Sjóminjasafnið í Reykjavík

About the museum

The Reykjavík Maritime Museum was formally established at the end of 2004 and opened its first exhibition during the Festival of the Sea (Hátíð hafsins) in June 2005. The museum is housed at Grandagarður 8, in a building that once housed the Reykjavík Municipal Fishing Company (Bæjarútgerð Reykjavíkur). In 2008 the coast guard vessel Óðinn was added to the collection, and it now lies at the museum's quay together with the tug Magni.

In 2014 the museum merged with other city museums under the name Borgarsögusafn Reykjavíkur (Reykjavík City Museum). From January to May 2018 the museum was closed for renovation and the installation of a new permanent exhibition, and it reopened in June 2018.

The permanent exhibition Fiskur og fólk (Fish and People) covers the history of Icelandic fishing over the past 150 years, from the time when rowing boats gave way to large fishing vessels in the late 19th century into the 21st century, with rich imagery and interactive displays. Óðinn was built in Aalborg in 1959, took part in all three Cod Wars and towed almost 200 ships into harbour. The tug Magni was the first steel ship built in Iceland and served Reykjavík harbour until 1987.

Highlights

• The permanent exhibition Fiskur og fólk – 150 years at sea
• The coast guard vessel Óðinn, which took part in the Cod Wars, with guided tours on board
• The tug Magni, the first steel ship built in Iceland
• A museum in the former building of the Reykjavík Municipal Fishing Company by the harbour

Permanent exhibitions

• Fiskur og fólk – sjósókn í 150 ár – A permanent exhibition on the history of Icelandic fishing, from the time when rowing boats gave way to large fishing vessels in the late 19th century into the 21st century, with rich imagery and interactive displays.
• Varðskipið Óðinn – The coast guard vessel Óðinn took part in all three Cod Wars and also served as a rescue ship. Guided tours on board are offered.

Founded

2004

Operated by

Borgarsögusafn Reykjavíkur

Admission & discounts

Holders of the Reykjavík City Card and members of ICOM and FÍSOS enter free.

Accessibility

• 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

Access for wheelchair users is good, especially at the entrance on the Grandagarður side, where a sliding door opens automatically and there is no threshold. A lift goes up to the second floor, and a wheelchair lift goes down to the museum's special exhibition. One wheelchair and one walking frame can be borrowed from the cloakroom on the first floor. There are three toilets on the second floor, one of them accessible. One disabled parking space is to the right of the museum entrance. Aboard the coast guard vessel Óðinn there are steep stairs, narrow passages and high thresholds, so it is not accessible to wheelchair users or to people who have difficulty walking. Guide dogs are welcome.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

Children under 18 enter free. Children under 12 must always be accompanied by an adult aboard Óðinn. Pushchairs cannot be borrowed, but visitors are welcome to bring their own pushchairs to the exhibitions.

Getting there & parking

You can enter from the Grandagarður side or from the sea side, from the quay.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

The reception and museum shop are at the entrance on the first floor, where there is also a cloakroom and lockable lockers. Neither a picnic area nor a café is available at the museum, but there are benches on the quay by the museum.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit