Museums
There's always plenty to see and do in Reykjavík! Reykjavík City museums conduct robust activities in various fields of culture and arts. The City's art museums celebrate the creativity of domestic and foreign artists, the libraries conduct lively cultural and educational activities for people of all ages, and the City Museum highlights the history of the country and its people.
City Library
Reykjavík City Library is a comprehensive information and culture house operating eight libraries across the city. It houses thousands of books, films, music, newspapers, and magazines, and hosts numerous events each week.
Reykjavík Art Museum
Reykjavík Art Museum is a vibrant and progressive art museum located in three places: Hafnarhús Museum, Kjarvalsstaðir Museum, and Ásmundarsafn Museum. The Reykjavík Art Museum regularly holds exhibitions of works by three of Iceland's most well-known artists: Erró, Kjarval, and Ásmundur Sveinsson.
City Museum
Reykjavík City Museum shares the diversity of Reykjavík's history in a fun way. The Museum records and preserves cultural objects in Reykjavík and ensures that everyone has the best possible access to the City's cultural heritage.
Your access to cultural life
The Reykjavík Culture Card is your gateway to the city's cultural life. The pass includes access to 14 museums, 50+ exhibits, 300+ events, a library card, along with many other offers.
The City Card is a terrific, convenient, and affordable way to explore our city. It provides free admission to a number of museums and swimming pools, and even serves as a pass for public transport in the capital area and the Viðey Ferry.
Ordering photographs
You can order photographs from the Reykjavík Museum of Photography collection for private use or publication.
The Museum of Photography now preserves about 6 million photographs of various sizes and types, the oldest from around 1860.
Reykjavík Municipal Archives
Reykjavík Municipal Archives collects, records, and preserves documents and other written records about the city's operations and history for use by city authorities, institutions, and individuals.
Your history
The Municipal Archives seeks to preserve letters, diaries, photographs, household accounts, postcards, greeting cards, and anything that can shed light on people's lives in the city. It collects documents from people of all classes, both younger and older archives, large and small.
Private documents often provide a different view of the life and history of city residents than public documents, making it very important that they are preserved for the future.
Your background
The Municipal Archives can provide information about your past. For example, about adoptions, stays in nurseries, or old exam grades from primary school.
Reykjavík Municipal Archives is open to all without admission. As a general rule, anyone who wishes may access documents in the archives' custody.