Alta Museum

Did you know that there are only 8 UNESCO sites in Norway? To be a part of this exclusive list, a site must have outstanding universal value. By the way, we use the word “rock art” as a common term because in Alta, there are both rock carvings and rock paintings.

There is a lot to experience at the World Heritage Rock Art Centre – Alta Museum, both summer and winter. The museum is open 360 days a year! In the snow-free part of the year, the rock(-)art area outside the museum is available for visits. This tour gives you a unique opportunity to get to know Alta’s famous rock art.

The rock carvings at Alta Museum

You can best experience the rock art by using the centre’s guidebook or an audio guide. The audio guides are highly recommended. They tell a vivid story about the rock art and the stone age. It is also possible to book a human guide from the museum. This must be ordered in advance. You can choose to do a short walk of 1.2 km or a long walk of 3 km. The trip is arranged with paths and wooden walkways.

During the high season in the summer, various exciting Stone Age activities take place in the museum area. Here you can try archery, stone grinding, documentation of petroglyphs and much more. There is also a lavvu, campfire, food- and seating area, so that everyone in the family can enjoy themselves.

The exhibitions

The indoor exhibitions are open all year round. In the permanent exhibition you will find, among other things, several loose blocks / stones with rock carvings and rock paintings. This means

that you get a small taste of the real thing, even when the beautiful rock carvings outside are safely preserved under the snow in wintertime. The museum’s permanent exhibitions are divided into various themes, including rock art of Alta, Sami pre-Christian religion, the Northern Lights and sport fishing in the Alta River.

Throughout the year, the museum has several temporary exhibitions visiting for shorter periods.

Cafe and shop

The museum has both a cafe with Alta’s most beautiful view and an exciting museum shop which is open during the museum’s opening hours.