Varmbadet - Drøbak Art Society

Welcome to Varmbadet

Drøbak's historic bath, Varmbadet, is located in Badeparken just north of the city center and is today a great gallery with a view of the fjord. The gallery, which is run by the Drøbak art association, presents various artists and expressions through periodic exhibitions throughout the year.

Drøbak Art Society was founded in May 1955 and has been a driving force in Drøbak's cultural life for all the years since. With enthusiastic and committed members, they have brought in high-quality artists of image, word and music - to the delight of both residents and visitors.

The history of the building that used to be a public bath house 

Drøbak Varmbad was built in 1902, just 2 years after Strømbadet (Women's and Men's Bath) was established in Badeparken. Even then, the municipality and the population of Drøbak saw great opportunities to attract bathers to the town. It was the local builder Kristian Bruun, who erected the building. Bruun was a local patriot and poured his soul into erecting a beautiful, harmonious and functional building close to the sea's edge with an unobstructed view of the Drøbaksundet.

From bathroom and doll factory to gallery

In the mid-1940s it became too expensive to run the bath and in 1947 the Varmbadet was given new life as a doll factory. It has also been a studio for both the artist Jan-Kåre Øien and the film producer Lars Rasmussen. In addition to being the Drøbak art association's gallery, today the Verneforeningen Gamle Drøbak also has a permanent residence there and on the lower floor they have two rooms with exhibitions about Drøbak as it was and about the bathing culture in Drøbak.

Rolling exhibitions

During the year, there are many exciting exhibitions at Varmbadet. Here you can read more about the current exhibition.