I liked this fascinating Museum because of its unusual exhibits not normally found in other museums. The Polar Museum (Polarmuseet), not to be confused with the Polaria aquarium and museum, is situated on the harbour front near the Tromso bridge in an attractive red wood clad building that used to be the old Customs warehouse.

It dates back to 1830 and is in an idyllic location. The nearby ship building yards and historic warehouses add atmosphere to the location. There is parking nearby. Its address is Lars Thoringsvei 10 Tromso N-9037

The Polar Museum in Tromso opened on June 18, 1978, 50 years to the day after Roald Amundsen, the man who got to the South pole before Captain Scott, left Tromso on his last fatal expedition to the ice pack, to search for Umberto Nobile and the missing airship 'Italy'.

On the other side of the small dock there is a coffee shop where you can sit and get warm whilst admiring the charms of the old Skansen Harbour and the Polar Museum. Look out for the old ship harpoons on the harbour side.

The Tromso Polar Museum tries to record and display the life styles of people who live and work in the Arctic Circle. There are exhibits on hunting and fishing as well as exploration and aviation. If you are a bit squeamish there are parts of the museum you may wish to hurry past.

There are a number of dioramas with life-size manikins of hunters and their quarry. One shows a Norwegian fisherman about to smash a baby seal over the head with a club. They do not pull punches. They tell you the real story.

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