Museums of Iceland

Museums of Iceland

Reykjavík City Museum

One museum in five unique places engaging journeys through culture, heritage and history: www.reykjavikcitymuseum.is

Experience the history of Reykjavík in a lively and engaging way at the Reykjavík City Museum. Comprising five individual sites, the museum was founded to preserve Reykjavík’s culture and heritage, which dates back to the arrival of the first settlers in the late 9th century.

Hafnarborg / Hafnarfjörður Centre of Cultural and fine Art

Strandgata 34 / Vesturgata 8

Hafnarfjörður Culture and Fine Arts Institute features leading artists from Iceland and abroad. The museum has two exhibitions, one traces the town’s history from the settlement around 900 AD to the present day and the other is a toy exhibition aimed specifically at children.

Admission to the museum is free.

Gerðarsafn – Kópavogur Art Museum & Salurinn Concert Hall

Hamraborg 4-6, tel. 570 0440 & 570 0400

Gerðarsafn is located in the heart of Kópavogur and places emphasis on modern and contemporary art. The museum has three exhibition halls and holds numerous exhibitions annually, displaying all kinds of artists both from Iceland and overseas. Salurinn, was the first specially designed concert hall in Iceland and holds a variety of concerts, featuring music from the renaissance period to modern day music.

Reykjavík City down-town. Photo by Olga

National Gallery of Iceland

Fríkirkjuvegur 7

The National Gallery puts emphasis on 19th and 20th century Icelandic art, although international art is also shown in the museum. The museum holds regular exhibitions of its collection, as well as by individual artists. The National Gallery has a gallery shop and café.

National Museum of Iceland

Hringbraut 41

The National Museum gives a comprehensive picture of Iceland´s history. It holds permanent exhibitions, such as, Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland, as well as a variety of temporary exhibitions. The museum is situated close to the University of Iceland and has a café and a museum store on the ground floor.The country’s largest museum of cultural history featuring a permanent exhibition on Iceland’s history from settlement to present day as well as temporary exhibitions e.g. on photography.

The Culture House

Hverfisgata 15. 101 Reykjavík

The exhibition, shop and café. The Culture House is part of the National Museum of Iceland. A journey – visual world of Iceland through the Illuminated manuscripts, textiles, carvings, photographs, paintings and contemporary Icelandic art.

The Nordic House

Sturlugata 5, tel. 551 7030

The Nordic house, designed by architectural and design legend Alvar Aalto in 1968, is a cultural institution that organizes a diverse program of cultur-al events and exhibitions. The Nordic house also has a shop for Nordic design and food products, exhibition space, auditoriums and a restaurant.

The Icelandic Phallological Museum (Islandic Penis Museum)

Laugarvegur 116

Situated near Hlemmur bus station. The museum contains a collection of 285 penises and penile parts belonging to almost all the land and sea mammals that can be found in Iceland, including those of Homo sapiens. No pornography or offensive material in the museum.

Reykjavík Museum of Photography

Tryggvagata 15 (top floor)

The museum focuses on the Reykjavík´s rich history and contemporary culture through a collection of six million photographs and various exhibitions that are held each year.

Saga Museum

Grandagarður 2

The Saga Museum recreates key moments of Icelandic history and brings the sagas to life whilst guiding visitors through the museum with an audio guide.

Reykjavík Maritime Museum

Grandagarður 8

The Maritime Museum is located by the old harbour in Reykjavík and has various exhibitions that display the Icelandic maritime history, such as the development of the Icelandic fish industry from early settlement to the late 20th century.

The Settlement Exhibition

60 Aðalstræti 16

The exhibition gives an insight into the life and work of Iceland´s first settlers. The focus of the exhibition is around the newly discovered remains of the oldest relics of human habitation in Reykjavik.

Located next door to Hotel Reykjavik Centrum.

Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum

Laugarnestangi 70

Exhibition on sculptures, sketches and drawings by Sigurjón Ólafsson.

Whales of Iceland

Fiskislóð 23-25

The largest whale exhibition in Europe, located at Grandi District, about a 15-minute walk from the town centre. The exhibition displays 23 man-made, life size models of the whales that are found around Iceland. The museum also houses the Whale Café and the Whale Souvenir shop.

Viðey Island

Viðey Island is situated just off the coast of Reykjavík and is set in beautiful natural surroundings. The Island has a rich historical background and is home to the Imagine Peace Tower, an outdoor work of art by Yoko Ono, created in memory of John Lennon. For information on the ferry schedule see www.reykjavikcitymuseum.is

Gljúfrasteinn

Gljúfrasteinn was the home of author Halldór Laxness, winner of 1955 Nobel Prize for literature. Audio tours of the house are available in Icelandic, English, German, Swedish and Danish. An illustrated guide in French is also available. Concerts every Sunday during the summer. The house is situated in the beautiful Mosfellsdalur valley, a short distance from Reykjavík and only 20 minutes way to Þingvellir (Thingvellir National Park ) and the Golden circle.