Oslo, Norway: The Fram Museum

Norway was a world leader when it came to the exploration of the earth's poles. You could see how someone from that country was tempted to zip up north to find the North Pole. Apparently they thought the South Pole would be a snap after that. This is a tribute to those exploring pioneers.

The "Fram" in the Fram Museum is a boat, which is billed as the strongest polar ship ever built. It was used between 1893 and 1912 by Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup, Oscar Wisting and Roald Amundsen. The idea was that the ship's design would push it above the ice, so that it wouldn't be crushed in the frigid waters. It worked quite well. 

Amundsen used it when he discovered the South Pole in 1912. Then he returned home, and the Fram went into storage. After some years in which the boat was allowed to decay, a group thought it was worth saving. So after some rehab, the Fram stands ready for your inspection. You can walk along the top deck, just like those intrepid explorers did more than a century ago. You can also get a peak at the sides. 

The ship is surrounded by various artifacts of the journey. The museum also contains a room designed to recreate the feeling of the explorers. It's kept at about 25 degrees and the floor resembles that of the Fram. In other words, it's like going to a Bills' home game in late November. The room is an interesting idea for a museum.

The Fram Museum calls itself the best museum in Norway. It may have a point.