The Culture House

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The Culture House Icelandic cultural heritage and natural treasures. In an old and magnificent building located in the heart of the city centre, the Icelandic cultural heritage and natural treasures are on display in the Culture House. The building, which was designed by a Danish architect, Johannes Magdahl Nielsen, opened in the year 1909 and is one of the greatest structures in Iceland. The Culture House offers a wide range of exhibitions, some permanent and others temporary, with the aim to provide insight into the history and culture of Iceland and its inhabitants. One of the permanent exhibitions is the Medieval Manuscripts - Eddas and Sagas, which features a collection of old manuscripts, unique sagas, poems and narratives such as the Codex Regius of the Poetic Edda. These ancient vellums are an indescribable source about the pagan times in Northern Europe, the religion, the society and the people. The exhibition also holds an area where you can learn the process of the book-making and see how the vellum was prepared. Upstairs is the Library room, which holds a magnificent collection of Iceland's printed works from the ancient times until the latter part of the 20th century. There you can observe the Icelandic publishing history and bookbinding. Diverse special exhibitions are always held in the Culture House, containing various artefacts and photographs. Now they offer an installation of how The National Museum was in the past when it was located in the Culture House by recreating the atmosphere like it was in the early decades of the 20th century. The Road to Zion, another special exhibition, explores the passage of the Icelandic emigrants to Utah in the mid-19th century. A visit to the museum is sure to be enlightening and inspiring and afterwards you can browse in the souvenir shop and get some refreshments at the café, called Food and Culture, where the chef serves light meals, freshly baked bread, various drinks and other delicacies.

Opening Hours The showrooms are open from 11:00 - 17:00. Address Hverfisgata 15 101 Reykjavík Tel. 545 1400 Website: www.thjodmenning.is