Norwegian Museum of Hydropower and Industry

Historie

The Norwegian Museum of Hydropower and Industry is a cultural history museum in Odda municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The museum is located in the village of Tyssedal and in the town of Odda. The museum is dedicated to the industrial history of Odda and Tyssedal, and more generally to history related to rivers and water, hydropower production, electricity, power intensive industry and its society.
A main attraction is the power station Tysso I, drawn by the architect Thorvald Astrup and constructed between 1906 and 1918. The station contains machinery and control room equipment from the entire period of operation, 1908–1989. In 2000 Tyssedal power plant – including Tysso I, pipelines, distribution pool and watchman's house at Lilletopp, and intake pool and valve house at Vetlevann – was protected for posterity by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. During the following years the power plant went through extensive restoration.
Close to the power station Tyssefaldene's old administration building from 1914 today houses the museum's exhibitions, library, archives, photo- and audio collections, as well as an auditorium.