Kunstmuseet i Tønder
Art museum for Nordic art since 1900, with Kulturhistorie Tønder and Wegner chairs in the water tower – closed for renovation until 2028.
About the museum
The museum history in Tønder begins in 1923, when a museum was set up in the gatehouse of Tønderhus Castle, which had been demolished in 1750. Its art collection was split off in 1972 and became independent as Sønderjyllands Kunstmuseum; today it is called Kunstmuseet i Tønder. The cultural history section operates as Kulturhistorie Tønder. Since 2006 both have belonged to Museum Sønderjylland and share an address and admission ticket.
The art museum shows Danish and Nordic art of the 20th and 21st centuries, including works by Asger Jorn, Ejler Bille, Richard Mortensen, and Per Kirkeby. The present exhibition halls were designed by the architect Niels Frithiof Truelsen; the building, completed in 1999, offers around 1,115 square meters of space with halls more than seven meters high and a floor of pine wood blocks.
Kulturhistorie Tønder in the old gatehouse is devoted to the decorative arts of West Schleswig in the 18th and 19th centuries: Tønder lace, local silver, furniture, faience, and Dutch tiles that testify to trade with the south. The 40-meter-high water tower of 1902 next door was converted in the mid-1990s and opened in 1995 as a venue for chairs by the furniture designer Hans J. Wegner, who was born in Tønder and donated them to the museum.
Since September 1, 2026, the art museum, Kulturhistorie, and the water tower have been closed for a comprehensive modernization. Plans include a new entrance facing the town, better connections between the buildings, new cultural history exhibitions, a significantly expanded Wegner exhibition, and a new café with a family room. Reopening is announced for June 2028.
Highlights
- Danish and Nordic art of the 20th and 21st centuries
- Hans J. Wegner chair collection in the water tower of 1902
- Tønder lace and Tønder silver in Kulturhistorie Tønder
- Exhibition halls by Niels Frithiof Truelsen (1999)
- Location on the castle hill of the former Tønderhus
- Founded
- 1972
- Operated by
- Museum Sønderjylland
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available
A few parking spaces opposite the main entrance; time-limited parking at Skibbroen.
Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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