Heimilisiðnaðarsafnið

About the museum

The Heimilisiðnaðarsafnið (Museum of Home Industries) opened in 1976 for the 100th anniversary of Blönduós as a trading place. Women in Samband austur-húnvetnskra kvenna (the East Húnavatn Women's Union, an association of the women's societies in the district) laid the foundations of the museum. They mainly collected objects connected with home industries and were given the use of an old house that had originally been a cowshed and hayloft by the Women's School in Blönduós. At first the museum was open only at weekends, but opening hours were extended over the years.

In 1993 a foundation was set up to run the museum, with membership of the municipalities in the district. Following this, it was decided to build a new house connected to the old museum building. Construction began in October 2001, and the new building was inaugurated on Ascension Day, 29 May 2003. It is about 248 square metres plus a 90-square-metre basement, with three exhibition halls, a café area and toilets, and there is a lift between floors.

The museum shows the work of women and men in homes in earlier times, when wool was spun into clothing and home crafts were a large part of daily life. The exhibitions include embroidery, national costumes, wool and old tools for spinning, weaving and knitting. The upper floor of the old museum building is dedicated to Halldóra Bjarnadóttir (1873–1981), who pioneered women's education and culture and the promotion of home crafts, and who bequeathed her possessions to the museum. Since 2003 a new special exhibition by Icelandic textile artists has also been opened each year.

Highlights

• Embroidery exhibition with women's clothing and handwork from earlier times
• Icelandic national costumes: skautbúningar, upphlutir and peysuföt
• Wool exhibition where visitors can feel tog and þel, the coarse and fine fibres of the fleece
• Halldórustofa, dedicated to Halldóra Bjarnadóttir
• Old tools: spinning machines, looms, spinning wheels and knitting machines

Permanent exhibitions

• Sýning á útsaumi – The exhibition shows beautiful women's clothing from earlier times, along with embroidery, crochet and orkering. Items are rotated from year to year.
• Sýning á þjóðbúningum – The museum holds a selection of Icelandic national costumes, including skautbúningar, upphlutir and peysuföt, some from the late 19th century and the early 20th century.
• Halldórustofa – A section on the upper floor of the old museum building dedicated to the life and work of Halldóra Bjarnadóttir and the textile objects from her collection.

Founded

1976

Operated by

Sjálfseignarstofnun með aðild sveitarfélaga í héraðinu

Director

Elín S. Sigurðardóttir

Admission & discounts

The prices are given in a museum news item from February 2026. It noted that there is no card terminal on site.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator
• 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

There is a lift between floors in the new building. The Arctic Coast Way (Norðurstrandarleið) describes access to the museum as good.

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 museum building has a café area, and at events refreshments in the museum's own style are served.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.