Tjóðsavnið

About the museum

The National Museum of the Faroe Islands is the main museum in the Faroe Islands for the country's natural and cultural heritage. The museum collects, records, preserves and researches natural and cultural treasures and shares its knowledge through exhibitions, publications, events and education for young and old. Its work is divided into nature, culture, communication and administration. In the natural history area there are departments for plants and for animals on land and in the sea; in the cultural area, an archaeology department, a folk life department and a buildings department.

The main exhibition is at Brekkutún 6 in Hoyvík. It is a permanent exhibition on Faroese natural and cultural history, with pieces from geology, botany, marine zoology, terrestrial zoology, archaeology, folk life and recent history. Natural and cultural history are closely intertwined: nature influences culture, and culture influences nature. The exhibition also includes a theme on whaling, and one section deals with wool and knitting in the Faroe Islands.

The museum also runs several outdoor museums, each with its own address and opening hours: Hoyvíksgarður, the whaling station at Áir, the farm Koltur and Dúvugarðar in Saksun. The administration is located on Kúrdalsvegur in Hoyvík. The National Museum of the Faroe Islands operates under Faroese laws and regulations in its field and also administers funding schemes.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition on Faroese natural and cultural history at Brekkutún
• Wool is Faroe's gold: the history of wool and knitting in the Faroe Islands
• A theme on whaling in the exhibition
• Outdoor museums at Hoyvíksgarður, Áir, Koltur and Saksun
• Guided tours on request, including at the outdoor museums

Permanent exhibitions

• Mentan og náttúra – Permanent exhibition on Faroese natural and cultural history with pieces from geology, botany, marine zoology, terrestrial zoology, archaeology, folk life and recent history. It shows how nature and culture have influenced each other.
• Ull er Føroya gull – The story of wool and knitting in the Faroe Islands, from the first sheep fleece to woven sails from the Viking Age, with a knitting room and Faroese knitwear designs.

Director

Herleif Hammer

Admission & discounts

The ticket is valid for all exhibitions of the National Museum (Brekkutún, Hoyvíksgarður, the whaling station at Áir) and can be used once at each museum within one week of the purchase date. On Koltur, walking on the island is free, and entering “Uppi í Búð” costs the same as the ticket. On Koltur, a guided tour with a tour guide costs DKK 1,000 for 1–4 people (admission included); for a larger group, the extra charge is DKK 250 per adult and DKK 150 per pensioner, with children free.

Accessibility

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

The whole museum can be visited by wheelchair. The museum is on two floors, and a lift goes down to the lower floor. Walking frames and wheelchairs can be borrowed; please book in advance at savn@savn.fo. Guide dogs are welcome; other animals are not allowed.

Kids & families

• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

Prams and folding buggies may be taken into the museum, and the museum owns two folding buggies that can be borrowed. There is a changing table in the toilet. Children up to 17 years have free admission.

Getting there & parking

The exhibition is at Brekkutún 6 in Hoyvík. The administration is at Kúrdalsvegur 15.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

There is no restaurant in the museum. In the Glass Room you can eat a packed lunch and buy coffee, tea and cocoa from the coffee machine; in good weather you can sit out on the terrace. The museum shop in Brekkutún is open when the museum is open. Free Wi-Fi (network: Tjóðsavnið). In the corridor there is a free, lockable locker.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit