Visual guide for summer
In summer, the museum has many visitors. The car park is often filled with buses, motorhomes, and cars. The busiest period is between June 15 and August 15. If you want to visit the museum when it is a bit quieter, we recommend May or September in the snow-free season.
How to get to the museum by car:
If you are driving, follow the signs to Alta Museum – World Heritage Rock Art Centre from the main road (E6). If you are driving from Alta, the exit will be on the right. If you are driving from the west (Kåfjord/Kvenvik), the entrance will be on the left. The first entrance on the right in the photo leads to the car park and the museum. The entrance further ahead is the bus stop.
Parking at the museum is free, and there is usually plenty of space. In the summer season between June and August, there are many cars, motorhomes, and buses. If it is busy, parking staff will help you find a parking space.
The museum is a large white building. The museum has two reserved parking spaces for people with reduced mobility. One space is located at the lower end of the main car park.
The other space is closer to the entrance, in a small car park that is also used by the museum staff. There is a sign that says, “No entry”, but this does not apply to people with reduced mobility. If you have special needs, you may drive up to the main entrance. Sometimes you may need to move a plant box that stands in the middle of the road. The plant box has wheels, and you can move it yourself or ask the reception staff to move it for you.
There is a speed bump on the road to the museum.
How to get to the museum by bus or on foot:
If you are travelling by bus, the bus stop is called Alta Museum. It is located 150 metres from the museum entrance. If you are walking, there is a pedestrian crossing right across from the bus stop.
Below the bus stop, there is a cobblestone staircase. It leads through a small park with a beautiful sculpture in the middle, and directly to the museum entrance.
If you want to avoid the stairs, you can use the path. The path is a little further down the road, to the left of the stairs.
Main entrance:
The main entrance has a roof over and in front of the sliding doors. The area leading to the entrance is paved with slate slabs. In front of the sliding doors, there is a metal grate.
Outside the main entrance, there is an outdoor exhibition about world heritage. You can visit this exhibition without entering the museum or paying an entrance fee. Please note that the grass around the exhibition is sometimes closed off with a rope.
The entrance has sliding doors that open automatically when you get close.
Inside the doors is the lobby. If you walk straight ahead, you will reach the reception.
At the reception, you will meet our friendly staff. Here, you can buy tickets, get a museum guide, or ask for information. You can also get an audio guide or borrow a wheelchair, walking stick, umbrella, rain poncho, magnifying glass, or torch from the reception.
If you want to buy something from the museum shop, pay at the reception.
To the right of the entrance, along the window, you will find free brochures. The stairs lead down to the restrooms, cloakroom, lockers, and the downstairs exhibition. To the left of the stairs, is a lift that takes your downstairs.
Downstairs, the lift is next to the stairs.
Inside the lift, the buttons are clearly described. There are only two floors.
U = downstairs, where you can find the restrooms, cloakroom, and exhibition. 1 = the main floor upstairs, where you can find the café, reception, and main exhibition.
At the bottom of the stairs, you will see two large doors. Go straight through them to reach the restrooms and the cloakroom. The doors are heavy because the room is built as an emergency shelter.
If you turn left, you will reach the downstairs exhibition.
On the main floor, there are two exhibition areas. In the room next to the shop, we show temporary exhibitions.
Next to the café, you will find the entrance to the main exhibition. The entrance is lit with blue light. This exhibition tells the story of Alta from the Stone Age to today, and the world heritage.
You can interact with many parts of the exhibition. There are items you can touch, films you can watch, and stations with smells and sounds. Some of the sounds are louder than others. If a museum item is not behind glass, you may touch it. Please be gentle with the items so many guests can enjoy our exhibition.
Everyone is welcome in our museum café, which has a beautiful view of the Alta Fjord. The café has tables, sofas, and chairs. You may sit at any available table. You can use the café even if you do not visit the exhibitions. Cruise ships sometimes arrive in Alta, and the café can get a bit crowded.
Outside:
To reach the veranda, go through the revolving doors and down three steps. In winter, the ground may be snowy and slippery. Ask the reception if it is safe to go outside.
If you cannot use the revolving doors, there is another exit next to the café counter.
A ramp is available outside this exit.
To reach the rest of the outside area and the rock carvings, go down the stairs from the veranda.
If you cannot use these stairs, go back through the main entrance. Then turn right to reach the beginning of the path that leads to the rock carvings.
The paths are wheelchair accessible, but some parts can be a bit steep. Along the path, there are resting areas with benches and tables every few hundred metres.
The rock carving areas are unstaffed. In the summer, we offer activities by the shore, and staff will then be present in the shore area.
A universally designed toilet can be found in the large green building by the shore. When you reach the building, you are halfway through the rock carving area.
