Sneglehuset

About the museum

The fisherman Alfred Chr. Pedersen already had the idea for the Sneglehuset on his farm on Rønland between Thyborøn and Harboøre. Because hardly any flowers grew on the open, windy land, he built a wall around his garden and decorated it with shells – the starting point for his later life's work.

When the chemical plant Cheminova was built on Rønland at the end of the 1940s, the family moved to a plot on Klitvej in Thyborøn. Pedersen promised his wife Paula, who was reluctant to move, a house like no other. In 1949 he began construction and decoration; it took about 25 years until the house took its present form. In the 1950s and 1960s, with its small café, it was a popular excursion destination, to which many guests came by coach. At the end of the 1960s the café was closed and became an exhibition room.

Today the house belongs to the non-profit foundation West Coast Center Jutland and is run by tenants. With support from Realdania and other foundations, it was renovated and extended with an assembly hall of about 90 m². In the old café room is the exhibition “Mandalay” with shells and snail shells from around the world, ships in bottles, and curious finds from the nets of local fishermen, preserved just as Pedersen's sons left it in 1993.

Highlights

• Facades and tower covered with shells, snails, and conches
• Exhibition “Mandalay” in the former café room, unchanged since 1993
• Finds from fishing nets, from a turtle shell to a lump of amber
• Ships in bottles and shells from around the world
• Exhibition on the history of the house and its builder Alfred Pedersen
• Ice cream café with coffee and home-baked kringle

Operated by

Fonden West Coast Center Jutland

Admission & discounts

Accessibility

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

With the extension of the new hall, a ramp and an accessible restroom were created.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

The house expressly sees itself as an experience for the whole family; children under 12 pay a reduced admission.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Ice cream café with Hansens ice cream, coffee, and home-baked kringle or cinnamon rolls; shop with amber, jewelry, shells, and souvenirs. Seating steps on the dike behind the house.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 70 guests.

The new assembly hall is available for celebrations such as weddings, confirmations, or funeral receptions with up to 70 guests; inquiries to kk@sneglehuset.dk.

Plan your visit