Øhavsmuseet

About the museum

Øhavsmuseet is the cultural history museum of Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality and is devoted to the South Funen Archipelago and its surroundings. Besides the main building at the harbor, the museum includes the historic Arresthaus (Arresten) on the market square of Faaborg, the water mill Kaleko Mølle, and the city archive. In 2020 the museum took over a storage hall of about 800 square meters at the harbor, the Frølageret; the project was supported by, among others, the Nordea-fonden and with state funds. In 2021 the new exhibition building opened here, which is also the visitor center of the Det Sydfynske Øhav geopark, recognized as a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2024.

The exhibitions relied on sensory impressions: "Mærk dig selv" led through five eras with light, sound, and test stations and showed how nature has shaped people since the Stone Age; "Stedbundet" presented portraits of people from the region. The museum most recently counted about 50,000 guests a year. The architecture firms Transform and Pax Architects won the competition in 2023 for an extension intended to establish the museum as a house of inner and outer landscapes.

When the structural analysis for the extension was recalculated, defects in the hall came to light. The board therefore closed the Frølageret on June 30, 2026, for safety reasons. A conversion is now being prepared; according to the plans of the museum and the municipality, the museum is to reopen in renewed form for Faaborg's 800th town anniversary in 2029. Until then the Arresthaus and the Kaleko Mølle are open, and changing exhibitions are also planned at other locations in the municipality.

Highlights

• Visitor center of the UNESCO Global Geopark Det Sydfynske Øhav
• Sensory exhibition on people and nature through five eras
• Location directly at the harbor of Faaborg
• Planned extension by Transform and Pax Architects

Founded

2021

Operated by

Øhavsmuseet

Director

Peter Thor Andersen

Admission & discounts

During the closure, only the prices of the venues Arresten (adults DKK 85) and Kaleko Mølle (free admission) apply.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Information for the building at the harbor: a wide ramp leads to the entrance; the exhibition is accessible with a wheelchair and walker, but its platforms are not. Two accessible parking spaces at the entrance, accessible restroom in the foyer. The exhibition works with sound, light, and objects to touch; a printout of the listening stations can be borrowed.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Baby changing facilities

The exhibition in the building at the harbor had its own children's trail and an activity booklet; a municipal playground is right next door. Strollers stay outside or, in rain, in the foyer.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Lockers

In the museum shop of the building at the harbor there were cold and hot drinks, cake, and sweets; luggage lockers available.

Events & venue rental

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