Best for
Olympic history fans, engineering/architecture curiosity, families in Innlandet with swim-loving kids
Time needed
45–90 minutes
Worth it?
Yes if you're already in Gjøvik — a genuinely unusual space with real Olympic pedigree
Skip if
You're not planning to be in Gjøvik itself — it's not worth a special detour on its own
About Gjøvik Olympic Cavern Hall (Gjøvik Olympiske Fjellhall)
When Lillehammer hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics, organisers needed a second ice hockey venue and solved it in the most Norwegian way possible: they blasted one out of a mountain. Gjøvik Olympic Cavern Hall opened in May 1993, tunnelled 120 metres into 800-to-1,100-million-year-old gneiss bedrock right in the middle of town, and at the time of construction it was the largest sports cavern ever built for public use anywhere in the world.
The statistics are the whole point of visiting: the main cavern measures 61 metres wide, 91 metres long and 25 metres high, with 25 to 55 metres of solid rock overhead, and originally seated around 5,300 spectators for Olympic hockey (capacity today is closer to 5,800 for concerts and events). It was engineered to double as a civil defence shelter capable of withstanding conventional, nuclear and gas attack — a very Cold War-era piece of Norwegian civic planning hiding behind an ice rink.
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Today the hall is still home to Gjøvik's ice hockey club and hosts everything from swimming (there's a 25-metre pool built into a side chamber) to concerts, trade fairs and handball, alongside general public swim and skate sessions. It's a genuinely odd, memorable space to walk into — you go through a normal-looking entrance building on a city street and emerge, a short tunnel later, inside an enormous illuminated rock cave with a full-size ice rink at the bottom.
There's no formal visitor centre or guided-tour desk in the way a museum has one — this is a working sports facility first, curiosity second — so the easiest way in for most visitors is to time a visit around a public swim or skate session, or check ahead for scheduled tours; the operator's own website was mid-redesign at the time of writing, so specifics are worth confirming directly before you go.
What to See: Highlights
- 161m × 91m cavern hall, 25m high, blasted 120m into the mountain
- 2Built for the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics ice hockey tournament
- 3One of the largest public rock caverns in the world
- 425-metre swimming pool in a side chamber
- 5Doubles as a Cold War-era civil defence shelter
- 6Still an active venue for hockey, concerts and public swim/skate sessions
Insider Tips
This is a working sports facility, not a museum — check the public swim/skate timetable before you go
Bring a jacket even in summer; caves stay cool year-round
The entrance looks like an ordinary building — the impressive part is through the tunnel behind it
Combine with a walk up Hovdetoppen, the hill directly above the cavern
Confirm current opening times directly by phone, as the official website was being rebuilt at the time of research
Getting There
Heimdalsgate 2, 2815 Gjøvik
Open in Google Maps →- 110–15 minute walk from Gjøvik stasjon (train station) through the town centre. Free street parking nearby; the entrance is at street level on Heimdalsgate, with the cavern itself tunnelled into the hillside behind it.
Where to stay
Hotels in Gjøvik
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before you visit.
Is Gjøvik Olympic Cavern Hall (Gjøvik Olympiske Fjellhall) worth visiting?+−
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Do I need to book tickets in advance for Gjøvik Olympic Cavern Hall (Gjøvik Olympiske Fjellhall)?+−
Is Gjøvik Olympic Cavern Hall (Gjøvik Olympiske Fjellhall) included with the Gjøvik city pass?+−
Should You Visit?
Visit if...
- You're interested in the 1994 Winter Olympics or unusual engineering feats
- You want to see the world's largest public rock cavern for yourself
- You're travelling with kids who'd enjoy an indoor pool built inside a mountain
- You're already in Gjøvik for the day and have an hour to fill
Skip if...
- You're only passing through Gjøvik briefly and have to prioritise Skibladner or Mjøsmuseet
- You dislike enclosed or underground spaces
- No public session lines up with your visit and you can't arrange a tour in advance
More to See in Gjøvik
Gjøvik Gård (Mjøsmuseet)
The manor house that founded Gjøvik — a preserved early-1800s estate with period interiors, parkland gardens and one of the world's oldest working electric cars, run as a summer museum by Mjøsmuseet.
Hovdetoppen
The free viewpoint hill directly above Gjøvik's town centre — a short, well-marked walk to ruins of a burnt-down restaurant and the best panoramic view over the town and Lake Mjøsa.