Statens Naturhistoriske Museum

About the museum

The collections of the Statens Naturhistoriske Museum go back to the 17th century, among other things to the cabinet of curiosities of the physician Ole Worm and the royal Kunstkammer. Today they comprise about 14 million objects: animals, plants, fossils, minerals and meteorites from four centuries. The museum belongs, as an institute, to the Faculty of Science of the Københavns Universitet.

It came into being in 2004 through the merger of the Zoologisk Museum, Geologisk Museum, Botanisk Museum and Botanisk Have. The most recent public site was the building on Øster Voldgade at the edge of the Botanical Garden, which was built in 1893 for the Mineralogical Museum and was called Geologisk Museum until 2020. The Zoologisk Museum in Østerbro closed to the public in October 2022.

Since 2019, a large new building has been under construction in the corner of the Botanisk Have at Sølvtorvet, designed by Lundgaard & Tranberg and Claus Pryds: underground exhibition halls, an ocean hall under a steel-and-glass dome, and renovated historic buildings. The exhibitions on Øster Voldgade close after November 1, 2026; on March 6, 2027, the new museum opens with eight permanent exhibitions, from the origin of the universe to biodiversity. The Botanical Garden, Palm House and Butterfly House remain open.

Highlights

• Historic mineral halls with crystals, gemstones, amber and silver from Kongsberg (until November 1, 2026)
• Hands-on natural history workshop in "Vilde vidunderlige verden" (until November 1, 2026)
• Botanisk Have with Palm House and Butterfly House
• New building from March 6, 2027 with eight permanent exhibitions
• Oceansalen under a steel-and-glass dome with a large whale skeleton (from 2027)

Permanent exhibitions

• Mineralsalen – The two historic mineral halls show minerals in crystal-chemical order from gold and silver to the silicates, plus finds from Greenland, amber, Kongsberg silver and gemstones. The last day is November 1, 2026.
• Oceansalen – Exhibition on the diversity of life in the sea in the new steel-and-glass domed hall, with a large whale skeleton.
• Arktis – A journey along the coast of Greenland, across the ice sheet and into the depths of the Arctic Ocean, one of the eight new permanent exhibitions.

Founded

2004

Operated by

Københavns Universitet

Director

Nina Rønsted

Admission & discounts

The Botanical Garden is freely accessible. Annual pass sales are suspended until the new building opens; existing annual passes remain valid. Partnerships with the Copenhagen Card and Parkmuseerne, among others. Prices for the new building from March 2027 have not yet been published.

Accessibility

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

Listed building with limited wheelchair access: elevator from the courtyard to the first floor, to the second floor only with the staff elevator when accompanied (door 0.73 m, max. 300 kg); some exhibitions on the second floor are not reachable. One accessible parking space in the courtyard (entrance Øster Voldgade 5–7). Participates in the Sunflower program for invisible disabilities. Narrow passages in the Palm House; the low greenhouses, including the Butterfly House, are not wheelchair-accessible.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly: not available

In the workshop of the exhibition "Vilde vidunderlige verden", children may touch taxidermied animals, bones, shells and rocks and examine them under the microscope; there are also discovery cards on exhibition topics. Family tours and holiday programs. Personal strollers stay in the courtyard, the museum lends small strollers; no strollers are allowed in the Palm House.

Getting there & parking

Museum entrance Øster Voldgade 5–7; Botanisk Have and Palm House via Gothersgade 128.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

Museum café Riccos Kaffebar (accessible without admission via the main entrance, Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00), museum shop and shop in the Botanisk Have; seasonal coffee cart in the Botanical Garden.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

In the new building from March 2027: VILLUM Salen (banquet hall and auditorium), Oceansalen, conference rooms and restaurant; also the education greenhouse in the Botanisk Have, the café, and weddings in the Botanical Garden. Conference packages from DKK 700 per person plus VAT.

Plan your visit