Museums
From Viking-age ruins to life-size whale models and volcanic eruption exhibits—Iceland's museums bring the island's dramatic history and natural forces to life.
Opening hours and admission prices may vary seasonally. Always check the museum's official website for the most up-to-date information before visiting.
Iceland's main history museum housing over 2,000 artifacts spanning from settlement-era Viking swords to modern-day culture. The permanent exhibition 'Making of a Nation' traces 1,200 years of Icelandic history.
Natural wonders exhibits and planetarium housed inside the iconic glass-domed Perlan building on Öskjuhlíð hill. Features an indoor ice cave, interactive displays on volcanoes, glaciers, and ocean life.
Life-size whale models in one of Europe's largest marine exhibitions. Features 23 life-size models of the whale species found in Icelandic waters, with audio guides and interactive displays.
Museum built around a house excavated from the 1973 Eldfell eruption in the Westman Islands. An immersive look at the devastating eruption that buried half the town under lava and ash.
Built around the ruins of a 10th-century Viking longhouse discovered beneath central Reykjavík. Multimedia exhibits bring the settlement era to life, centered on a hall dated to around 871 AD.
Wax figures and immersive scenes depicting key moments from Norse history and the Icelandic sagas. Features 17 recreated historical scenes with period-accurate costumes and artifacts.
Interactive volcano exhibition in the heart of Iceland's most active volcanic zone. Award-winning exhibits explain the geology behind Eyjafjallajökull, Katla, Hekla, and other nearby volcanoes.
Whale skeleton displays in the whale-watching capital of Iceland. Houses real whale skeletons including a massive blue whale, plus exhibits on whale biology, ecology, and Icelandic whaling history.
Perlan (The Pearl) is housed in one of Reykjavík's most recognizable landmarks—a glass dome perched atop six former hot-water storage tanks on Öskjuhlíð hill. Originally built to store geothermal water for the city's heating system, the building was repurposed in the 1990s as a cultural venue and observation deck. Today it houses one of Iceland's most ambitious museum experiences.
The museum's centerpiece is its indoor ice cave, a 100-meter tunnel built from over 350 tonnes of snow harvested from Icelandic mountains. Visitors walk through a recreated glacier environment complete with realistic ice formations and educational displays about glacial science. Other permanent exhibits explore Icelandic wildlife, ocean phenomena, and the forces behind the island's volcanic landscape.
The Áróra planetarium show projects the northern lights onto a full-dome screen, offering a guaranteed aurora experience regardless of season or weather. The observation deck on the fourth floor provides a 360-degree panorama of Reykjavík and the surrounding mountains, making Perlan worth visiting for the views alone.
Planning help
Quick answers with safety notes where it matters.