Gljúfrasteinn

About the museum

Gljúfrasteinn in Mosfellsdalur was the home and workplace of Halldór Laxness and his family for about fifty years. The architect Ágúst Pálsson designed the house, which was completed in 1945. Halldór wanted the home to be simple yet modern. The garage, then a novelty in Mosfellssveit, is now the reception building, and a swimming pool was added to the garden around 1960. Halldór received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1955.

The Icelandic state bought the house and its artworks in 2002, on the hundredth anniversary of the writer's birth, and the family gave the contents with a special deed of gift. The museum was opened to the public in 2004. It is an accredited museum under the Museums Act of 2011.

Visitors see the large living room on the lower floor and Halldór's study on the upper floor, with his library and the standing desk where he often wrote. The interiors are unchanged from the time the couple lived there. Auður Sveinsdóttir was a well-known needleworker, and her embroidered pictures hang in the house. The artworks include works by Svavar Guðnason, Nína Tryggvadóttir, Jóhannes Kjarval and Asger Jorn. In the 1950s world-famous musicians performed for guests in the living room, and to this day chamber concerts are held at Gljúfrasteinn.

Highlights

• The home of Halldór Laxness, with interiors unchanged since 1945
• The writer's study and library on the upper floor
• Embroidered pictures by Auður Sveinsdóttir and artworks by Kjarval, Svavar Guðnason and others
• Audio guide in five languages, with the voices of Halldór and Auður
• Chamber concerts in the house's living room

Permanent exhibitions

• Heimili Halldórs Laxness og Auðar Sveinsdóttur – The living room, study and furnishings of the house are unchanged from the time of the writer couple, with Auður's embroidery and artworks.
• Margmiðlunarsýning um Halldór Laxness – A multimedia exhibition about home life at Gljúfrasteinn and Halldór's first steps as a writer.

Founded

2004

Admission & discounts

Free for members of FÍSOS, ICOM and the Friends of Gljúfrasteinn, and for school groups on organised school visits at all levels. Travel agencies and tour organisers receive a 10% discount on the prices above.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• 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

Wheelchair access is through the reception building and to the lower floor, but not to the upper floor. The house dates from 1945 and has thresholds. Cars can drive right up to the house.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

School groups receive a tailored programme: the youngest classes visit “Dóra litla í Laxnesi” about the writer's childhood and changes in society and technology, while grades 5–7 do a writing task using everyday objects that appear in his books.

Getting there & parking

Gljúfrasteinn is on the way to Þingvellir in Mosfellsdalur, about a 20-minute drive from Reykjavík. Bus timetable information is on straeto.is.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

There is a shop on site.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit