The palace was built from 1847 to 1852 by the Danish architect
Johan Henrik Nebelong on commission from King
Oscar I and Queen
Joséphine of
Sweden and Norway. In 1881, King
Oscar II opened the palace to the public as a museum. The palace, with its secondary buildings and surrounding park, is considered to be one of the finest examples of
neo-Gothic architecture in Norway and is one of the country's most important embodiments of the National Romantic style which was popular in Norway during the period. The interior was wholly constructed and decorated by Norwegian artists and artisans. The walls of the dining hall are decorated with paintings by
Joachim Frich,
Adolph Tidemand, and
Hans Gude while the decoration and furniture in the drawing room evokes the style of the old Norwegian guildhall. Oscarshall was sold by King
Carl IV to the Norwegian state in 1863. The palace was almost given a new role when it was decided in 1929 that Oscarshall would become the new residence of
Crown Prince Olav and
Princess Märtha. These plans were never realized, however, as both financial problems and political opposition arose. The situation was later solved when
Fritz Wedel Jarlsberg sold his estate
Skaugum to the royal couple. Today it is the property of the state and is placed at the disposal of the King. == Open to the public ==