Rockheim is Norway’s national museum of pop and rock music. Since 2010, the museum has chronicled the saga of Norwegian rock ’n roll and, in particular, the story of Norwegian metal madness. Although everything in the heavy metal scene deserves the respect of musicians, the extreme metal music is undoubtedly the most famous part of Norway’s music history.
Rockheim is a modern music museum where visitors are treated to several floors of highly interactive displays. For example, visitors can explore musical instruments and jam to popular Norwegian tracks. In the Ronni Room, visitors can have a virtual guitar lesson with guitarist legend Ronni Le Tekrø.
Norwegian rock music wasn’t very familiar to me, but all the interactive exhibits and interesting memorabilia made my visit to Rockheim last three hours. And if you are fan of heavier rock like I am, the exhibitions will be incredibly interesting. I visited Rockheim in the morning, and I highly recommend you schedule your visit for when things are quiet. This way, you’ll be able to spend as much time as you want in your favorite rooms and can try all the instruments without other visitors breathing down your neck. After all—most of us are not great rock vocalists or drummers. :-)
My favorite part of the Rockheim was the knock-off of Mayhem’s rehearsal room, an extremely authentic-looking dark dungeon where the volume is turned up to eleven. After your long museum journey, you can rest and refresh in the Panorama café on the fifth floor, complete with a stunning view of the city.