Museums in Reykjavík

The Saga Museum uses lifelike silicone figures, atmospheric sound effects, and period settings to dramatize key moments from Iceland's Viking and medieval history. Located near the Perlan in the Grandi district, it offers an accessible introduction to the Icelandic sagas.

The Reykjavík Maritime Museum (Sjóminjasafnið) tells the story of Iceland's deep relationship with the ocean—from the age of open rowing boats to the modern fishing fleet—in a converted fish-processing factory on the Old Harbour.

Perlan (The Pearl) is a futuristic glass-dome museum and exhibition centre perched atop Öskjuhlíð hill, built over six massive former hot-water storage tanks. It houses immersive exhibitions on Iceland's natural wonders, including a real indoor ice cave and a planetarium.

Whales of Iceland is Europe's largest whale exhibition, featuring 23 life-size models of the cetacean species found in Icelandic waters. Suspended in a darkened, atmospheric hall, the models range from harbour porpoises to a 25-metre blue whale.

The National Museum of Iceland (Þjóðminjasafn Íslands) is the country's premier cultural institution, telling the story of Iceland from the first Norse settlements around 870 AD to the present day. The permanent exhibition, "Making of a Nation," spans over 2,000 artefacts across two floors.

The Einar Jónsson Museum is dedicated to Iceland's first major sculptor (1874–1954), displaying his symbolist figurative works inside a purpose-built museum next to Hallgrímskirkja. The free outdoor sculpture garden behind the building is equally compelling.

Kjarvalsstaðir is dedicated to the work of Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval (1885–1972), one of Iceland's most beloved painters. Set in Klambratún park, the museum pairs Kjarval's dreamlike landscapes with temporary exhibitions of contemporary art.

Hafnarhús is the largest of the Reykjavík Art Museum's three locations, housed in a modernised 1930s harbour warehouse near the Old Harbour. It focuses on contemporary art with rotating exhibitions alongside a permanent collection of works by Erró, the Icelandic pop-art pioneer.

The Settlement Exhibition (Landnámssýningin) is built directly around the excavated remains of a 10th-century Viking-age longhouse, one of the oldest man-made structures in Iceland. The multimedia museum brings the Norse settlement period vividly to life.

Árbær Open Air Museum is a living-history village on the outskirts of Reykjavík, with over 20 historic buildings relocated from around the city and countryside. Staff in period costume demonstrate traditional crafts, and farm animals roam the grounds.