Name: National Museum of Iceland
Address: SuÃ°urgata 41, 101 ReykjavÃk, Iceland, IS
Telephone: +354 530 2200

National Museum of Iceland is a museum, located at Suðurgata 41, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland. They can be contacted via phone at +354 530 2200, visit their website www.thjodminjasafn.is for more detailed information.

Location :

Suðurgata 41, 101 Reykjavík

Contacts :

Added by Jopie, at 27 February 2017

Monday Closed
Tuesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

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Mike Going

23 April 2018

Visited mid-April 18 with family, including three teen kids.
Well worth the visit if you are interested in Iceland's history, origins and progress. The kids were all very happy and interested.
Well laid out and presented exceptionally well. The short videos placed around the displays are very informative. I can't understand other comments criticising the flow. Some people just want spoon feeding!
Some displays are dark.
Overall highly recommended!
Ladislav Carda

23 April 2018

Looks small for museum, but don´t be afraid. Inside is 2 floors with exhibition where price for this is 2000KR, and you can visit Culture House with this ticket. Best is to use web app for guide, it was great experience to go from one exhibition to another with my phone and listen to great information, that were unique. Thank You for that guide! And you can use free lockers downstairs, they are free! PS: Coffeshop is present ;)
Joshua Herbert

12 March 2018

Wow, this is a must stop place on your travels. I great way to learn about the country and its rich history. I would say go here first before seeing anything else in Iceland. This way you can appreciate the country better. The museum it's self is small but they have filled it with knowledge and artifacts, not a great place to being very young kids but I would say 12 and up. Great place. They have a lot to see, set aside a 6 hours for this place. It is located very centrally and parking is free and easy.
Dan Minster

08 March 2018

The National Museum was a nice addition to the assortment of museums and locations that we went to to learn about the history and culture of Iceland. There are some amazing Viking collection pieces, and the small dress-up room is fun.
Tips: free entry included with Reykjavik City Card; there are free lockers; set aside 1.5-2.5 hours here.
Lulu Li

08 March 2018

Really cool museum with a ton of history and amazing stuff. You can easily spend 2+ hours there. It's self-paced so you can go faster or slower, whatever you feel like.
Elina Lulle

15 February 2018

Gives a good overview of Icelandic history from Viking times to today. Different levels of detail so good if you want to skim read and spend an hour there or you can easily spend 3 hours there.
Chris Kenty

12 February 2018

Fabulous museum with awesome collection of artifacts. Really helps one to understand more about the country. The building itself is beautiful; nice coffee shop too.
Julia Smith

10 February 2018

The museum is further out of town than we expected and it took a while to get to. Not an essential visit but good if you have time to spare in Reykjavik. It's 2,000 ISK per adult - this made it nearly 30 GBP for 2 adults which is a lot of money (but we are used to free museums in England!). Overall it was good, the settlement exhibits were very interesting but it was laid out in an odd way which made it hard to see things in a chronological order at times. The rest of the museum is more mixed in theme and wasn't as cohesive. Only two floors to look at which was a shame, expected it to be bigger but we had a good two hours or so here.
Mat Richardson

01 February 2018

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.
Donald Robertson

02 January 2018

Understand what it means to be an Icelander in a short visit. High quality displays worth an hour or two. Don't miss the soup! (Soup and great water like wine is an Iceland given).
Robert Canaga

09 December 2017

The attention detail, depth of explanation of each exhibit and the variety of display kept us here for well over two hours, and we were on a tight schedule! There is a fine store and a small restaurant with a great array of quick meals to replenish your energy! Love it!
Kevin Lindauer

06 December 2017

The national museum provides an in-depth review of Icelandic culture from settlement to the modern day. Visitors game insight on the religious and cultural development of the Icelandic people and their overall place in the world. I wouldn't miss this!
Arturo Millán

30 November 2017

Amazing museum. One of the best National Museums I've been to. Not large at all, if you wanna scheme it, two hours is enough; read every panel and you could be all day. Half price for students.
Bonnie Ann Cain-Wood

23 November 2017

Great museum if you enjoy historical artifacts. It's well designed to be enjoyable if you like to skim through, read a little, or dive deep. Totally worth the price of admission, and we were giving free bonus tickets to the Culture House.
Vilhjálmur Feuerstein

03 November 2017

Worth a visit if you're in Reykjavik but not worth travelling far to visit. Has a decent range of items but the displays are so dark that it is impossible to see them in any detail. The layout is slightly strange, with a general chronological route but not a huge amount of thought to natural flow. Highlights include the brooches, the reconstructed bathhouse with the accompanying painting upstairs, and the very bizarre hats worn by the women in all of the early modern portraits. Shop is well stocked but expensive, and the toilets are clean if a bit pokey.
Fred Finney

27 October 2017

Great museum for learning about the history, archaeology, and ecology of Iceland. In particular Iceland is a large island that was only settled by humans about 1150 years ago. The first or ground floor has the museum shop and cafe. The second floor covers from AD 800 to 1600 in 200 year increments. The topics are initial settlement, spread of Christian religion, Norwegian rule, and Danish Rule. A few carved wooden church lintels and one door are on exhibit. The preservation of these artifacts is unusual given the scarcity and necessity for recycling wood in Iceland. The third floor exhibits are from AD 1600 to the present. The history of the reformation in Iceland is fascinating. Enjoyed seeing the late Medieval backgammon set on this floor. The National Museum of Iceland nicely complements the nearby Reykjavík Settlement Exhibition built over an in situ AD 930 longhouse.
Pearson Sharp

13 September 2017

Pretty cool! Not as much Viking history as I would have liked, and the displays were very dimly lit, it was very hard to see the artifacts. But still an amazing glimpse into history
Brent Magnusson

26 July 2017

What a wonderful museum! I learned everything I wanted to know about what has (and hasn't) changed about Iceland since they were first settled. Well worth the price of admission.
Matthew Lane

22 July 2017

Excellent museum, chronicling the entire human history of the country with impressive artifacts, a logical layout, captivating facts, and a useful progression to help visitors mentally tie it together. Especially good for context before or after touring the rest of the country. One of the top 10 museums in the county, in my opinion.
Matthew Line

17 July 2017

Excellent museum. We spent almost 2 hours, and were able to see most of the exhibits. The interviews with typical Icelandic people (benches with headphones) were great, as were some of the interactive videos. The Reformation in Iceland could be a season of Game of Thrones.

Don't miss the hands-on rooms, even though they're meant for kids.

Free lockers in the basement near the washrooms.
Michelle Belacic

09 July 2017

Great overview of Icelandic history, especially the early settlers. Unfortunately, the display cases are very dark (even when you press the button to light the case). The descriptions of the objects are brightly backlit though, so you end up shading your eyes from the bright light in order to see into the dark cases.

They have an amazing collection of artifacts; I particularly enjoyed the examples of women's costumes from the 1800's and the reproduction of a rural farmhouse.
Rupert Langford

11 June 2017

Provided a real sense of what Iceland's history was like. The harsh environment they must have suffered through all those years ago and even now how it is still almost as unforgiving. This was great experience for historians of all levels. There really was something for everyone who went. You could stop to read all the information but many of the things were self explanatory and you could tell what they were simply from looking at the objects on display.
Stephen Knight

14 April 2017

Great history of Iceland. Loved the exhibits. Good place to spend a few hours learning about Iceland.
Marc-André Plante

13 April 2017

If you a one stop shop to learn the history of Iceland, this is place to go! Two stories of history from when Vikings first arrived around the year 900 AD until now. They cover everything and include thousands of artifacts that have been uncovered. I spent the whole afternoon there and didn't even get the chance to read all the signs. A pass for the museum also grants you a free pass to the Nordic House not too far from there. They've also got lockers to hold your bag, included in the ticket price. If you like history this is a must go!
Eric Holloway

04 April 2017

Very informative. Exhibits were laid out nicely and had well preserved artifacts, effectively incorporating interactive elements. One of the best in the country!
Neroshan Thevakumaran

26 March 2017

Lovely museum that is very modern. It takes you through Iceland's history with the perfect amount of background accompanying the artifacts. There is both an Icelandic and English description to every artifact.
Peter Vetter

06 March 2017

I'm a bit of a museum junkie, and this place was a real treat! I really enjoyed how well laid out the museum was, especially the attending descriptions. It was a fantastic way to spend an afternoon. Take your time with it, and keep an eye out, there are plenty of hidden gems!