A New Museum in Norway Is Bringing Visitors Into the World of Whales—From Life-Size Orcas to Immersive Underwater Exhibits

Opening in 2027, The Whale will explore the science, behavior, evolution and cultural history of whales through art, storytelling, sound and architecture

Sarah Kuta | Daily Correspondent

August 31, 2026 1:57 p.m.

The Whale Museum rendering — A new museum focused on the world of whales will open next year in Norway. The Whale, Dorte Mandrup A/S. Renderings by MIR

From ancient myths to modern conservation efforts, whales have long captured the human imagination. Now, they’re the stars of a new knowledge and experience center slated to open in Norway next year.

Called The Whale, the new venue is under construction in Andenes, a village on the northern tip of the island of Andøya, roughly 190 miles above the Arctic Circle. It’s scheduled to begin welcoming visitors on June 4, 2027, inviting guests to explore the majestic marine mammals through science, art, storytelling, sound and architecture.

Designed by Copenhagen-based architecture firm Dorte Mandrup, the building itself is a big part of the experience. The structure rises “as a soft hill on the rocky shore—as if a giant had lifted a thin layer of the crust of the earth and created a cavity underneath,” according to the company’s website.

The low, curved concrete roof, which is covered in stones, doubles as a viewing platform, giving visitors a chance to spot the many species of whales—including sperm whales, humpback whales, orcas, minke whales and long-finned pilot whales—that spend time in the area, reports Travel + Leisure’s Evie Carrick. Depending on the season, they might also get to experience the midnight sun or the northern lights.

Architect Dorte Mandrups vision for The Whale Andenes Norway

Inside, the space will be divided into several “experience areas.” Visitors will walk among five life-size wooden sculptures depicting individual orcas known to swim in Norwegian waters, an installation intended to create a tangible connection with the animals.

A massive suspended whale sculpture will introduce guests to the creatures’ size, sounds and behavior, with a focus on their social nature and similarities to humans—including communication, cooperation and caregiving.

Another gallery will delve into the 90 modern-day whale species, highlighting the roughly 50-million-year evolutionary journey that transformed their ancestors into animals adapted to life in the sea.

Did you know? Whale watching in Andenes

Whale watching has deep roots in Andenes.
According to the museum, whale-watching operators in the village began taking visitors out to see whales in 1988, making Andenes a pioneer of the industry in Norway.
Nearly four decades later, whale watching remains a major draw, with roughly 50,000 people visiting each year to see these marine giants.

Guests will also be able to do an anatomical deep dive in a gallery featuring bones, baleen, whale blood and other biological specimens. They'll learn incredible facts such as that scientists have found that a diving whale's heartbeat can slow to a remarkable two beats per minute.

Another gallery will be designed as an immersive underwater experience that puts visitors in the midst of the ocean food web, from whales feeding on krill, squid and herring to nursing, dying and sinking to the seafloor, where their remains become a key part of the deep-sea ecosystem.

Meanwhile, yet another gallery, named Soundscape, will be a dark, multisensory installation that combines whale calls, ocean sounds, weather and light to showcase whale communication. The museum will also devote one area to humanity’s complicated relationship with whales, including the history and consequences of industrial whaling as well as the different roles whales have played in human cultures over the years.

Gallery view at The Whale, a new museum in Norway — Walls of glass will face waters off the coast of Andøya The Whale, Dorte Mandrup A/S, Renderings by MI

Finally, a gallery called "Horizons" will show how whale habitats and migration routes intersect with shipping and other human activity, emphasizing the interconnectedness of the world’s oceans.

The museum will also have a café and restaurant and will serve as a gateway to whale-watching tours of Bleik Canyon, a deep, underwater trench filled with nutrient-rich waters. As Fakhriya M. Suleiman reports for Euronews, Andenes also has numerous hiking and walking paths, including some that offer views of the historic Andenes Lighthouse, which dates back to 1859. Tickets for the museum will go on sale this fall.

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