Nordnorsk Vitensenter: science you can try

The short answer

Is Nordnorsk Vitensenter worth visiting?

Yes, especially with children or when the weather pushes you indoors. The science centre is built around things you can test and explore rather than a sequence of display cases. Its themes connect science to the North: weather, climate, energy, the body and the sky.

If you mainly want to learn about Sámi culture and Arctic nature through museum collections, choose Tromsø Museum. For swimming and sauna, compare Tromsøbadet. For a shorter outdoor stop nearby in summer, try the Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden. The science centre is the choice when hands-on activities or the planetarium are the draw.

Explore at your own pace

What can you do in the science centre?

The centre says it has over 100 interactive installations across several levels. In The Sky Above, explore seasons, the Earth’s magnetic field and the northern lights before heading into the planetarium. Climate and Weather looks at snow, ice, wind and the carbon cycle. Other areas focus on northern energy, the body and the brain.

Allow roughly two hours if you want to try a good range of exhibits and see one show; that is our planning estimate, not a timed ticket. A younger child may want more play time. If a particular exhibit matters to you, check for events or maintenance before leaving: the centre sometimes limits access to parts of a floor.

Under the dome

How the Northern Lights Planetarium fits into a visit

The planetarium is a film experience, not a live aurora sighting. Its Extreme Auroras show uses full-dome projection to explain and show the northern lights through images, science and stories. The centre describes it as a 28-minute film and recommends it for ages five and over.

Check the current programme for the time and language you want. The published schedule includes English and German performances, while the changing family show may be in Norwegian. A centre ticket covers the interactive exhibition and all planetarium shows that day, but a late show can run after the exhibition has closed. Arrive earlier if you want both.

Plan your timing

Tickets and opening hours

As checked on 16 October 2026, the centre lists 11:00–16:00 on weekdays and 10:00–16:00 at weekends. It closes on some public holidays, and special events can change the schedule. Planetarium shows have separate times, including some after the exhibit closes; check both the opening-hours page and the show programme for your date.

The centre’s published admission is NOK 150 for adults, NOK 80 for children from age three and NOK 395 for a family of two adults and up to three children. Student and senior prices are also listed. These are the amounts displayed when we checked; verify the current price before paying. You can buy a regular ticket at reception; online tickets are also offered for Extreme Auroras.

The ticket page says admission includes both the interactive exhibition and the planetarium shows on the same day. An after-hours film ticket still only gives exhibition access during the centre’s regular opening hours, so plan the order carefully.

UiT campus

Where is it, and how do you get there?

Nordnorsk Vitensenter is at Hansine Hansens veg 17, 9019 Tromsø, on the UiT campus in the north of Tromsøya. It is away from the city-centre museums: the centre estimates about 40 minutes on foot from central Tromsø.

Bus services connect the centre and university area with town. The venue lists several routes, including 20 and 34, but stops and timetables can change. Check Svipper for the best outbound and return journey. University parking is available nearby; read the venue’s transport page for the current parking rules.

Common questions

Nordnorsk Vitensenter FAQ