The Norwegian National Museum just can't give up a nomadic lifestyle.

The Norwegian parliament created a national gallery in 1837 to show off Norwegian art alongside the art of heavyweight artistic cultures like France, England, and Italy. Norway had just gotten its modern European country thing on a few decades prior and the country's leaders figured one surefire path to legit diplomatic street cred was by showing that Norway's artists were just as good (if not better) than the best of the best from the rest of the continent. While a fine enough idea in itself, the museum's burgeoning collection lacked a pretty basic requirement: A permanent home.

It took until 1880 for the museum to move into its current space in Oslo. And now, the museum may be on the move again. Everyone with an opinion worth listening to agrees the National Gallery needs a bigger home for its kick ass collection, the largest public assemblage of 19th century and modern works in Norway. Since teaming up with Oslo's other heavy hitting museums to effectively unionize as the National Museum of Art, Architecture, and Design, one proposed solution for the space issue was for all the museums involved to move in together under one massive roof. Forming a mega-museum to get the people their art and design kicks in one convenient spot. Of course, that would mean the National Gallery would move out of its current spot. As such, the proposal's sparked a decent backlash among traditionalists who don't see anything wrong with ponying up some cash to renovate the collection's current digs. The government ultimately made a very firm, definitive commitment to postpone a final decision until 2020.

In addition to one fine assemblage of Munch's (terrifyingly) majestic oeuvre, the museum offers a sweet complement of amenities any museum aficionado will appreciate. There's a dedicated study and research area where patrons can get set up with a personal viewing of artwork not currently on view. More importantly, the museum's cafe serves up good grub with a Parisian ambiance making your kroner go the extra mile in the museum experience department. The walls are decked out with plaster copies of statues direct from the Louvre's casting workshop from its own back catalogue. The busts in the windows feature spectacular likenesses of such luminaries as Pierre Mignard, Marie Antoinette, and Le Grand Conde.