Organization

The museum is located in Kalvskinnet in the centre of Trondheim.

We also have two botanical gardens: Ringve Botanical Gardens and Kongsvoll Alpine Garden.

Our history dates back over 250 years, to the establishment of the Royal Norwegian Society of Science and Letters in 1760.

The museum performs natural and cultural historical research with emphasis on the development of knowledge in administration of natural and cultural heritage, as well as information about research aimed at the general public with the emphasis on natural and cultural history in Central Norway.

An important area of work is securing, preserving and making the scientific collections available to the research community and the general public. Lectures are offered in archaeology and in biology with the focus on systematics and taxonomy. The museum has global competence within deep water marine archaeological research methodology.

The museum carries out assignment-based research and professional services within the competence areas of archaeology, biology, preservation, archaeometry and radiological dating and is the administrative authority in Central Norway with regard to the Act of 9 June 1978 No.50 Concerning the Cultural Heritage.

The museum operates and develops several of Norway’s oldest and largest natural and cultural historical collections.

The National Laboratory for ¹⁴C Dating is a part of the museum. In addition the museum is the host institution for the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre.

The museum has four academic sections, each with a head of section. In addition, the museum has an administration directly headed by the museum director.

The responsibility for the botanical gardens Kongsvoll Alpine Garden and Ringve Botanical Gardens lies with the Section of Natural History.