The hall for the Oseberg ship opened to the public in 1926. This building received funding from the Parliament of Norway and housed the ship after it moved from University shelters.
Architect Arnstein Arneberg won the competition with his design proposal for the museum. His plan created separate halls for the Gokstad, Oseberg, and Tune ships over several decades.
Excavation teams recovered thousands of items including sledges, beds, wood carvings, tent components, buckets, and a horse cart. These grave goods filled the space around the wooden hull and provided insight into daily life and ritual practices.
The Gokstad ship rests at Sandefjord while the Tune ship sits nearby in its own location near Bygdøy. Both vessels form part of the core collection but remain distinct from the primary exhibition hall housing the Oseberg ship.
Opponents raised concerns that the ships are too fragile to survive transport undamaged without causing irreversible structural damage. The decision ultimately favored keeping the ships at their original location after over two decades of debate between preservationists and urban planners.
The facility remains closed from September 2021 until 2027 during the expansion phase led by Danish firm AART architects. Their NAUST design aims to improve visitor experience while maintaining strict climate control standards for the three main ships.