Travel Guides Crafted by Experienced Archaeologists & Historians

Museums & Open-Air Museums in Iceland

Museums in Iceland

Culture House, Reykjavik

A permanent exhibition entitled ‘Points of View’ is an extraordinary exploration of the visual cultures of Iceland. Objects from six Icelandic museums and institutions are on display; juxtaposing contemporary artworks of various style, medium and date with museum artefacts and archival objects such as books and maps. A highlight of the museum is the display of the Icelandic Law Code, the Jónsbók – 14 illuminated manuscripts dating from the 13th century to the present day.

National Museum of Iceland, Reykjavik

A permanent exhibition entitled ‘Points of View’ is an extraordinary exploration of the visual cultures of Iceland. Objects from six Icelandic museums and institutions are on display; juxtaposing contemporary artworks of various style, medium and date with museum artefacts and archival objects such as books and maps. A highlight of the museum is the display of the Icelandic Law Code, the Jónsbók – 14 illuminated manuscripts dating from the 13th century to the present day.

Perlan: Wonders of Iceland

Perlan is situated on Öskjuhlíð hill, the highest point in Reykjavik. Since 1991 the facility has been open to the public as a natural history museum. Visitors can experience the world’s first ever indoor ice cave, reconstructed in one of the six water tanks built in the 1980s. On top of these water tanks is a large glass dome, which has an observation deck giving a 360° view of surrounding Reykjavík. Exhibitions tell the natural history of Iceland, the geological processes that created the island and the waters that surround it. A state-of-the-art planetarium shows an amazing film about the northern lights.

Reykjavik Maritime Museum

The focus of the museum is a permanent exhibition that features 2,000 objects and 1,000 photographs. ‘Making of a Nation’ charts the history of Iceland in chronological order from its earliest settlers to the 20th century. Some of the finest and most intriguing archaeological finds are made more accessible through ingenious multimedia displays. The shear diversity of objects, from Roman coins brought to the island by Vikings to the airport, will capture anyone’s attention.

Saga Museum

The Saga Museum tells the story of Iceland’s history from when settlers first arrived in the 800s through to the 1550s. Key points of this period, known as the Saga Age, are reconstructed in life-size dioramas. An audio-guided tour, available in a number of different languages, explains the displays. There are 17 in total, from the making of Iceland to the first inhabitants, from the lack Death to the Reformation. The tour concludes with a silent film on the museum’s creation by owner and artist Ernst Backman.

Open-Air Museums in Iceland

Akranes Folk Museum

Based in Akranes, this folk museum, Byggðasafnið í Görðum Akranesi, opened in 1959. Primarily devoted to telling the town’s story, it showcases the place of fishing, farming, and domestic activities through the centuries. Accompanying its interior displays are a series of historic fishing boats, a working forge, a fish-drying shed, and three preserved historic houses. These include the oldest surviving timber house in Akranes, Neðri-Sýrupartur, which dates from 1875.

Árbær Open Air Museum, Reykjavík

From a 13th century farmhouse, in its original position, to a re-constructed upper class town square with its 19th and 20th century two story buildings, this open air museum explores the early history of Reykjavik. Each house has been staged with period specific artefacts, allowing visitors to see what daily life was like in Iceland for farmers, fisherman and city dwellers. One of the buildings, in which the first worker’s guild was formed, houses a permanent exhibition that charts the history and development of consumption in Reykjavik.

Glaumbær Farm & Museum

Glaumbær is a historic church village that is now an open-air museum. People were living in the turf houses here up until 1947; the earliest evidence of human habitation is the 9th century. According to the Grænlendinga saga Snorri Þorfinnsson was one of the inhabitants. Snorri is said to be the first European to be born in North America in 11th century. Snorri built the first church in the village. The onsite museum is housed in a historic timber framed building.

Keldur Turf Houses

Keldur, a historic settlement, is the location the largest turf farm in south Iceland. Parts of the central hall are thought to be from the oldest turf house still standing in Iceland. In the 12th and 13th century the settlement was inhabited by one of the most powerful clans of the time. Hence the size, the remains of 16 to 18 houses have been recorded. Much of what we see today was built in the 19th century. One of the unique features is an underground tunnel, built sometime in the 12th or 13th centuries at a time of conflict.

Laufas Heritage Site & Museum

Earliest records of the historic site of Laufás date to the 10th century, although the buildings that make up the village today date from the mid 19th century. Including the church, which is dedicated to Saint Peter. On display in the turf houses are clothes, furniture, general household items and objects of everyday life from the 19th century. Of particular note is the church pulpit, made in 1698. One of the houses recreates the living room of an Icelandic Viking living room.

Skogar Open Air Museum

Part of the larger Skogar Museum in Iceland’s Southern Region, this open-air attraction features buildings from various periods of the island’s history. These include an early 20th century schoolhouse, the Skogar Church, and a series of traditional turf buildings once used as a farmhouse – as well as a turf house for elves! The museum houses over 15,000 artefacts, with a focus on agricultural and fishing equipment, but also collections of traditional costume and natural history specimens.