National Museum of Iceland

The National Museum of Iceland (Þjóðminjasafn Íslands) at Suðurgata 41 in Reykjavik is the country's main museum of cultural history, founded in 1863 and housed in its present building near the University of Iceland since 1950. Its permanent exhibition, Making of a Nation: Heritage and History in Iceland, follows the story of Icelandic society from the Settlement Age in the 9th and 10th centuries to the present day. The exhibition includes more than 2,000 objects arranged chronologically over two floors. Early pieces include Viking Age tools, weapons, and jewellery, among them a bronze figure of the god Thor, found at Eyrarland in northern Iceland, and the carved doors of the church at Valþjófsstaður from around 1200. The medieval section shows ecclesiastical items, textiles, and carved wooden objects, and later halls cover the Reformation, the period of Danish trade monopoly, the rise of a fishing economy, and the movement toward independence in 1944. Displays are accompanied by text in Icelandic and English, with audio guides and multimedia stations, and the approach is a mix of chronological and thematic presentation. The museum also stages temporary exhibitions and has a photography collection and a research library. The building itself was designed by the State Architect Guðjón Samúelsson and underwent renovation and redesign of the exhibition in the early 2000s, reopening with the current permanent display in 2004. The collection is conserved to modern standards, including controlled environments for fragile textiles and metalwork. The museum has a café and shop, and it lies in a quiet area near the Vatnsmýri nature reserve, within walking distance of the city centre. Information on ticketing and hours is published at thjodminjasafn.is.