Sorø Kunstmuseum

About the museum

Sorø Kunstmuseum was founded on May 29, 1943, at the initiative of the association Soransk Samfund and initially showed its holdings in a four-room apartment on Priorgade. Since 1963 the museum has been located at Storgade 9: a listed building from 1832 that was originally built as a residence for the estate manager of the Sorø Akademi.

In 2011 an award-winning extension by the firm Lundgaard & Tranberg was added, which joins the historic ensemble sensitively with tall, bright halls. The older art hangs in the intimate neoclassical rooms of the old building, while the new building houses modern and contemporary art as well as the special exhibitions.

The collection comprises around 2,500 works and spans from medieval art through the Danish Golden Age to the present, with names such as Abildgaard, Jens Juel, Eckersberg, L.A. Ring, Anna Ancher, Albert Mertz, Poul Gernes, and Per Kirkeby. There are also two special collections: Russian art from 1870 to 1930 from the donation of Hermod Lannung, and the largest collection of Russian icons in Denmark, with works from about 1500 to 1900.

Today the museum is an independent, state-recognized institution supported by the municipality of Sorø and the state. The café and museum shop are accessible without an admission ticket.

Highlights

• Danish painting from the 18th century to today, including Eckersberg, Jens Juel, L.A. Ring, and Anna Ancher
• Largest collection of Russian icons in Denmark (approx. 1500–1900)
• Russian art and modernism from 1870 to 1930
• Neoclassical manager's house from 1832 and award-winning extension by Lundgaard & Tranberg (2011)
• Café with a garden courtyard on the town square Den Grønne Scene

Permanent exhibitions

• Kunst fra mange tider – Changing presentation of the museum's own collection: older art up to about 1930 in the neoclassical halls, modern and contemporary art in the extension.
• Russische Kunst und Ikonen – The museum's special collections combine Russian painting from 1870 to 1930 and icons from roughly four centuries.

Founded

1943

Operated by

Sorø Kunstmuseum (selbstständige, staatlich anerkannte Institution)

Director

Marie Louise Helveg Bøgh

Visitors per year

approx. 27,029 (2025)

Admission & discounts

Members of Kunstklubben have free admission. Café and museum shop are accessible without an admission ticket.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• 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

The entire museum is accessible to wheelchair users. Accessible parking spaces are available on Storgade.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

Children receive a free children's pack in the shop with a picture hunt and tasks related to the current exhibitions. Next to the café there is a creative workshop, and in the museum a small craft corner. Regular family Sundays, holiday activities, family concerts, and tours for parents with babies; Wednesdays 15:00–18:00 open workshop for 15- to 25-year-olds (Unges Kunstrum).

Getting there & parking

By car via the E20, exit 37, then follow the signs to the center; the museum is on the main street, entrance through the gate at Storgade 9.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

Café with coffee, cake, smørrebrød, tapas, and a children's plate, seating indoors and in the garden courtyard; table reservation recommended. Museum shop with books and crafts as well as a web shop. Large bags and umbrellas go into coin-operated lockers in the shop. Free Wi-Fi in the museum and café.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 70 guests.

Private and corporate events in the museum's rooms; parties of up to 70 guests via booking@sorokunstmuseum.dk, smaller groups in the café.

Plan your visit