Best Of Reykjavík 2019: Best Art Museum

So, you’ve shopped in the shops, drank the drinks, and eaten all the foods. And whilst those things are all super fun, culture and the outdoors are the missing pieces of the puzzle for a perfect trip. Whether it’s a gleaming museum or a grimy artist-run gallery, a springtime hike or a trip to try and glimpse the aurora, here’s where to do it.

Best Art Museum

Reykjavík Art Museum

Various Locations

Boasting with three different locations scattered through Reykjavík, you will be able to discover anything you could be looking for there, whether you fancy Icelandic sculpture at Ásmundarsafn, Kjarval paintings at Kjarvalsstaðir or various contemporary exhibitions at Hafnarhúsið. “With one ticket, you get it all,” says the panel. We’d like to give a particular shoutout to Kjarvalsstaðir, which has been on a laudable hot streak of mounting exciting contemporary exhibitions alongside the Kjarval collection; Ásmundarsafn also sets contemporary work in conversation with Ásmundur Sveinsson’s classic oeuvre.

Runner-Up:

The Marshall House

Grandagarður 20

This fairly recent addition to Reykjavík’s art museum scene has captured locals’ hearts. Hosting three galleries—NÝLÓ, Kling og Bang, and an Ólafur Elíasson workshop—it can be found in Reykjavík’s constantly developing and hip Grandi district. The mixture of its location, the variety of its offerings and the beautiful interior design make it worth every visit.

Runner-Up:

Einar Jónsson Museum

Eiríksgata 3

Despite the stunning beauty of its sculpture garden, The Einar Jónsson Museum still feels like a secret gem in the very heart of Reykjavík. There are epic sculptures on subjects such as life, death, birth, society and religion, and Einar’s apartment is lovingly preserved inside. It’s guaranteed to bring a little magic into your life.

Previous Winners

2018: The Marshall House
2016-7: Hafnarhúsið
2012-5: Reykjavík Art Museum

You can buy a copy of the full Best Of Reykjavík 2019 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.