We celebrate International Museum Day with half price
May 18th is International Museum Day, and this year the day is about how museums can build bridges between people across culture, society and geography. Nordlandsmuseet is marking the day with a 50% discount on entrance tickets at Kjerringøy trading post , City Museum in Bodø and The Jekt Trade Museum from Monday 18th to Friday 22nd May.
Museums as meeting places
International Museum Day is celebrated annually on 18 May by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), bringing together thousands of museums around the world. This year's theme is "Museums Uniting a Divided World", highlighting the role of museums as open and safe meeting places where different voices, stories and perspectives can come together. In a time of polarization, social fragmentation and unequal access to knowledge and culture, museums can help build connections across generations, societies and borders.
Museums should not erase differences, but create spaces where they can be understood and respected. By preserving cultural heritage and shared memory, offering learning and reflection, and providing space for diverse voices, museums contribute to dialogue, inclusion, and peace.
This year's theme is linked to three of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 10 is about reducing inequality through inclusive access to culture and knowledge. Goal 16 is about supporting peaceful and inclusive societies through dialogue and mutual respect. Goal 17 is about partnerships and global cooperation for sustainable development.
-ICOM membership reminds us that a museum is not just a collection of objects. It is a meeting place with a responsibility to society. The ethical guidelines of ICOM are not a requirement that we follow because we have to, but because we believe it is right, says Director Ole J. Furset.
Everyone is welcome.
"Museums should be open to everyone. We want everyone who visits us to feel welcome, regardless of background or life situation," says Furset.
In addition to the campaign in connection with International Museum Day, we have a number of regular arrangements to enable visits:
Children under 18 always have free regular admission to all our facilities.
We offer free guided tours for schools and kindergartens at all facilities, except the Sulitjelma visitor mine. The tours are conducted during the museum's opening hours or during regular working hours. Schools and kindergartens visiting us on their own without a tour have free regular admission. Teachers can enter for free in advance to prepare for the visit.
Refugees coming to Norway can visit all our facilities free of charge. Ukrainian refugees show their Ukrainian passport, and refugees from other countries show their passport or D-number.
