Edvard Munch made four versions of The Scream. The 1893 tempera version is at the National Museum in Oslo.
Two more, from 1893 and 1910, are at the MUNCH museum, also in Oslo. A 1895 pastel version stays in a private collection and is rarely shown in public.
I get asked this one a lot, because most articles just say Oslo and stop there, which is not actually useful if you are trying to plan a museum trip. There are four Scream paintings, not one, and they live in three separate places. If you only have time for one museum, go to the National Museum for the 1893 version everyone recognizes from postcards. If you want the fuller story, the MUNCH museum a short walk away holds two more.
Four Paintings, Not One
Ask where The Scream is and most people expect one clean answer. There is not one.
Edvard Munch painted or drew the same figure on a bridge four separate times, between 1893 and 1910. Each version is a real, separate object, not a copy.
Three of the four sit in Oslo, split between two museums a short walk apart. The fourth belongs to a private collector and almost never leaves storage.
The 1893 Version at the National Museum
The most reproduced Scream, the one on every poster and postcard, is the 1893 tempera and crayon version. It lives at the National Museum in Oslo, which opened its new building on the harbor in June 2022.
Inside, the painting has its own dim room. Light is kept low on purpose, because tempera and crayon on cardboard fade fast under normal gallery lighting.
Two other Munch paintings, Madonna and The Sick Child, are usually shown alongside it in the same room, so you see three major works together, not one isolated piece.
The Two Versions at the MUNCH Museum
A different pair of Scream versions lives at the MUNCH museum, in the new building that opened on the Oslo waterfront in 2021.
One is a pastel from 1893, the other a tempera from 1910. Because both are fragile, the museum does not keep either on permanent view.
Instead they rotate through a dedicated room, usually shown for a set stretch of time before being swapped out and rested in storage. Check the museum's visitor information before you travel if seeing a specific version matters to you.
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The Private 1895 Pastel
The fourth version is a pastel from 1895, and it is the only one not owned by a museum.
It sold at Sotheby's in 2012 for 119.9 million dollars, a record at the time for a work sold at auction. The buyer was the collector Leon Black.
It surfaces occasionally on loan to exhibitions, but there is no permanent public home for it, so do not plan a trip around seeing this one.
Why the Museums Keep Rotating Which Version Is Shown
This is the part most travel guides skip. Both Oslo museums treat their Scream versions as light sensitive works, closer to how a library treats a rare manuscript than how a gallery treats an oil painting.
Tempera, crayon, and pastel do not hold up to constant bright light the way oil paint does. Rotation and dim rooms are how the museums keep the pigment from fading over the next century, not a marketing move.
That habit of revisiting one motif again and again is also a hallmark of Munch's expressionist approach to painting.
The 2004 Theft and What Changed
In August 2004, armed robbers walked into the old Munch Museum in daylight and took the 1910 Scream along with Munch's Madonna. Both paintings were recovered in 2006, damaged but repairable.
That theft is a direct reason the new MUNCH building, opened in 2021, was designed with much heavier security than the old one. Thick walls, tighter climate control, and slower public access to the paintings themselves.
It is also part of why the museum limits how long any single version stays on view. Fewer hours on the wall means fewer chances for damage, theft, or fading.
Planning Your Visit
Both museums sit close enough to cover in one day if you start early. The National Museum and the MUNCH museum are both a short walk or tram ride from Oslo's central train station.
Book timed tickets in advance for the National Museum, since the Scream room gets crowded fast, especially around midday in summer. The MUNCH museum tends to be less packed outside weekends.
If you specifically want to see one of the two MUNCH versions, check their site for the current rotation before you buy train tickets to Oslo. There is no guarantee a specific version is on view on a given date.
The Four Versions at a Glance
1893 tempera and crayon on cardboard, National Museum, Oslo, permanently on view.
1893 pastel and 1910 tempera, MUNCH museum, Oslo, rotating display, not always both visible at once.
1895 pastel, private collection, sold for 119.9 million dollars in 2012, rarely shown to the public.
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Common Questions About Where to See The Scream
Is The Scream in Oslo?
Yes. All three museum owned versions are in Oslo, split between the National Museum and the MUNCH museum, which sit a short walk apart.Can I see The Scream in person?
Yes. The 1893 version at the National Museum is on permanent view. The two versions at the MUNCH museum rotate through a dedicated room.How many versions of The Scream are there?
Four: a tempera from 1893, a pastel from 1893, a pastel from 1895, and a tempera from 1910.Which version of The Scream is the most famous?
The 1893 tempera and crayon version at the National Museum in Oslo, the one reproduced on posters and postcards.Was The Scream ever stolen?
Yes. The 1910 version was stolen from the old Munch Museum in 2004 and recovered in 2006.Can I take photos of The Scream?
Photography without flash is generally allowed, but rules vary by room, so check current museum policy before you visit.Is The Scream always on display?
The National Museum's 1893 version is on permanent view. The two MUNCH museum versions rotate and are not always both visible.Who owns the private version of The Scream?
The collector Leon Black bought the 1895 pastel in 2012 for 119.9 million dollars, and it remains in private hands.