Gamlabúð

About the museum

Gamlabúð was built in 1864 at Papós in Lón as a general store, after Papós received trading rights in 1863. The house was moved to Höfn in 1897 and was the main trading house of the place until 1937.

In 1977 it was moved again, this time to Sílavík, and in 1980 the local heritage museum (Byggðasafnið) opened an exhibition there and used the house as its centre until summer 2012. Then Gamlabúð was moved back to its old site by the harbour, and in 2013 it opened as a visitor centre of Vatnajökull National Park.

Since 2023 the house has been run by the Hornafjörður Cultural Centre. It houses a tourist information centre and exhibitions from the centre’s collections, as well as events such as concerts and lectures in the Háloftið (The Loft).

Highlights

• Trading house from 1864 that has been moved three times
• Exhibition on the nature, glaciers and culture of the region
• Tourist information centre open all year
• Free admission to the exhibitions

Permanent exhibition

• Sýning um náttúru, jökla og menningu svæðisins – Exhibition in the visitor centre on the geology, glaciers and culture of Hornafjörður.

Operated by

Menningarmiðstöð Hornafjarðar

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the exhibitions of the Hornafjörður Cultural Centre is free of charge.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

The tourist information centre is in the house all year round.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Up to 30 guests.

The Háloftið on the upper floor is used for concerts and meetings for up to about 30 people; anyone can arrange events there.