Varðskipið Óðinn er hluti af Sjóminjasafninu og um leið ein helsta sýning safnsins. Skipið kom til safnsins árið 2008 og er varðveitt í því ástandi sem það kom. Boðið er upp á leiðsagnir á hverjum degi fyrir utan köldustu vetrarmánuðina auk þess sem skipið er opið gestum á hátíðisdögum sem er þá sérstaklega auglýst. 

Í leiðsögn er gengið um skipið, sagt frá sögu þess, lífinu um borð og því hlutverki sem að það gegndi hjá Landhelgisgæslu Íslands. Hver leiðsögn tekur tæplega klukkustund.

Til þess að tryggja öryggi um borð skal hafa í huga:

Lágt getur verið til lofts og hvassar brúnir og horn sem hægt er að reka sig í. Stigar eru brattir. Skipið hentar ekki fólki sem fær innilokunarkennd eða hefur skerta hreyfigetu. Börn yngri en 12 ára skulu ætíð vera í fylgd með fullorðnum.

Börn eru á ábyrgð forráðamanna.

The Coast Guard Vessel Óðinn is a part of the Reykjavík Maritime Museum. It is, as such, one of the Maritime Museum's primary exhibitions. It is preserved in the condition in which it arrived at the museum in 2008.

We offer daily guided tours on board the vessel except during the coldest winter months. It is also open to the public on national holidays, which we announce especially.

A guided tour includes walking around the vessel and hearing about the history on board and its role under the Icelandic Coast Guard. Each guided tour takes a little less than an hour.

To ensure safety on board, you should keep the following in mind:

The ceiling can be low, and please beware of sharp edges. The stairs are steep. The ship is not suited for people with claustrophobia or with reduced mobility.

Welcome aboard the historic Coast Guard Vessel Óðinn for a guided tour. The tours happen daily at 13:00, 14:00, and 15:00 from 1 March to 31 October, focusing on the Cod Wars and the vessel's rescue history.

Coast Guard Vessel Óðinn - Guided Tour on Board

Verið velkomin í leiðsögn um borð í hinu sögufræga Varðskipi Óðni. Leiðsagnirnar fara fram á hverjum degi kl. 13, 14 og 15 frá 1. mars til 31. október. Í leiðsögninni eru þorskastríðin og björgunarsaga skipsins eru í brennidepli.

Varðskipið Óðinn - Leiðsögn um borð

Fræðsla

Leiðsögn

Sýning

Árbæjarsafn er útisafn sem var stofnað árið 1957 en auk Árbæjar eru þar yfir tuttugu hús, sem mynda torg, þorp og sveit. Í Árbæjarsafni er leitast við að gefa hugmynd um byggingalist og lifnaðarhætti í Reykjavík á 19. og 20. öld. Hvert og eitt hús geymir annaðhvort sjálfstæða sögusýningu eða þá að þar er sýnt dæmigert heimili frá ákveðnu tímabili. Á safninu má einnig sjá gamaldags verkstæði ýmiskonar þar sem sjá má dæmigerða aðstöðu, tækni og tól.

Árbær was an established farm well into the 20th century, and the museum opened there in 1957. Árbær is now an open-air museum with more than 20 buildings which form a town square, a village and a farm. Most of the buildings have been relocated from central Reykjavik. The Museum seeks to give an idea of Reykjavik's architecture and way of life in the 19th and 20th centuries. Each house contains an independent historical exhibition or a typical home from a specific period. The museum also houses old-fashioned workshops on typical facilities, technology, and tools.

The guide takes guests to all the main houses of the museum and tells their stories. The guided tour is in English and takes just over an hour.

Guided tour at Árbær Open Air Museum

Leiðsögumaður fer með gesti í öll helstu hús Árbæjarsafns og segir frá sögu þeirra. Leiðsögnin fer að mestu fram á ensku og tekur rúma klukkastund.

Leiðsögn á Árbæjarsafni

DAGSKRÁ

Stjórnandi: Andri Snær Magnason, rithöfundur

Jöklarannsóknir á Íslandi í víðara samhengi (10 mín.)
Guðfinna Aðalgeirsdóttir, prófessor í jarðeðlisfræði, Háskóla Íslands.
Háskóli Íslands og Veðurstofan taka þátt í evrópska verkefninu ICELINK 2025-2029. Fjöldi rannsóknaverkefna á Íslandi verða gerð á tímabilinu í samvinnu við 9 aðrar stofnanir.

Jökulhlaup á Íslandi – framgangshraði, stærð og áhrif (10 mín.)
Bergur Einarsson, vatna- og jöklafræðingur
Um jökulhlaup frá Mýrdalsjökli: hvað við vitum um tíðni og umfang þeirra.

Öryggi á jöklum – sprungukort og leiðbeiningar (10 mín.)
Einar Daníelsson, verkefnastjóri slysavarna, Slysavarnarfélagið Landsbjörg.
Kynning á sprungukorti og vefnum Safetravel sem nýtast til að tryggja öruggar jöklaferðir.

Jöklaferðir í breyttu loftslagi (10 mín.)
Dagbjartur Brynjarsson, sérfræðingur í öryggismálum, Ferðamálastofa.
Rýrnun jökla og aukin áhætta í ferðaþjónustu – hvaða áskoranir og aðlögun bíða okkar?

Sýndarveruleiki og jöklar – Into the Blue (10 mín.)
Ásta Olga Magnúsdóttir, vísindamiðlari.
Sýndarveruleiki sem fræðslutæki og nýjar leiðir til að upplifa breytingar jökla.

Ljósmyndasýningin Sofandi risar (10 mín.)
Kristján Maack, ljósmyndari.
Ljósmyndir af jöklum á norðurhveli jarðar sem sýna þá sem loftvogir hlýnunar og minna á að loftslagsbreytingar taka sér enga hvíld.

Pallborð og spurningar úr sal
Stutt samtal við fyrirlesara undir stjórn Andra Snæs Magnasonar og opið fyrir spurningar gesta.

Viðburðinum lýkur kl. 15.30. 

Aðgengi er gott á Ljósmyndasafninu og leiðsöguhundar eru velkomnir í safnið.

PROGRAM

Moderator: Andri Snær Magnason, author

Glacier Research in Iceland in a Broader Context (10 min.)
Guðfinna Aðalgeirsdóttir, Professor of Geophysics, University of Iceland
The University of Iceland and the Icelandic Meteorological Office are participating in the European project ICELINK 2025–2029. A number of research projects will be carried out in Iceland during this period in cooperation with nine other institutions.

Glacial Outburst Floods in Iceland – Speed, Magnitude, and Impacts (10 min.)
Bergur Einarsson, hydrologist and glaciologist
On glacial outburst floods from Mýrdalsjökull: what we know about their frequency and scale.

Safety on Glaciers – Crevasse Maps and Guidelines (10 min.)
Einar Daníelsson, safety project manager, ICE-SAR
Presentation of the crevasse map and the Safetravel website, which help ensure safe glacier travel.

Glacier Travel in a Changing Climate (10 min.)
Dagbjartur Brynjarsson, safety specialist, Icelandic Tourist Board
Glacier retreat and increased risk in tourism – what challenges and adaptations lie ahead?

Virtual Reality and Glaciers – Into the Blue (10 min.)
Ásta Olga Magnúsdóttir, science communicator
Virtual reality as an educational tool and new ways to experience glacier changes.

The Photo Exhibition “Sleeping Giants” (10 min.)
Kristján Maack, photographer
Photographs of glaciers in the northern hemisphere showing them as barometers of warming and reminding us that climate change never rests.

Panel Discussion and Questions from the Audience
A short conversation with the speakers, moderated by Andri Snær Magnason, followed by an open Q&A with guests.

The event concludes at 15:30.

The Museum of Photography has good accessibility, and guide dogs are welcome in the museum.

In honor of the World Day for Glaciers, the Reykjavík Museum of Photography is hosting a short symposium in collaboration with the Icelandic Glaciological Society on 21 March at 14:00. Free admission and everyone welcome!
Spoken language Icelandic.

Symposium - UN World Day for Glaciers

Í tilefni af alþjóðlegum degi jökla, efnir Ljósmyndasafn Reykjavíkur til örmálþings í samstarfi við Jöklarannsóknafélag Íslands þann 21. mars kl. 14. Frítt inn og öll velkomin!

Málþing - Hverfandi landslag: Jöklar, öryggi og sjónræn arfleifð

Málþing

Fyrirlestur

Aðgengi: Safnið er á tveimur hæðum og aðgengi er gott, sérstaklega við inngang Grandagarðsmegin. Lyfta er á milli hæða. Hjálparhundar eru velkomnir.

Dostępność: Muzeum zajmuje dwa piętra, a jego dostępność jest dobra, zwłaszcza przy wejściu od strony Grandagarð. Między piętrami znajduje się winda. Psy przewodniki są mile widziane.

Muzeum miejskie zaprasza na rodzinne oprowadzanie w niedzielę 22 marca w godzinach  14:00-15:00 w Muzeum Morskim (Sjóminjasafn) w Reykjaviku. Przewodnikiem będzie Marta Wieczorek, wicedyrektor Szkoły Polskiej w Reykjaviku im. J. Korczaka i Reykjaviczanka roku 2024.

Zwiedzanie koncentruje się na wystawie „Ryby i ludzie – 150 lat rybołówstwa” i ma charakter zarówno edukacyjny, jak i rozrywkowy i jest skierowane do wszystkich grup wiekowych. 
Oprowadzanie jest bezpłatne, zapraszamy serdecznie wszystkie osoby polskojęzyczne.

Oprowadzanie po polsku

Borgarsögusafn býður upp á leiðsögn á pólsku sunnudaginn 22. mars, kl. 14:00-15:00 í Sjóminjasafninu í Reykjavík. Marta Wieczorek, Reykvíkingur ársins og aðstoðarskólastjóri Pólska skólans í Reykjavík, sér um leiðsögnina.

Leiðsögnin fjallar um sýningu safnsins Fiskur & fólk - sjósókn í 150 ár og er bæði fræðandi og skemmtileg fyrir alla aldurshópa. 
Leiðsögnin er ókeypis og öll þau sem tala pólsku eru boðin hjartanlega velkomin.

Leiðsögn á pólsku

Fjölmenning

Undanfarna mánuði hafa íbúar Reykjavíkur saumað búta eftir eigin hönnun á vinnustofum í bókasöfnum víðsvegar um borgina úr endurnýttum rúmteppum. Á meðan við saumum saman búta af efni, spinnum við einnig samtöl og sögur um nærliggjandi hverfi okkar. Hvernig líður okkur? Hvaða breytingar viljum við sjá í umhverfi okkar?

Þessi þriggja daga viðburður er hannaður í anda hefðbundinna „quilting bee“ samkoma, þar sem margir koma saman til að vinna að handverksverkefni hratt í félagslegu umhverfi. Þann 10.-12. apríl verða bútarnir saumaðir saman í stórt teppi sem verður sýnt á Sumardeginum fyrsta, 23. apríl, á Árbæjarsafni. Almenningur er velkominn að koma og fræðast um bútasaumsaðferðina og hitta fólk sem hefur lagt sitt af mörkum — einn saum í einu. Boðið verður upp á kaffi, te og kökur.

Verkefnið er styrkt af Þróunarsjóði innflytjendamála.

Over the past few months, Reykjavik residents have been sewing quilt blocks of their own design at local library workshops across the city. They were made with recycled bed covers. As we stitch pieces of cloth, we also piece together conversations and stories about our own neighborhoods. How do we feel? What would we like to see change around us?

This 3-day event is designed in the style of a traditional quilting bee, where many people come together to complete craft work quickly in a social manner. Here, the blocks will be sewn together to create a large quilt-top to be exhibited at the Árbær Open Air Museum First Day of Summer celebration on April 23. The public is invited to come learn about the quilt-making process and meet the people that have contributed, one stitched connection at a time. Coffee, tea and cake will be served. 

The project received a grant from the Development Fund for Immigrant Affairs.

We invite you to join local artist Christalena Hughmanick and Íslenska Bútasaumsfélagið (The Icelandic Quilting Society) at the Reykjavík Maritime Museum as they publicly construct a collective community quilt on 10-12 April at 10:00-17:00.

Let's sew Iceland together

Verið velkomin á Sjóminjasafnið í Reykjavík dagana 10.-12. apríl kl. 10-17. Þar býðst að taka þátt í að sauma saman samfélagslegt bútasaumsteppi með listakonunni Christalena Hughmanick og Íslenska bútasaumsfélaginu.

Saumum saman Ísland

Smiðja

Horse and a Mountain. Photo: Þorkell Sigvaldason

Reykjavík Museum of Photography

Landscape I Skotið in Fókus 2026

Kristján Maack│Sleeping Giants 

Reykjavík Maritime Museum

A View of the North

Árbær Open Air Museum

Growing Pains

Ancient Roots of Árbær in the museum building Landakot/ÍR House

Ancient Roots of Árbær

Fish & folk – 150 years of fisheries

Viðey Island

Milestones│Richard Serra

The Imagine Peace Tower

Suðurgata 7 │A Reykjavík home around 1925

Inside the exhibition "Hábær House 1950"

Hábær House 1950

Aðalstræti

The Árbær Farm at Árbær Open Air Museum

While it's difficult to tell the turf houses' age, the younger buildings date from between 1891 to around 1920. Some of the buildings were constructed of turf and stone, with the younger structures built from timber. Árbær was occupied until 1948 when the last resident moved away. Recent archaeological excavations indicate that the site was settled, either permanent or temporarily, in the 10th century. The residents of Árbær, who were farmers and engaged in traditional livestock farming, were mostly tenants, as renting was common in Iceland. For a considerable length of time, though, Árbær was on the main thoroughfare. For centuries, the national road to Reykjavík passed by the outskirts of the settlement. In around 1881, inn-keeping services commenced here and were said to be very hospitable.

Recent archaeological excavations indicate that the site was settled, either permanent or temporarily, in the 10th century.

Árbær Farm at Árbær Open Air Museum. Photo: Pétur Thomsen (1910-1988).

The best way to get to know the farmhouse is to explore it yourself. The first stop is at the southernmost gable, stacked with turf and stone. This is the storehouse, which used to be the primary entrance to the rest of the house. The farm's pantry was also in this building, but when the farm was extended in 1911, a new pantry replaced it. Tools from bygone centuries hang on the walls; saddles, ropes for hay bales and other things that farmers in the days of yore needed on hand. The ceilings are low in the storehouse, but the workers' sleeping quarters covered most of the attic. Later, when new sleeping quarters for the workers were built, the attic was used as a storage area. If we walk towards the door in the wall, we will enter the open-hearth kitchen. When the last inhabitants came to Árbær in 1881, this was the only cooking facility. A new kitchen was later built in 1891. The old hearth still had a purpose, mainly used to smoke meat in the barn, so it was retained. It is a unique source that shows how people used to cook food on turf farms. From the kitchen leads a narrow corridor that ends in the cow byre. In South Iceland, it was common to be able to enter the cow byre from the hall. This was designed to make the most of the warmth from the farm animals during the winter months when they were kept indoors. 

Let's now go back into the storehouse. Initially, you could walk from the storehouse to the baðstofa (living room/bedroom), which used to be stacked with turf and stone as well. It was torn down in 1891, and a new and more modern house was built in its place. After the Southern region earthquake in 1896, more and more Icelanders started building timber houses in the countryside. The new Árbær house had a steep attic, and the baðstofa was placed there. To enter it, you will need to climb up some steep stairs. Six beds are positioned by the outer walls, and they are free-standing, which is unusual. The house wasn't as well insulated as the turf farm was, so a small fireplace was once placed in one corner; it is not in the room anymore. Since the baðstofa was up in the attic, there was space for another living room on the floor below. At this point in time, Árbær fed and housed many travellers, so guests were invited into the living room. Behind the living room was another smaller room where the inhabitants ate their meals. By this time, people had stopped eating from the traditional askur (a wooden bowl with a lid).

Around that time, a small shed was built on the north side of the house. The kitchen stove that had been imported from Norway was moved there. This stove is still in Árbær. The shed became its own gable in 1911 when the house was enlarged yet again. The attic was used as the sleeping quarters for workers over the summer months. Interestingly, the stove's chimney went through the floor above, providing warmth for the attic. In front of the kitchen was a new living room, probably to accommodate an increasing number of passing travellers. That living room is often called the Small living room and the older the Big living room to distinguish them. Photographs of the Árbær inhabitants' friends adorn the walls, including Steingrímur Thorsteinsson and Birgitta, his wife, who were well-known in the second half of the 19th century. Steingrímur was a famous poet and the headmaster of the Reykjavík Learned School. 

Next to the kitchen is a pantry, where it is possible to see various kitchen tools from the past. On a table by the window are newer kitchen tools.  

The youngest of the farmhouses is the horse stable, which was usually called the travellers' stables. It was primarily used to keep the horses of travellers passing through. The stable worker Magnús Hansson, was well-tipped by travellers for looking after their horses. The story goes that he lent the housewife, Margrét, the money needed to build the stables. 

The old Árbær farmhouse in Árbær Open Air Museum fits in well in these surroundings. It sits on the edge of a hill, with overgrown roofs and heavy and suitably sloping stacked walls. When guests see the house on a bright summer's day, most people will think that the inhabitants' lives were primarily peaceful and loving, if perhaps poor. Evil deeds and brutality seem far away. However, the farm was once the setting for murder, a crime of passion considered as one of the most horrific events of that time. Before we open the stage, we want to give you a bit of a back story. 

Farming in the Elliðaár valley probably began soon after the settlement of Iceland. However, there are no references of Árbær in sources before the 15th century, when it belonged to Viðey Island's convent. It was probably donated to gain redemption. After the Reformation in 1550, all property belonging to religious orders, including Árbær, was confiscated by the King of Denmark. 

The first clear picture of Árbær and its inhabitants is found in the land register compiled by Árni Magnússon and Páll Vídalín from 1704. It just so happens that the inhabitants at that time were the people connected to the murder, as mentioned above. The description of Árbær and the duties associated with it show that the farm wasn't a very desirable place to live: "Hayfield terribly stony and tussocky. Very little meadowland… there is enough turf to build houses, but sources of peat are dwindling rapidly." Despite this, two families were living on the farm at the time. One of the farmers had three cows, a heifer and two horses. The other also had three cows, a bull, a calf and one horse. Neither of them kept sheep. There is a little description of the farmhouses, but it is clear that the current houses are like a castle compared to those standing there before. 

Despite the small numbers of livestock, tenants had to pay heavy taxes. The Catholic Church had been thought of as a ruthless tax collector, but the King's men at Bessastaðir proved to be worse. The so-called "land debt", which was actually rent paid for a farm, was settled in livestock or fish. The tax for livestock, which also belonged to the King, was paid in butter. In addition to this, tenants were obliged to work for their landlords for free - by fishing from Örfirisey, hunting in Elliðaárdalur, haymaking on Viðey Island, extracting peat, extracting brushwood and more. Tenants were also expected to rent their horses out for various projects. The King had also declared ownership of the salmon in the Elliðaár River, and people received heavy fines for poaching.

In 1704, half of the farm Árbær was rented by a 41-year-old man called Sæmundur Þórarinsson. His wife, Steinunn Guðmundsdóttir, was 43, and Sæmundur was her third husband. Living with them were her three children from a previous marriage. In the other half lived a 26-year-old unmarried man, Sigurður Arason, and his mother. Sigurður and Steinunn became romantically involved, and she urged him to find some way of getting rid of her husband. It is not known why she took these desperate measures. 

In 1881, husband and wife Eyleifur Einarsson and Margrét Pétursdóttir moved to Árbær along with their three daughters Kristjana, Elín and Guðrún. They were the last family to live there, but their daughter Kristjana moved away in 1948, and Elín died from an accident when she was 19. The couple had started farming a few years before they moved to Árbær.

Margrét Pétursdóttir (1852-1935), resident of Árbær farm, around 1923.

The old Árbær farmhouse in Árbær Open Air Museum fits in well in these surroundings. It sits on the edge of a hill, with overgrown roofs and heavy and suitably sloping stacked walls. When guests see the house on a bright summer's day, most people will think that the inhabitants' lives were primarily peaceful and loving, if perhaps poor. Evil deeds and brutality seem far away. However, the farm was once the setting for murder, a crime of passion considered as one of the most horrific events of that time. Before we open the stage, we want to give you a bit of a back story. 

Despite the small numbers of livestock, tenants had to pay heavy taxes. The Catholic Church had been thought of as a ruthless tax collector, but the King's men at Bessastaðir proved to be worse. The so-called "land debt", which was actually rent paid for a farm, was settled in livestock or fish. The tax for livestock, which also belonged to the King, was paid in butter. In addition to this, tenants were obliged to work for their landlords for free - by fishing from Örfirisey, hunting in Elliðaárdalur, haymaking on Viðey Island, extracting peat, extracting brushwood and more. Tenants were also expected to rent their horses out for various projects. The King had also declared ownership of the salmon in the Elliðaár River, and people received heavy fines for poaching.

In 1704, half of the farm Árbær was rented by a 41-year-old man called Sæmundur Þórarinsson. His wife, Steinunn Guðmundsdóttir, was 43, and Sæmundur was her third husband. Living with them were her three children from a previous marriage. In the other half lived a 26-year-old unmarried man, Sigurður Arason, and his mother. Sigurður and Steinunn became romantically involved, and she urged him to find some way of getting rid of her husband. It is not known why she took these desperate measures. 

One Sunday evening in September, Sæmundur and Sigurður went fishing in the river Elliðaár. While they were standing near the waterfall Skötufoss, a short distance from the farm Ártún, Sigurður came up behind Sæmundur, hit him on the head with a plank and pushed him into the river. 

The next day, Sigurður spread the word throughout the district that Sæmundur was missing. Search parties were formed, and the body was soon found in the river. But it was not bloated as drowned men are, and it seemed clear that Sæmundur had died on dry land. The body was buried, and some time passed.

Little by little, the rumour spread that Sigurður was responsible for Sæmundur's death, or at least knew more than he was willing to admit about the demise of his neighbour. Sigurður was interrogated, and when told that the body would be exhumed, he finally confessed to the murder. Steinunn was then questioned, and after a lengthy interrogation by the authorities, she admitted to her part in the killing. The accomplices were both sentenced to death, and the executions took place in Kópavogur a short time later. Sigurður was beheaded, while Steinunn was drowned. According to the Vallaannáll, a contemporary chronicle, they both "made repentance and died quickly."

It is not certain where Sigurður and Steinunn were buried. But in 1938, roadworkers came upon a cairn in Kópavogur, finding two bodies in it. One had long hair, while the other was missing its head.

An exhibition about an archaeological excavation taking place at the Árbær farm site.

11. Árbær Farm

About the houses

Description of Árbær

The last Inhabitants

The Skötuföss Murders

The Ancient Roots of Árbær

An exhibition about an archaeological excavation taking place at the Árbær farm site.

11. Ár­bær Farm

About the houses

De­scrip­tion of Ár­bær

The last In­hab­it­ants

The Skötuföss Murders

The An­cient Roots of Ár­bær

An exhibition about an archaeological excavation taking place at the Árbær farm site.

11. Árbær Farm

Description of Árbær

The last Inhabitants

The Ancient Roots of Árbær