Kon-Tiki Museum, Oslo > Reviews (1)

This museum is an excellent wee place to visit. It is dedicated mainly to famous scientist, explorer and environmental campaigner Thor Heyerdahl and the most famous of his and his crews expeditions, the discovery of the Easter Island statues.

"Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002) gained worldwide fame when he crossed the Pacific Ocean on Kon-Tiki in 1947. He followed this up with spectacular expeditions on the reed boats Ra and Tigris. His recreations of prehistoric voyages showed that early man had mastered sailing before the saddle and wheel were invented." (from www.visitoslo.com)

You are first greeted on entry with a magnificent vessel ahead of you-the actual and original Kon-Tiki raft, the reed boat Ra II. Which on close inspection is just a fantastic feat of simple yet effective (kinda!) engineering of its time. It is so intriguing to look at and you can spend a substantial amount of time just staring at it and studying it. Surrounding the vessel, an exhibition about the crew and the expeditions, which include artifacts, written record as well as multi-media records of the events.

As you follow the exhibition round there is a library full of references, news and views on the Easter Islands and their mysterious stautes founded by the expeditions, including a section my partner and I found particularly interesting which showed an array of pictures,snippets, stills featuring the Easter Islands in tradtional and modern media, including comics, films, and animations. As you follow the expedition round there is also an amazing exhibit of a 10-metre replica of a statue from Easter Island in its place in the Easter Island exhibition, which you can pose by and have photographs taken with. There is then another Kon-Tiki raft, and nearby a film screening room which holds say 12-20 people to watch the documentary of the exhibiotions. After the Guestbook, you then find yourself in the obligatory gift and souvenir shop, which for me on this occasion didnt have much to offer, yet for some Im sure you could pick up something lovely!