Mandøhuset

About the museum

The Mandøhuset in the village of the small Wadden Sea island of Mandø was built in 1831 as the residence of a seafaring family and appears to this day nearly in its original condition. In the 19th century, Mandø was part of Danish seafaring culture: the men went to sea on large sailing ships, and the sons went on board after confirmation. Meanwhile women, children and the elderly ran a small farm and were largely self-sufficient.

In 1962 the house was acquired for museum purposes. The rooms are furnished as if the family had only just stepped out: with Dutch tiles in the living room, binoculars, sextant and compass as evidence of a sailor's life, Mandø costumes, the old wood stove in the kitchen and a restored, working bake oven in the wash house. A family history tells of the fate of the crew of the brig "Helen," who died of yellow fever in Brazil.

In the former stable, separate exhibitions have been set up: a maritime room with models of the sailing ship "Anna" and the flat-bottomed barge "Karen af Mandø," material on the history of rescue services and strandings off the island, and accounts of the Allied bombers shot down near Mandø in World War II, including the Halifax DK 261. The museum also includes the rescue station, operated from 1912 to 1961, where changing exhibitions are shown in summer, and a local history archive. All of it is carried by the independent association Foreningen Mandøhuset, whose members – islanders and descendants – preserve buildings, objects and stories.

Highlights

• Original captain's house from 1831
• Rooms with Dutch tiles and Mandø costumes
• Working old bake oven
• Ship models "Anna" and "Karen af Mandø"
• Stories of strandings and World War II bomber crashes
• Historic rescue station

Permanent exhibitions

• Skipperhjemmet – Living rooms, kitchen, wash house and workshop of a 19th-century captain's house, furnished with furniture, costumes and seafaring objects of the former residents.
• Det maritime rum – Ship models, objects and pictures on Wadden Sea shipping, rescue services and strandings off Mandø.
• Historier fra 2. Verdenskrig – Accounts of Allied bombers shot down near Mandø, with finds from the crew of the Halifax DK 261 and the help of the islanders.

Founded

1962

Operated by

Foreningen Mandøhuset

Admission & discounts

Prices according to the tourism portal Vadehavskysten.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Getting there & parking

On foot, the roughly 5 km long Mandø Ebbevej, marked with bundles of brushwood, and the 6.5 km long Låningsvejen lead across the tidal flats; always check the tides beforehand, walk at your own risk.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit