the day that suits you without missing out on this year's program. There are four different stations during the day, and architectural tours will take place twice a day. Come by the center to learn more about the center's unique architecture, immerse yourself in Knut Hamsun's books, and get to know his thoughts on America through the summer's lectures.
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Join us on a walk through the quirky tower, and gain insight into the Hamsun Center's unique architecture and the connection to Knut Hamsun's life and writings.
We start on the 1st floor, and end up on the Roof Terrace.
Duration: approximately 30 minutes.
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Hamsun spent four years in America in the years before he found his modern writing voice. When he returned, he wrote a book about America. The book was considered exaggerated and one-sided. What do we think of his analyses of America today?
Duration: about 20 minutes
Held in the Adventure Hall.
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One summer day in 1891, a stranger named Johan Nilsen Nagel lands in a small coastal town. He is wearing a striking yellow suit and carrying a violin case. Who is he, and what is he doing there? In this journey, we take you into one of Hamsun's strangest and most peculiar novels.
Duration: approximately 25 minutes.
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Svermere, from 1904, is a real summer book. Funny, short and with a gallery of characters that embraces the high and low in a village in Northern Norway in the 1870s. Join us for a pleasant reading session in the eternal day of the Nordland summer, where you will get to know some of the colorful characters in Svermere a little better.
Duration: about 15 minutes
Takes place outdoors (in the Adventure Hall in inclement weather).
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Join us on a walk through the quirky tower, and gain insight into the Hamsun Center's unique architecture and the connection to Knut Hamsun's life and writings.
We start on the 1st floor, and end up on the Roof Terrace.
Duration: approximately 30 minutes.
If you are an international guest, we can offer you an introduction to the intriguing architecture of the Hamsun Center in English. Please ask the staff at the reception, and we will be happy to tell you more about our museum.
Cafe Hunger
The café offers delicious cakes and hearty lunch dishes for young and old. Northern Norwegian produce and Hamsun's universe are featured in various ways.
Photo: Visit Bodø
Exhibitions
The Hamsun Center consists of 4 rich floors filled with exciting exhibitions. In the summer of 2026, the Hamsun Center will open a new main exhibition on the 4th floor and a new temporary exhibition on the 5th floor. In addition, you can visit the roof terrace and look out over Glimma.
Photo: Ernst pine hat
Ticket prices and opening hours
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Adult: 170NOK
Honors/Student: 150NOK
Day pass adult and senior/student: 200NOK
(Hamsun Center and Childhood Home)Children under 18 years: Free
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The Hamsun Center and Café Sult are open all year round, but extend their opening hours in the summer.
Opening hours June 13 - August 16:
Every day
10:00-18:00 (Kafe Sult closes for larger orders at 17:00)Regular opening hours outside the summer season:
Monday and Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday – Friday: 10:00 – 15:30
Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Knut Hamsun's childhood home
A 10-minute drive from the Hamsun Center you will find Knut Hamsun's childhood home. The childhood home is open for visits during the summer period 1. July - August 9th.
