Mjøssamlingene tells the story of freshwater shipping on Lake Mjøsa, Norway's largest inland lake. The museum sits at the old ferry landing where Mjøsa flows into the Vorma river, a historic traffic junction that has been central to transport on the lake since the 19th century.
The site is closely tied to the paddle steamer DS Skibladner, the world's oldest such vessel still in scheduled service. Skibladner was assembled and launched from this very slip in 1856, and this remains the only place where "Mjøsa's White Swan" can be hauled ashore for overhaul, which happens at least every three years. Norway's first iron-hulled ship, DS Jernbarden, was also built here by English workers and launched on 7 August 1840.
The museum complex includes several original buildings: the 1801 warehouse (Pakkhuset), a captain's residence from 1847, the boat slip, and a timber rafters' barracks. Exhibitions cover steamship history, timber floating traditions, and Mjøsa's flood history. Open for guided tours on Sundays during summer.
The site is closely tied to the paddle steamer DS Skibladner, the world's oldest such vessel still in scheduled service. Skibladner was assembled and launched from this very slip in 1856, and this remains the only place where "Mjøsa's White Swan" can be hauled ashore for overhaul, which happens at least every three years. Norway's first iron-hulled ship, DS Jernbarden, was also built here by English workers and launched on 7 August 1840.
The museum complex includes several original buildings: the 1801 warehouse (Pakkhuset), a captain's residence from 1847, the boat slip, and a timber rafters' barracks. Exhibitions cover steamship history, timber floating traditions, and Mjøsa's flood history. Open for guided tours on Sundays during summer.
