Mothsgården

About the museum

Mothsgården stands in the old village center of Søllerød and was built around 1680 for Matthias Moth, a high official at the court of King Christian V, who was also a physician, judge and linguist. The house served him as a summer residence and is considered the oldest surviving country house in Denmark. After Moth's death in 1719 the owners changed several times; the three-wing complex around a courtyard has been under heritage protection since 1970.

Guests have also shaped the history of the house: Edvard Grieg spent a summer here in 1868 and worked on his Piano Concerto in A minor, which is commemorated by a plaque facing the village pond.

In 1973/74 the farmyard was converted into the Søllerød Museum. In 2007 it was merged into Rudersdal Museer, the state-recognized local museum of the Rudersdal municipality, which also includes the prehistory museum Vedbækfundene and the Historical Archive. Since the administration moved to Nærum in 2014, the main house has been used entirely for exhibitions.

The permanent exhibition "Rudersdal i 1000 år" uses objects, photographs and loans from, among others, the Nationalmuseet and the Royal Library to tell of the interplay between people and landscape – from medieval farmers through pastors and merchants to the villa districts of the 20th century. The kitchen has been restored to its 1917 state and now serves as a café.

Highlights

• Country house from around 1680, considered the oldest surviving country house in Denmark
• Permanent exhibition "Rudersdal i 1000 år" with digital stories
• Section on Matthias Moth, court official and linguist
• Edvard Grieg lived here in the summer of 1868
• Café in the 1917 kitchen and in the museum garden

Permanent exhibitions

• Rudersdal i 1000 år – A thousand years of history of the area around Søllerød, Holte and Vedbæk with objects, photos and loans as well as a digital layer with further stories; one part is devoted to Matthias Moth.

Operated by

Rudersdal Museer (Rudersdal Kommune)

Director

Vivi Lena Andersen

Admission & discounts

The admission ticket is also valid on the same day for Vedbækfundene (Henriksholms Allé 4, Vedbæk). Members of Historisk-topografisk Selskab – Rudersdal have free admission.

Accessibility

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

Kids & families

• Kids’ birthday parties

Children and young people under 18 have free admission. Birthdays can be celebrated with coffee, cake and cocoa in the old kitchen; a packed lunch brought along can be eaten in the garden or in the kitchen.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Café with coffee, tea, cake, ice cream, beer and wine – in the museum garden or in the kitchen restored to its 1917 state. Museum shop with books on cultural and local history, old-fashioned toys and locally made goods such as jam and apple cider.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties

Up to 30 guests.

Bookable packages with catering, e.g., birthday coffee in the old kitchen, standing receptions with sparkling wine or wine (max. 30 people), parent group meetings in the garden or beer tasting; each including a museum visit. Also on Mondays by arrangement.

Plan your visit