Den Frie Udstillingsbygning
Exhibition venue for contemporary art in a wooden building by J. F. Willumsen (1898), directly opposite Østerport station in København.
About the museum
Den Frie Udstilling was formed in 1891 as an alliance of artists who rebelled against the jurying of the spring exhibition at Charlottenborg; the founders included Johan Rohde, J. F. Willumsen, Vilhelm Hammershøi and Anne Marie Carl Nielsen. The model was the Paris Salon des Refusés. The first exhibitions took place in rented rooms and in a pavilion by Thorvald Bindesbøll at Rådhuspladsen.
In 1898 Willumsen himself designed a new exhibition building – as a timber construction following disputes with the municipal building authority. Because a cutting was dug for the railway, the building had to make way again in 1913 and was moved to its present site on Oslo Plads next to Østerport station. It has been listed since 1986; in 2002, the Pegasus reliefs, among other things, were restored.
The building still belongs to the artists' association Den Frie Udstilling, the oldest in Denmark, with a good 50 members. It shows changing exhibitions of contemporary art and has no collection of its own. In 2014, Café Pegasus and the exhibition space OSLO were added in the basement; in 2024 and 2025 the entrance area was restored.
Highlights
- Listed wooden exhibition building designed by the painter J. F. Willumsen
- Changing exhibitions of contemporary art
- Home of the oldest artists' association in Denmark (founded 1891)
- Pegasus reliefs on the façade
- Café Pegasus in the basement
- Free admission under 18
- Founded
- 1898
- Operated by
- Den Frie Udstilling (Künstlervereinigung)
- Director
- Marianne Torp
Admission & discounts
| Adults | DKK 85 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | DKK 65Seniors, students |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission under 18 |
| Seniors | DKK 65 |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Companions with a companion card (ledsagerkort) free. |
| Students & apprentices | DKK 65 |
| Annual pass | DKK 250 |
| Annual pass with companion (+1) | DKK 375 |
| Annual pass students/seniors | DKK 165 |
Annual pass holders have free admission.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Step-free access via the main entrance, elevators to all exhibition areas and accessible restrooms on every floor. Service dogs are welcome.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Østerport St.
S-tog, regional trains and Metro M4 to Østerport; bus lines 1A and 15
By car
Parking in the Nyboder neighborhood.
The building is located directly opposite Østerport station.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
Café Pegasus in the basement with food, coffee and wine, focusing on plant-based seasonal cuisine; table reservations online, groups of 8 or more people by arrangement.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
- Corporate events
The whole building or individual rooms can be rented for private and corporate events; floor plan as a PDF on the visitor page.
Inquiries & details
