The Aluminium museum

The Aluminium Museum in Holmestrand is an industrial museum in Norway, housed in a former Hydro Aluminium factory in the very centre of town in Vestfold. It is part of Vestfold Museums and tells the story of aluminium processing, which has been going on in Holmestrand for over a century.

What kind of place is it?

The museum occupies the oldest part of the industrial site. As early as 1916, the company AS Sveiseverket started up here. In 1917 A/S Nordic Aluminium Industry was founded, and production began in 1919. The factory is still in full operation, so a visit happens right beside a working plant rather than in an open-air relic of a finished era.

The museum was established on the initiative of the Norwegian company Hydro, then owner of the plant. Hydro took over in 1986, when ÅSV and Norsk Hydro merged. According to a local history wiki, Queen Sonja opened the museum on 21 June 2002. Some sources give 2000 instead, so treat the opening year with a little caution.

What can you see?

The current exhibition, opened in 2019, focuses on environmental challenges and the circular economy. It is a fitting theme, because the Holmestrand plant was a pioneer in recycling. Visitors learn not only how the metal was worked over the decades, but also why reusing it matters for industry today.

The museum presents aluminium as an everyday material and tells the story of the people who worked at the factory. The history of one local plant is placed in the wider context of Norwegian industry.

Who owns the factory now?

In 2021 the plant was sold to the German recycling company Speira, as the museum notes on its own website. Older write-ups still name Hydro as the owner, so keep the date of any source in mind.

Planning your visit

The museum is in central Holmestrand, a small town in Vestfold on the Oslo Fjord, so it is easy to combine with a walk around town. The coordinates are 59.487411, 10.320162. Check opening hours and ticket prices on the Vestfold Museums website before you go, since they may vary by season.

Frequently asked questions

Is the factory still running? Yes. Production that began in 1919 continues today, and the museum sits in the oldest part of the site.

Who runs the museum? Vestfold Museums holds professional responsibility, and the museum itself was founded on Hydro's initiative.

What is the exhibition about? Environmental challenges and the circular economy, with an emphasis on the role of recycling in the aluminium industry.

Who is it for? Anyone interested in industrial history, technology and the environment, and families looking for something different from a typical art museum.