The Geothermal Exhibition invites visitors to experience first-hand how renewable energy is produced at Iceland’s largest geothermal power plant, ON Power’s Hellisheiði plant. The plant produces electricity for Iceland’s national grid and hot water for the capital region. Visitors are invited to learn about the history of geothermal resources and sustainable energy in Iceland through a variety of displays. The …
Gljúfrasteinn – Laxness Museum
Halldór Laxness (1902-1998), winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955, stands head and shoulders above the other Icelandic writers of the 20th century. He was prolific during his long career, writing 13 major novels, five plays and a dramatisation of one of his novels, not to mention his collections of short stories, essays and memoirs. His books have …
Akranes Folk Museum
Akranes Folk Museum opened the doors to a new and renovated exhibition in the spring of 2021 and was the exhibition nominated for the Icelandic Museum Awards 2022. The exhibition discovers everyday life in Akranes and Hvalfjarðarsveit and the development from a farmers and fishing village in the 17th century to a modern day society in the 21st century. The exhibition …
Icelandic Sea Monster Museum
Tales of sea monsters have played a colourful role in Icelandic folk culture for centuries and thousands of written accounts can be found all around the country. Today, these elusive creatures that still appear in Arnafjörður have been given a worthy home at the Icelandic Sea Monster Museum, in Arnarfjörður fjord, proclaimed to be one of the most prolific centers …
Skyrland in Selfoss
Skyrland exhibition is located in The Old Dairy, part of the newly opened Selfoss Centre. From the first settlers, struggling to survive the freezing winters, to the 21st century kitchen table, skyr is woven through the story of a nation. A journey of sights, scents and tastes, you’ll discover a 1000-year story of how a Viking dairy product became a …
Viking World
The uniquely attractive Viking World houses the Viking ship, Íslendingur, built by the craftsman-captain, Gunnar Marel Eggertsson, who sailed it to New York in the year 2000. There are also three exciting exhibits and during summers, among other things is a ‘Settlement Zoo’ on the surrounding grounds. The Viking ship Íslendingur is an exact replica of the Gaukstad ship, and …
The Settlement Exhibition & Reykjavík… the story continues
Just below ground in Aðalstræti 16 in downtown Reykjavík, this open excavation uncovers the city’s Viking Age history. Discovered during building work in 2001, these archaeological remains turned out to be the earliest evidence of human settlement in the city, with some dating to before AD 871±2. Careful excavation revealed a 10th-century hall or longhouse, which is now preserved in …
National Museum of Iceland
The curious displays at the National Museum of Iceland captivate visitors of all ages. The secrets of the past will open up to you through the compelling stories told at the National Museum of Iceland. The permanent exhibition at the National Museum, “Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland”, is conceived as a journey through time and …
Saga Museum
At the height of the Age of the Sturlungs, chieftain Gissur Þorvaldsson raises his axe, ready to kill his arch enemy, Sturla Sighvatsson. With a crazed look in her eyes, explorer Freydís Eiríksdóttir slaps a sword against her naked breast to scare hostile “barbarians” in Vinland away. Law-speaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði lies under his fur blanket, racking his brain for a …
Eldheimar – Volcano Museum
Imagine what it was like waking up in the middle of the night to a volcanic eruption in your town! Eldheimar, a volcano museum of remembrance in Westman-Islands, traces the story of the 1973 eruption with a powerful and moving interactive exhibition. Almost all the inhabitants of Heimaey, over 5.000 people, had to leave their homes in the middle of …
The Settlement Center
The Settlement Center in Borgarnes takes visitors on a magical journey through Egil’s saga and the story of Iceland’s settlement; two interesting exhibitions. The Egil´s exhibition is dedicated to Egill Skallagrímsson, poet, warrior, and one of the Icelandic sagas’ most colorful characters in the 10th century. The exhibition takes visitors through the magical and mythical storyline of Egil’s saga. Scenes …
The Leif Eiriksson Center
The Leif Eiriksson Center in Búðardalur in Dalir is edicated to explorer Leif the Lucky and his father Eric the Red. The exhibiton traces the Saga of the Greenlanders and the Saga of Erik the Red, documenting their discoveries of parts of Greenland and North America. According to the tale, Leif arrived in America in the year 1000 AD, about …
Kakalaskáli in Skagafjörður
Experience the Age of the Sturlungs through the history and art exhibition in Kakalaskáli in Skagafjörður. The so-called Age of the Sturlungs was a period of repeated armed struggles between the main ruling clans in Iceland who fought for power. Travel back to the civil war in 13th century Iceland and picture the ruling clans clashing at Haugsnes in North Iceland …