Papirmuseet
Living paper museum in the old handmade paper workshop of the Silkeborg paper mill, where paper for Danish banknotes was once produced.
About the museum
The Papirmuseet is located in the so-called Bøtte, the former production building for handmade paper of the Silkeborg Papirfabrik. The factory, founded in 1844, and the town of Silkeborg grew up together. In 1899, four papermakers with their families and equipment moved here from Strandmølle near Copenhagen; in a converted straw factory they continued the old tradition of papermaking by hand. From 1910, the handmade paper for Danish banknotes was also produced in Silkeborg – at times dozens of men and women worked in this production.
Banknote paper production ended in the early 1960s, and the last handmade paper was made in 1990. When the factory closed in 2000, the working room of the Bøtte was still completely preserved. At the suggestion of the Silkeborg Museum, it was integrated into the new cultural center Jysk Musik og Teaterhus; with a major donation from the Bikubenfonden, the Papirmuseet Bikuben opened on July 2, 2004, led by a long-serving employee of the paper mill.
After austerity decisions by the municipality, the independent museum faced closure in 2010. Since January 1, 2012, it has belonged as a department to what is now Museum Silkeborg. It is both the local museum of the paper mill and a specialist museum for the history of papermaking in Denmark.
The heart of the museum is the historic vat room with original machines such as the Hollander beater and the vats, which volunteer papermakers still use today. Visitors can make a sheet themselves and take it with them. The tour is complemented by an exhibition on the paper mill, a small cinema, a laboratory, and a drying room.
Highlights
- Originally preserved vat room for handmade paper
- Make a sheet of paper yourself and take it with you
- Paper for Danish banknotes was made here
- Volunteer papermakers demonstrate the old craft
- Tours to the roof terrace of the Papirtårnet at a height of 70 m
Permanent exhibitions
- Levendegjort papirværksted – The originally furnished vat room of the Bøtte, where volunteer papermakers demonstrate the craft, complemented by exhibitions on the Danish paper industry and the Silkeborg Papirfabrik.
- Founded
- 2004
- Operated by
- Museum Silkeborg
- Director
- Ole Nielsen
Admission & discounts
| Adults | DKK 65 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and teenagers under 18 have free admission. |
| Groups (10+ people) | DKK 65 per personAdmission per person; tours for groups of 10 or more cost an additional DKK 650 (on weekdays 8:00–17:00 and on public opening days on weekends) or DKK 850 at other times. |
| Museum pass (all houses of Museum Silkeborg) | DKK 160Valid for Hovedgården, Blicheregnen, Papirmuseet, and the Arbejderbolig (worker's dwelling). |
| Tour of the Papirtårnet roof terrace | DKK 50Per person, under 5 free; by advance registration only. |
Prices since January 1, 2025. The joint ticket for Museum Jorn, KunstCentret Silkeborg Bad, and Hovedgården is not valid at the Papirmuseet.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
Children can make paper themselves and go on a treasure hunt in the museum. During the shorter school holidays there are paper workshops, for example in the fall break making an autumn leaf from handmade paper.
Getting there & parking
By car
Paid parking
Parking garage directly next to the museum on the paper mill grounds (hourly rate, access via Smedebakken); paid parking lot at the harbor, Åhavevej 1A (first hour free, then DKK 15 per hour).
The museum is located on the second floor of the Bøttebygning in the Papirfabrikken district on the Gudenå; the entrance is via the Jysk Musikteater.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
No café of its own; in the same building (Jysk Musikteater) is the venue "Stryget," with further cafés and restaurants along the Gudenå. Museum shop with handmade paper from cotton rags, cards with watermarks, paper decorations, as well as moulds and accessories for papermaking at home – all made by the museum's volunteer papermakers.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | On public opening days, volunteer papermakers are always present, telling stories and making paper with guests. Group tours (approx. 1.5 hours, 10 or more people) through the Bøtte with your own papermaking, combinable with a one-hour walk across the former factory grounds (DKK 55 per person plus DKK 650 per group) or the roof terrace of the Papirtårnet; schools pay DKK 400 for tours. Booking by email to info@papirmuseet.dk. Educational programs for daycare centers and all school levels. |
