Icelandic Museum of National History
 The Icelandic museum OF NATURAL HISTORYmuseum OF NATURAL HISTORY.The mission of The Icelandic Institute of Natural History is to study, record and describe Icelandic nature, monitor and conserve it, and to ensure that its use is sustainable. The Institute runs The Icelandic Natural History Museum in Reykjavík. The Icelandic Institute of Natural History is owned by the Icelandic state and operates on two sites, in Akureyri (northern Iceland) and Reykjavík (the capital). Between 40 and 50 people work at the Institute, carrying out various research and monitoring projects on Icelandic nature. The Institute's museum collections contain hundreds of thousands of specimens and samples of animals, plants, rocks, minerals, and fossils. Founded in 1889 The Icelandic Natural History Museum in Reykjavik is one of the oldest cultural establishments in Iceland. Since 1947 the museum has been owned by the state and run by the Icelandic Institute of Natural History. Within the limitations of its premises, The Icelandic Natural History Museum attempts to provide visitors with as clear an overview as possible of the natural features and processes of the country, as well as its geological formations and animal and plant life. The museum features a range of displays, including animals, plants, fossils, principal rock types, minerals and hydrothermal rock cavity crystals. It provides an insight into the country's active volcanic systems and the origins of Iceland in context of the theory of continental drift. It also covers the flora of the country, providing examples of various vegetation types and describing the problems of vegetation destruction and soil erosion. Many animal species are displayed in their natural settings, such as rivers and lakes, bird cliffs and the ocean. In 1971, The Icelandic Natural History Museum acquired one of the few stuffed Great Auks still in existence; the last Great Auk was killed on the island of Eldey off southwest Iceland in 1844. The museum also includes displays of all the bird species that nest regularly in Iceland and their eggs. Admission ISK 300. Free for senior citizens, disabled people and children under 17. | Opening HoursSundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays 13.00 - 17.00, in June, July and August. Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays 13.30 - 16.00, from September through May.AddressThe exhibition halls are on the 3rd and 4th floor at Hlemmur 5 next door to the bus-station at Hlemmur.Hlemmur 5 105 Reykjavik Tel. 5 900 500 E-mail: ni@ni.is Website: www.ni.is |
