Botanical Garden (Tøyen)
Botanical Garden (Tøyen) features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Oslo. Give it roughly ~45 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type garden
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Oslo Oslo guide
About Botanical Garden (Tøyen)
Norway's oldest botanical garden, free and open since 1814, laid out with thematic beds, a rock garden and a seventeenth-century manor house; its two landmark greenhouses are temporarily closed.
The University Botanical Garden (Botanisk hage) at Tøyen is Norway's oldest botanical garden, established in 1814, and part of the Natural History Museum of the University of Oslo. It grew from the Tøyen estate, which King Frederik VI gave to the University of Christiania in 1812. Its living collection numbers on the order of 35,000 plants, though species counts vary by source. The grounds are laid out in thematic gardens, including a rock and alpine garden, and contain the seventeenth-century Tøyen Manor House.
Its two landmark greenhouses are the Palm House (Palmehuset) and the Victoria House (Victoriahuset), the latter built to grow the giant Victoria water lily; as of 2026 both are temporarily closed. The outdoor garden remains free to enter and open to the public, and serves research, education and plant conservation. Free guided tours in Norwegian are offered on Sundays and last about an hour. The garden lies at Tøyen in east-central Oslo, not on the Bygdøy peninsula.
Did you know? Established in 1814 on an estate King Frederik VI had given to the university two years earlier, this is Norway's oldest botanical garden; its living collection runs to roughly 35,000 plants across thousands of species.
How long is a visit to Botanical Garden (Tøyen)?
Set aside roughly ~45 min for Botanical Garden (Tøyen). That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Botanical Garden (Tøyen) worth your time?
Botanical Garden (Tøyen) is among the 22 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Oslo, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Oslo
Day 1 of the Oslo in 2 days itinerary →Day 1 of the Oslo in 3 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Botanical Garden (Tøyen)
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