Best Of Reykjavík 2018: Best Art Museum

So, you’ve shopped in the shops, drank the drinks, and eaten all the food you can manage. And whilst those things are all super fun, activities and culture are the missing pieces of the puzzle for a perfect trip to Iceland. Whether it a gleaming museum or a grimy artist-run gallery, a springtime hike or a trip to try and glimpse the aurora, presenting our Best of Reykjavík 2018: Activities winners. Here, we’ll dive into the not-to-miss art museums.

Best Art Museum

The Marshall House

Grandagarður 20

Newcomer: Although it’s officially a newcomer, it seems obvious that this pristine new art museum is here to stay. Housing three galleries—NÝLÓ, Kling og Bang, and an Ólafur Elíasson workshop—it was an instant hit with the local art crowd. “It’s such an amazing space,” said the panel. “There’s so much natural light, and the design is beautiful.” The variety of work on show was another reason for the win. “An art museum doesn’t have to be one big institution,” said the panel. “It’s a collection of three independent art organisations working together to make something exciting happen.”

Runner-Up:

Reykjavík Art Museum

Various locations

This might be cheating a bit, but Reykjavík Art Museum provides three winners in one. Whether it’s classic Icelandic sculpture at the beautiful Ásmundursafn, Kjarval paintings at the airy Kjarvalstaðir, or the various contemporary displays at downtown Hafnarhúsið, Reykjavík Art Museum has it all.

Runner-Up:

Einar Jónsson Museum

Eiríksgata 3

Located right next to Hallgrímskirkja, this beautiful building was the house and studio of Icelandic sculptor Einar Jónsson during his lifetime and is now a permanent exhibition of his work. Large-scale sculptures musing on the big subjects of birth, life, death, society and religion dot the garden, and Einar’s apartment is preserved inside.

Previous Winners

2016: Hafnarhúsið

2012-15: Reykjavík Art Museum

Other Activities Categories

Best Pool

Best Art Museum

Best Museum

Best Artist-Run Space

Best Gallery

Best Place For Aurora Spotting

Best Place To Take The Kids

Best People-Watching Spot

Best Hike

Best Cinema

You can buy a copy of the full Best Of Reykjavík 2018 magazine—an essential guide to having fun in Reykjavík—here, posted worldwide. We also have a Special Offer double-pack that also includes our Best Of Iceland magazine, about places to eat, see, swim, shop and stay, all around the country, here.