10 Museums in Iceland That You Shouldn't Miss

September 18, 2021 Kandra Bartel

Iceland (/ˈaɪslənd/ ( listen); Icelandic: Ísland, pronounced [ˈistlant]) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic, with a population of 348,580 and an area of 103,000 km (40,000 sq mi), making it the most sparsely populated country in Europe. The capital and largest city is Reykjavík. Reykjavík and the surrounding areas in the southwest of the country are home to over two-thirds of the population.
Restaurants in Iceland

1. The Transportation Museum at Ystafell

Ystafell 3, Husavik 641 Iceland +354 464 3133 [email protected] http://www.ystafell.is
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5.0 based on 67 reviews

The Transportation Museum at Ystafell

The Transportation Museum at Ystafell is the oldest car museum in Iceland and has one of the largest collections of cars in the country. It also features many other types of vehicles and plenty of antique treasures to discover.

Reviewed By elvarveigur11

Amazing place for people who love history and love cars, personally i think this is one of the most uniqe museum in iceland, i am going to visit this place everytime i drive by because the experience you get is so unreal. Love this place and love the people that own it.

2. Tales from Iceland

Snorrabraut 37 Austurbaer, Reykjavik 105 Iceland +354 518 4000 [email protected] http://tales.is
Excellent
86%
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5.0 based on 539 reviews

Tales from Iceland

Dear traveler, we regret to announce that as of March 18, Tales from Iceland will be closed until further notice, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reviewed By tonyh486

If you want to find out about the country in a fantastic way this is a great place to visit. We had a discount on admission as a result of a trip to the golden circle but this is worth the full price of admission. The virtual reality tour of some of the wonderful sight's of this wonderful country is worth it on it's own. A bonus is complimentary hot and cold drinks, and you are not pressured to leave as at the moment there's not too many visitors finding this experience. 10/10

3. Arbaer Open Air Museum

Kistuhyl 4, Reykjavik 110 Iceland +354 411 6304 [email protected] http://reykjavikcitymuseum.is/arbaer-open-air-museum
Excellent
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4.5 based on 668 reviews

Arbaer Open Air Museum

Árbær Open Air Museum - A day out of time Reykjavík's open-air museum, where you can stroll through the past and experience the way we lived. Fun, fascinating and full of surprises, this living museum takes you on a journey through time. Reykjavík's early history is preserved in a series of lovingly-restored homes, where you'll encounter costumed guides, grazing animals and traditional crafts. Exhibitions, demonstrations and tours reveal how Reykjavík came to life, from a few scattered farms to a vibrant capital city. JUNE - AUGUST Open daily 10 AM - 5 PM. SEPTEMBER - MAY Open daily 1 PM - 5 PM. Daily guided tours in English, all year round, at 1 PM - no booking necessary. No guided tours on Dec 25, Jan 1, Good Friday & Easter Sunday. Árbær Open Air Museum is part of Reykjavík City Museum: One museum in five unique places. Welcome!

Reviewed By O3023AWmikes - Swansea, United Kingdom

Like St Fagan's in Wales this venue preserves Iceland's historic buildings and was a lovely place to visit with the fresh snow fall. Staff were very friendly and helpful, chatting about the structures and Icelandic culture, they also kindly gave us free coffee.

4. Perlan

Varmahlid 1 Oskjuhlid, Reykjavik 105 Iceland +354 566 9000 [email protected] http://www.perlan.is/
Excellent
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4.5 based on 2,446 reviews

Perlan

Perlan is a must-visit landmark and Nature Exploratorium. In our Wonders of Iceland exhibitions, you learn all about Icelandic nature in interactive and fun ways. Natural wonders come alive at your fingertips – volcanoes, northern lights, glaciers, ocean-life, seabirds, and so much more. You explore a real ice cave, sit back in a first-class Planetarium, have fun with interactive displays, and enjoy views all over Reykjavík city. You can catch our Áróra Planetarium show on the half hour in the English language and on the full hour in Icelandic from 10:30 AM until 5:30 PM, every day! On Perlan’s top floor, there is a café and fantastic views. (Free parking).

Reviewed By 539BarbaraS539

Visited on a free evening in Reykjavik, great planetarium show, also interesting exhibitions about Icelandic flora and fauna, geology and an ice cave, estaurant and bar at the top of the dome giving great views over the city, restaurant revolves so get a 360 degree view, worth visiting, interesting for children, lots of engaging activities

5. The Husavik Whale Museum

Hafnarstett 1, Husavik 640 Iceland +354 414 2800 [email protected] http://www.whalemuseum.is/
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4.5 based on 699 reviews

The Husavik Whale Museum

The Húsavík Whale Museum is a non-profit organization established in 1997. The Húsavík Whale Museum is situated in Húsavík, a small town in north east Iceland, on the shores of Skjálfandi Bay, just below the Arctic Circle at 66° N. The museum’s purpose is to educate the public about whales, with emphasis on the species occurring in the North Atlantic. The exhibition provides informative and attractive displays that have the capacity to raise awareness about cetaceans and their environment. The scientific component includes an introduction to the museum’s research, which has been expanding since 2001 and now includes international collaborations and publications. The museum was acknowledged as an educational facility by the Icelandic Ministry of Education in 2007.

Reviewed By AnupSushmank - Dallas, United States

If you do whale watching tour, which I highly recommend, then you will get 10-20% discount for this museum and some restaurants. This is worth it. They have free filter coffee inside.

6. National Museum of Iceland

Sudurgata 41, Reykjavik 101 Iceland +354 530 2200 [email protected] http://www.natmus.is/english
Excellent
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4.5 based on 3,800 reviews

National Museum of Iceland

Reviewed By Mjhorns - Bangkok, Thailand

The National Museum of Iceland was a great activity for our first day in Iceland. It runs through the history of the settlement of the country, with lots of interesting artifacts such as swords, broaches, tools, clothing, and more. It's incredible that Icelanders have survived multiple plagues and volcanic eruptions, as well as a famine. Additional highlights were free lockers to store coats, hats, backpacks; a lovely cafe and gift shop; and the ticket price includes entry to another museum in a different part of town, the Culture House. Highly recommend for learning more about this destination.

7. Skogar Museum

Skogasafn 1, Skogar 861 Iceland +354 487 8845 [email protected] http://www.skogasafn.is
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4.5 based on 550 reviews

Skogar Museum

Skogar Museum, in Skogar, Southern Iceland, is a cultural heritage collection of 15,000 artifacts exhibited in 3 museums and 6 historical buildings. It's one minute from Skogar Waterfall, just off Ring Road 1. Skogar Museum is open 365 days of the year, and we look forward to your visit! Hours: June, July, August 9:00-18:00, September through May 10:00-17:00. The Folk Museum includes agricultural and fishery tools, boats and maritime gear, textiles and costumes, musical instruments, rare books and manuscripts, natural history, and fascinating Icelandic curiousities. The Open Air Museum includes a traditional turf farmstead, a 19th century gabled farm home, a home crafted from ship wrecked driftwood, a multi denominational church assembled from 16 regional churches, and of course a miniature turf home for elves. The Transport and Communications Museums document technologies transforming rural south coast farmsteads into a network of modern communities, with an exemplary collection of automobiles, trucks, highway machinery, telecommunication, radio, and rescue team equipment used over the last century.

Reviewed By 836anneliesb - Antwerp Province, Belgium

I learned a lot at the Skogar museum. It is a very informative and detailed museum about the daily live in the early days, about transportation and communication. It is an extensive museum, both inside and outside. Certainly worth a visit.

8. The Settlement Center

Brakarbraut 13-15, Borgarnes, Borgarbyggd 310 Iceland +354 437 1600 [email protected] http://www.landnam.is/eng/
Excellent
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4.5 based on 749 reviews

The Settlement Center

The Settlement Center is closed until May 13th. Looking forward to seeing you. Settlement- & Egils Saga exhibition offering a wealth of information, the Settlement Center provides a wonderful insight into Iceland’s history. It also gives you the chance to put your visit into the context of the country’s past. The exhibitions recreate the fascinating drama of the sagas and the birth of this island nation. They also bring to life one of Iceland’s most important cultural treasures, Egils Saga. The exhibitions at the Settlement Center tell the story of the first settlers and the story of Iceland’s most important saga – Egils Saga. Egill Skalla-Grimson was a famous Viking and poet and his father and was one of the first settlers and his family settled at Borg near Borgarnes. The goal is to make the ancient sagas accessible to all ages.

Reviewed By paulaD1696NV - Toronto, Canada

Getting ready to go to Iceland, we had listened to some of the Sagas. The Settlement Centre had two different audio guided tours, one about the history of the settlement of Iceland and the other a guide through Egil’s Saga, one of the most famous (and longest) of the Sagas. Both were perfect! The information was accessible and the audio guide left you in perfect control of pacing. The staff was helpful and pleasant. Anyone with time in Borgarnes should visit the Settlement Centre. Also, the only gift shop where I actually bought anything in either Iceland or Norway this trip! (See separate but just as glowing a review of the attached restaurant!)

9. Icelandic Phallological Museum

Hafnartorg, Reykjavik 101 Iceland +354 561 6663 [email protected] http://www.phallus.is
Excellent
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4.5 based on 11 reviews

Icelandic Phallological Museum

The Icelandic Phallological museum opens after a major ʹfaceliftʹ The Icelandic Phallological Museum has relocated to a bigger space right by the harbor in downtown Reykjavik. With triple the space, scores of new exhibits, interactive features, and a phallic themed bistro, the visitorʹs experience is improved in every way. The new address is in Hafnartorg, and the entrance in Reykjastraeti

Reviewed By katedV4667XE

Honestly didn't know what to expect. Ended up going because we had a free morning and was surprised at how informative it was!. Just thought it was going to be a gimmicky museum. The staff were really friendly and although I never thought I'd say this about a penis museum, the atmosphere was great as well. Definitely a bit of fun if you have some spare time whilst in Reykjavik.

10. The Settlement Exhibition

Adalstraeti 16, Reykjavik 101 Iceland +354 411 6370 [email protected] http://reykjavikcitymuseum.is/the-settlement-exhibition
Excellent
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4.5 based on 2,995 reviews

The Settlement Exhibition

The Settlement Exhibition - Step into the Viking Age. An open excavation where Viking ruins meet digital technology. Just below ground in downtown Reykjavik, this open excavation uncovers the city's Viking Age history. Discovered during building work, then carefully excavated, these remnants of the past are the earliest evidence of human settlement in the city. Family-friendly, including a children's activity area, this multimedia exhibition uses creative technology to immerse you in the Viking Age. Open daily 09:00-18:00 (9 am - 6 pm). Guided tours in summer on weekdays at 11:00. Address: Tryggvagata 15, 101 Reykjavik The Settlement Exhibition is part of Reykjavik City Museum: One museum in five unique places. Welcome!

Reviewed By keithk837 - Alton, United Kingdom

The Settlement Exhibition takes you right back to the early settlers of Iceland by way of an excavated farmhouse dating back to around 871AD, the use of technology enhances your understanding of the time period and the settlers and like the other museums in Reykjavik it is presented in Icelandic & English with interactive displays and information boards.

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