Top Museums to Visit in Reykjavik

Reykjavik has quite a lot of museums: big and small, typical and really bizarre. They are obviously not the most important thing to see when you come to Iceland, but when you have a bit of free time on your trip, some of these museums are worthwhile.

See, what museums you can find in Reykjavik and which ones, in my opinion, are worth visiting.

The Arbaer open air museum

Árbæjarsafn (Arbaer Open Air Museum; literally: the Arbaer collection) is a skansen in Reykjavik, showcasing everyday life of Icelanders in the late 19th and early 20th century.

A visit to Arbaer is an interesting and educational experience, especially on a nice day, when we have 2-3 hours in the city. The skansen is open all year round and has around 30 historic residential houses and other buildings. Most of them have been moved here from the vicinity of the skansen or from the center of Reykjavik. You can go inside all of these buildings to see their arrangement and design. The museum does a very good job of illustrating not only the differences between today and the late 19th century but also the striking gap between the poor country life and wealth in the city.

Arbaer

Among the buildings you will find a city main square, a school, village and farm buildings (a smithy, stable, granary, henhouse, etc.), a church, a repair garage, a gas station and even a mountain cabin from 1920 where scouts stayed on their trips. You can also see up close a drill shaft brought to Iceland to mine for gold and finally used to drill for thermal water. There is a Norwegian house here, too – one of the original houses that were moved to Iceland in parts (produced in Norway) in the early 20th century and were assembled here.

The museum organizes numerous exhibitions and events devoted to specific periods and aspects in the history of Reykjavik, such as: crafts days, old vehicles, Christmas shows and many more. You will meet the museum staff walking around the area dressed in traditional Icelandic outfits and in the summer you can also see farm animals and pets.

The skansen offers a charming view of Reykjavik, over the Ellidaar valley – a large recreational area with beautiful groves and quaint landscapes.

History of Arbaer

The Arbaer museum was first established in 1957 as a response to the advent of business corporations that resulted in the weakening of local culture and traditions.

The first attempts to establish the museum were initiated in 1942, when the city council received a petition to open a skansen. The petition was sent to the Reykjavik Association – a group dealing with local history. Around the same time the process of collecting documents related to the history of the city started, which laid the foundation for the municipal archives.

In 1947 the city council decided to set up the Reykjavik City Museum and launch an exhibition about the city’s history. The exhibition was organized in 1949 in the newly built National Museum and was the initial occasion to start collecting exhibits that illustrated the history of Reykjavik.

In 1957 the city council agreed that a museum can be established in the old Arbaer farm. The place had already been popular as a stop on the way into and from Reykjavik. The skansen opened in the summer of 195t, and in 1968 the History Museum in Reykjavik was merged with the Árbær skansen, receiving the name of Árbæjarsafn.

Árbæjarsafn – address, how to get there, opening hours, admission fees

The Settlement Exhibition — what remained of the oldest settlements

The Settlement Exhibition (Landnámssýningin) is a chance to get a glimpse of the life of early Icelandic settlers (de facto, Vikings).

The exhibition (like the Arbaer skansen and the Maritime Museum) is managed and maintained by Reykjavik City Museum and first opened in 2006. Its exhibits come from archeological excavations that were taking place in Reykjavik since 2001. This is precisely when one of the oldest Icelandic man-made structures was discovered: A fragment of a wall predating 871 and a so-called longhouse (one-building farmhouse) from the 10th century X wieku. The whole exhibition is built around these two exhibits. Apart from these, you will find artefacts from the Viking Age discovered in central Reykjavik and Videy island.

The very format of this exhibition is really exciting and engaging. As you peer into different “windows”, you learn what the homes of Icelandic settlers looked like, how they built them and how they lived. The multimedia table shows large models of different buildings and provides details of the daily lives and work of settlers as well as interesting findings from archeological research.

You can also use touch screens to learn more interesting facts about cultural similarities of nations from the North Atlantic region, the expansion of Vikings and how they settled in other countries. Visitors can use audio guides in Icelandic, English, French, German and Norwegian.

The Settlement Exhibition – address, how to get there, opening hours, admission fees

The Reykjavik Maritime Museum

The Reykjavik Maritime Museum (Sjominjasafnid) is another branch of the Reykjavik City Museum. As its name suggests, it focuses on the bond between the lives of Icelanders and the surrounding nature, especially the ocean, with its fish and whales.

The museum maintains 3 permanent exhibitions: Fish & folk – 150 years of fisheries, Melckmeyt 1659 – Underwater Archaeological Survey and Óðinn Coast Guard Vessel.

Fish & folk – 150 years of fisheries

As you can guess from the title, the exhibition looks into fisheries in Iceland – from the late 19th century up until modern day. This is the period of dynamic growth of industrial fisheries based on motor fishing boats and larger fishing vessels. You can follow the entire cycle of the “production of fish” – from when they live in the ocean, to catch,industrial processing to distribution to stores and restaurants. Another big, and perhaps the most interesting, part of the exhibition focuses on fishing vessels as well as various and evolving methods of fishing.

Melckmeyt 1659 – Underwater Archaeological Survey

Melckmeyt was a Danish merchant ship that sank near the coast of the Flatey island, trying to wait out a storm while anchored. It is the oldest shipwreck discovered in Iceland’s coastal waters. It was found in 1992 and in 1993 and 2016 extensive archaeological works were conducted on the wreck site. The exhibition showcases both the history of the ship and the times when it sailed the seas and sank – the period of the so-called Danish–Icelandic Trade Monopoly. Visitors can also learn more about the unique nature, challenges and some of the solutions related to underwater archaeological surveys.

Óðinn Coast Guard Vessel

Because Iceland has no military forces of its own, the Coastal Guard is the country’s humble substitute for the navy. Odinn took part in the so-called Cod Wars, when Iceland defended its fishing rights and sites. The ship’s main weapon was a 57-mm gun on the bow, but its most effective weapon used during these wars was the trawl warp cutter that was able to cut off the nets of unauthorized fishing vessels. Apart from these adventures, the ship was instrumental in a number of rescue operations – it hauled broken-down boats to the port over 200 times; it helped several vessels stranded on the shallows; and on two occasions it rescued crew members of sinking vessels. The one-hour tours of Odin start at 13, 14 and 15. You need separate tickets for these.

The Reykjavik Maritime Museum – address, how to get there, opening hours, admission fees

The Maritime Museum is naturally located in the port district – at Grandagarður 8.

Not far from it, you can find the Whales of Iceland exhibition, the Saga Museum and plenty of street-food places. Your visit to the Maritime Museum can be a part of a nice walk around Reykjavik’s port district.

It is best to get here on bus 14, getting off at Grandagarður. The port is within walking distance from the city center – only about 30 minutes on foot from Hallgrimskirkja, with the most interesting parts of town on the way.

The museum is open everyday, from 10 to 17.

An adult is 1740 ISK (approx. 13 EUR), and the Odinn tour 1330 ISK (approx. 10 EUR). A combo ticket is 2660 ISK (approx. 20 EUR).

The Maritime Museum website: Reykjavik Maritime Museum.

The National Museum of Iceland

The National Museum of Iceland (Þjóðminjasafn Íslands) is the major source of knowledge about the history of settlers in Iceland, the nation and the country. Its main permanent exhibition has a telling title: Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland.

Compared to its continental European counterparts, the National Museum of Iceland is clearly small, with about 2000 exhibits in its collection, while the National Museum in Warsaw (not the biggest one in Europe either) holds over 800 000 exhibits. But all this means that you can visit this place in a shorter amount of time and still learn about major milestones in the settlement process and the making of the Icelandic nation.

Exhibitions run chronologically, so visitors are taken through the entire history of the island – from first Viking ships and homes to modern-day industrial achievements. The museum also has an interesting collection of sacral paintings that came from various Icelandic churches as well as many everyday objects and equipment such as tools or boats.

The whole visit will take 2 to 3 hours.

The National Museum of Iceland – address, how to get there, opening hours, admission fees

The museum is at Sudurgata 41, which is about 750 m south from the centrally located Ingólfstorg square and about 1 km west from Hallgrimskirkja.

The easiest way to get here is on the 12 bus – up to the Þjóðminjasafn stop, however, if you want to come by car, there is a large parking lot next to the museum.

From May 1 till September 15 the National Museum of Iceland is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00. In low season, from September 16 till April 30 – it has the same working hours but it is closed on Mondays.

The Reykjavik City Card holders (and persons with disabilities) get free admission. An adult ticket is 2000 ISK (approx. 14 EUR).

The National Museum of Iceland website: Muzeum narodowe.

The Saga Museum – history comes alive

The Saga Museum

If you let your imagination run free when you enter the Saga Museum, you can feel like a time traveller as you explore the masterfully designed and made replicas of Icelandic historic figures based on sagas and Viking chronicles. The clothing, weapons and everyday objects have been made using traditional methods that have been kept alive over centuries. Woolen and linen items were dyed by hand, while all wooden artefacts were created based on designs that survived being transferred from generation to generation.

The Saga Museum exibition

The Saga Museum – address, how to get there, opening hours, admission fees

Hofdi House – a place form the end of the Cold War

The Hofdi House

History of Hofdi House

Hofdi, built in 1909, initially was home to Mr. Brillouin — French consul in Iceland. Interestingly, it was specially ordered and brought over from Norway. When the consul left the country at the beginning of World War I, the house was bought by Einar Benediktsson – poet, lawyer and businessman. Then the British vice-consul lived here, followed by the British ambassador.

In 1905 Hofdi also became famous as the scene for the first radio transmission between Iceland and Europe.

The house has been also visited by celebrities, monarchs and politicians, such as Queen Elizabeth II, the President of Italy, German Chancellor Willy Brandt, Winston Churchill, and Marlene Dietrich.

Now the Hofdi House belongs to the city and is mostly used for formal receptions and meetings.

Hofdi – address, how to get there, opening hours, admission fees

The Icelandic Phallological Museum

Reykjavik, as well as the rest of the country, is rather full of small exhibitions and museums run by passionate hobbyists of different and rather bizarre topics. Usually such places are moderately attractive at best, however, the Icelandic Phallological Museum (Hið Íslenzka Reðasafn) is an exception in this category.

The very topic of the exhibition may be rather unusual, but is has been treated comprehensively and with scientific reliability. It doesn’t aspire or even allows itself to be erotic in nature. It definitely a scientific place, despite the main topic which could suggest otherwise.

A wide collection of nearly 300 penises comprises specimens that represent a great variety of mammals, both land and aquatic. There is a great degree of diversity and at the same time many similarities between these body parts belonging to different species, which makes you wonder about the beauty and chaos of evolution.

The museum has no erotic subtexts or content whatsoever and children are welcome to visit. But it is up to parents to decide whether their little ones are ready to experience the exhibition from a purely scientific point of view.

The museum is on Hafnartorg – literally 250 m from Harpa. The nearest bus stop is Arnarhóll / Lækjartorg, where buses 3 and 14 stop. Still, it is in the very city center so it makes sense to visit it as you do your walk around Reykjavik. You can drop in on your way from Harpa to the port or the Settlement Exibition, or to Hallgrimskirkja.

The Icelandic Phallological Museum is open daily from 10.00 to 19.00, and an adult ticket costs 2200 ISK (approx. 16 EUR). Children below 13 – accompanied by adults – don’t pay for admission. Holders of the Reykjavik City Card get 20% off.

The Icelandic Phallological Museum website: The Phallus Museum.

Interesting museums in other parts of Iceland

Iceland has quite a lot of small, family-run museums devoted to a variety of different topics. Most of them are not terribly interesting but if you are in the vicinity and want to take a break from waterfalls, canyons and volcanoes, these places may not be a bad idea.

Open air and history museums

Nature museums

Technology museums

Although we visit Iceland mostly for its nature, one can find a few technology museums here. State-run technology museums mostly focus on hydropower and geothermal plants, while privately managed ones show old cars, motorbikes and planes.

You can read about other interesting exhibitions in Reykjavik that are not strictly museums in this article Interesting exhibitions in Reykjavik, and learn more about the history, interesting places and sightseeing in the capital here What to see in Reykjavik and how to best go about it.