The 10 Best Specialty Museums in Reykjavik, Capital Region

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.

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).

Reykjavík City Museum engaging journeys through culture, heritage and history. Five unique places that take you beyond the shore and below the ground. Five museum experiences that cover the Settlement to the contemporary moment. And five fun and engaging ways to enjoy Reykjavík’s exciting cultural heritage. The museum sites are: Árbær Open Air Museum, The Settlement Exhibition & Aðalstræti 10, Reykjavík Museum of Photography, Reykjavík Maritime Museum and Viðey Island. All museum sites are family friendly. Four of the museum sites are within walking distance of downtown Reykjavík, while the Árbær Open Air Museum is only a fifteen-minute-drive from the city centre. The ferry to Viðey Island leaves from the Old Harbour in downtown Reykjavík.

Gljufrasteinn - Laxness museum was the home and workplace of Halldor Laxness (winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955) and his family for more than half a century. It is now opened to the public as a museum, unchanged from when Laxness lived there. In the reception building you can buy tickets, souvenirs, books, and watch a multimedia presentation dedicated to Laxness’s life and work. Visitors can take walks in the beautiful countryside as well.

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

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!

The Icelandic Punk museum is situated in one of Reykjavik most prolific spots. At Bankastraeti Zero, the old public toilets in the bottom of the main street. Seeing is believing and we will see you here!

The Culture house, which is a part of the National museum has always been considered one of Iceland's most beautiful buildings. The main exhibition called Points of View takes guests on a journey through the Icelandic visual world of past and present. Your ticket to the Culture House is also valid to the National Museum of Iceland.

Reykjavík Maritime Museum - How the ocean formed a nation A harbour museum exploring Iceland's dramatic relationship with the sea. The survival of a nation depended on generations of brave fishermen heading into the unknown. Over the centuries, methods of catching and working with fish transformed into a science that helped create a modern nation. Exhibitions and artefacts bring our ocean history to life, from battling the waves to the 'Cod Wars' and beyond. Plus the chance to climb aboard the Óðinn, a 900-ton coastguard ship, with its own stories to tell. Guided tours of the Coast Guard Vessel Óðinn:1 PM, 2 PM & 3 PM. Reykjavík Maritime Museum is part of Reykjavík City Museum: One museum in five unique places. Welcome!