National Museum of Iceland
National Museum of Iceland things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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The National Museum of Iceland is an exhibition divided into several periods with a large number of exhibits, presentation boards, models and an audiobook in several languages. For the price of 2,500 Icelandic crowns, we get full access to both floors where the tour takes place. We receive the password to the local Wi-Fi, enter the website by copying the QR code and enjoy full access to the materials prepared by the museum in the following languages: Polish, English, Chinese, German, French, Danish, Spanish, Swedish, Italian. I recommend taking headphones with you, but they are not necessary. There is one more option to choose from - English for children. I haven't listened to it, but I'm guessing there are special materials for younger visitors. I saw interactive rooms, coloring books, crosswords and places for children, so the museum is suitable for the whole family- children included. The history of the island is presented from the time of the first settlers to modern times. Due to its geographical location, it is not as rich in wars as the rest of Europe, so we can focus on aspects such as geology, faith, trade, social structures or the history of the Icelandic flag. There are over 100 different showcases with props, so there is really a lot to be interested in! The audiobook is prepared for about 2.5 hours. Let's add time to look for suitable positions, a few boards that were not included in the radio play - only in written form, a visit to the souvenir shop and we can safely count on a 3-4 hour visit to this place. If you had a day with bad weather and spoiled your holiday plans, this is the place you should visit :)
Krzysztof RemusKrzysztof Remus
10
It details the history of Iceland from first settlement to modern day. A lot of the history was dominated by religion, so naturally there are lots of artifacts about religion, which I didn't find that interesting. I did like the timeline collection of items from the 1900s to modern day, it's interesting to see how WWII and American culture has influenced Iceland to become what it is today. I would say this is almost like a quick summary of the topics of other museums and what you might learn travelling in Iceland. There's some a display on the volcano eruptions, but you can learn a lot more about that in the lava exhibitions or shows. There was an exhibition of an old Icelandic house, which you can't go into, but there's almost the same display in the East Iceland Heritage Museum in Egilsstaðir, and you can walk into that house. As I just came back enriched with Icelandic knowledge from a two week tour around the island, this was just a bit repetitive for me, and wasn't so interesting. The gift shop had novelty Icelandic items like Viking board games, craft items, t-shirts, etc. If you just want souvenirs, try downtown Reykjavik.
Timothy LTimothy L
00
There's a ton of great material here, both artifacts and information about them, stretching from the earliest human activity on Iceland to a quick survey of modern times. Unfortunately, it's all contained in a roughly chronological jumble of exhibits that require tacking back and forth across each floor, with little to connect point A to point B. There's no narrative of the history, or clear view (especially when we get to the second floor and post-Reformation Iceland) of what the story of the Icelandic people really means, how it is connected, what the through-lines are. The result is a lot of data, but little information. Questions of Church and State come up, then vanish, then come up again, then vanish again, with no sense of why or how or what it means to Iceland today. Control from Norway, then Denmark, shows up here and there, and then there's an independence movement, and then Iceland is just kind of independent and has a new flag, but for someone who isn't actually Icelandic, it feels like half the story is missing, with the last 80-odd years turned into a collection of artifacts dug out of people's garages with very little context. In short, if the permanent exhibit is about "Making a Nation," I really don't understand what Iceland is as a nation today, or why, than I did when I started. It's a worthwhile place to visit, but it could be much, much better.
Dave HillDave Hill
10
Many people visit Iceland with only the island itself in mind, yet the history of the people on the island have a rich and varied history so tied to the land that it is seemingly difficult to separate them. The National Museum is the best example of this, filled with treasures of the past and examples of how the people eked out an existence on the unforgiving islands before thriving as they do today. It largely features religious relics (the first bible written in Icelandic, as well as many other items tied to the rise of Lutherism), and information on their links to Norway and Denmark. There does seem to be gaps, with large periods of Iceland's internal history seemingly forgotten or ignored. Perhaps, this is because of how linked it was to the Old World. Either way, the Museum itself covers the entire history of Iceland, despite varied depths. It is a must see in Reykjavik, for a greater understanding of how the Icelanders adapted to the island they now thrive on.
Mat RichardsonMat Richardson
00
Wow, was this a great museum! We visited the National Museum of Iceland as our first stop of our City Pass. This was an extremely worthwhile visit for us. It started off with extremely helpful staff, walking us through the city pass & answering our questions about parking & getting around town. I would say 3 of the 5 stars are for these two staff alone, as they were extremely helpful and nice! The museum itself was spectacular. It was everything I wanted from a country's museum, from its settlement to modern history. It contained a bunch of excellent exhibits that I thoroughly enjoyed. One of the really cool details was how they determine aging, and how Iceland's unique geological history lends itself to discovering when events occurred. I probably said "woah, look at x" so many times my wife probably has nightmares about it days later. Great museum, as a part of the city pass, it's a must do.
Evan WilliamsEvan Williams
60
The Reykjavik National History Museum is one of Iceland's most detailed historical museum about the past to present of Iceland. It contains artifacts of the past from the viking settlement era to the modern post-cold war era information, documentng the lives, religion, believes, and daily lives of the ancient to modern icelander's lifestyle and society. Some topics includes the lifestyle of early vikings, the religion shift, the monarchy kingdom, the industrial revolution, world war's roles, the believes changes, and the indeprndence from Denmark. The building itself contains 4 floors: 1st~3rd floor contains the collection, meanwhile there is a basement that contains some collections, restrooms, and a locker room. There is also a cafeteria/coffeeshop on the first floor with a gift shop next to it.
CrescentwujuCrescentwuju
10
Nearby Attractions Of National Museum of Iceland
Rainbow Street
The Settlement Exhibition
Ingólfur Square
BSÍ Bus Terminal Reykjavík
Vesturbæjarlaug
Reykjavík Art Museum Hafnarhús
Cathedral of Christ the King
The Icelandic Punk Museum
Hotel Reykjavik Centrum
Lækjartorg
Rainbow Street
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The Settlement Exhibition
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Ingólfur Square
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BSÍ Bus Terminal Reykjavík
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Nearby Restaurants Of National Museum of Iceland
Café Loki
Icelandic Street Food
Íslenski Barinn - The Icelandic Bar
Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
Hard Rock Cafe Reykjavík
101 Reykjavik Street Food
Messinn
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Grillmarkaðurinn
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Café Loki
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Icelandic Street Food
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Íslenski Barinn - The Icelandic Bar
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Address
Suðurgata 41, 102 Reykjavík, Iceland
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Phone
+354 530 2200
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Website
thjodminjasafn.is
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4.5
(1.7K reviews)
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Description
The National Museum of Iceland was established on 24 February 1863, with Jón Árnason the first curator of the Icelandic collection, previously kept in Danish museums.
attractions: Rainbow Street, The Settlement Exhibition, Ingólfur Square, BSÍ Bus Terminal Reykjavík, Vesturbæjarlaug, Reykjavík Art Museum Hafnarhús, Cathedral of Christ the King, The Icelandic Punk Museum, Hotel Reykjavik Centrum, Lækjartorg, restaurants: Café Loki, Icelandic Street Food, Íslenski Barinn - The Icelandic Bar, Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, Hard Rock Cafe Reykjavík, 101 Reykjavik Street Food, Messinn, Apotek Restaurant, Grillmarkaðurinn, Café Babalú
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