Museum Weekend in Suðurnes

The yearly museum weekend will take place in Suðurnes 11 - 12 October 2025. Free entrance to all museums.

More information on the weekend's program at www.safnahelgi.is

A New Permanent Exhibition

Reykjanesbær Heritage Museum is working on a new permanent exhibition that will be housed in the Harbour House.

The exhibition will tell the local history, emphasising what sets this area apart from the rest of Iceland.

We hope to see you there in 2026. Until then, please enjoy our many temporary exhibitions at Duus Museum Hub.



Ásta the Painter

Ásta Árnadóttir from Narfakot in Innri-Njarðvík did not hesitate to challenge received ideas about the social role of women. She qualified as a housepainter/decorator in 1907, becoming the first Icelandic woman to qualify in a trade, and three years later she gained her master’s certificate in her trade – the first woman, and the first Icelander, to do so.

Ásta was a pioneer among women. Equipped with endless courage and self-confidence, she trained and worked in many different countries. So it is appropriate to recall Ásta’s story this year, on the fiftieth anniversary of Iceland’s famous Women’s Day Off in 1975. The year 2025 has been dedicated to the ongoing campaign for gender equality, and recognition of the contribution of women and non-binary individuals.

The exhibition will open in Duus Museum Hub, Thursday 4 September at 6 PM.  All are welcome. The exhibition will be open throughout November. Curator is Inga Þórey Jóhannsdóttir.

A Life on the Ocean Wave

In the collection of the Reykjanesbær Heritage Museum are about 140 models of ships and boats, the vast majority made by skipper Grímur Karlsson.

At the age of around 50 Grímur started to make his ship models, and he garnered a vast store of knowledge about the history of the Icelandic fisheries. Grímur was a prolific model-maker, who made over 400 models which are in the possession of various organisations and individuals. Grímur was awarded the Icelandic Order of the Falcon in 2009 in recognition for his modelmaking. He also received the Reykjanesbær Culture Prize in that year, and in 2002 he was awarded the Seamen‘s Day Medal. Grímur died in 2017. 

History Walk: The Jamestown shipwreck

On Sunday, September 7th, at 11 am, a history walk will depart from Duus Museum Hub. The event will begin with a talk at the Museum Hub, followed by a field trip to the immediate vicinity of the museum buildings. Coffee will be served during the talk.

The stranding of the sailing ship Jamestown at Hafnir in Suðurnes in 1881 had a major impact on the economy and not least on the building history of Suðurnes and beyond. The ship's cargo was crucial, as it carried 100,000 cut wooden planks.

The talk will discuss several houses that were built from the timber in the ship's cargo and the ship's own wood and focus on the major event when a huge three-masted sailing ship ran aground at Hafnir and ran aground on a skerry at Hestaklettur. After the talk, there will be a field trip (light hike) through the immediate area to houses that are built partly or entirely from Jamestown timber and their history will be told.

The guide will be Helga Margrét Guðmundsdóttir, chairwoman of an interest group about the beach. The group was founded almost a decade ago and has collected sources about the beach and prepared a list of houses and objects that are believed to be connected to the beach.

The hike is part of the Night of Lights program. Participation is free. All are welcome.

History Walk: Working with the force of brennivín - stories from Kotvogur

Sveinn Enok Jóhannsson will lead a history walk in Hafnir, Wednesday August 27th at 8PM.  The walk starts at Kirkjuvogskirkja.

It will focus on stories of Kotvogur's glory days and life there in the past.

The tour will be in Icelandic.

Attendance is free of charge. All are welcome.

History Walk: Ásar and Njarðvík forestry

Reykjanesbær Museum will host a history walk through Ásarnir and the forestry in Ytri-Njarðvík on Wednesday, August 20th at 8 PM. The walk starts at Ytri-Njarðvíkurkirkja and the estimated walking time is 60-90 minutes. The guide will be Rannveig Garðarsdóttir. The walk will focus on place names, the forestry and folklore related to the area.

The tour will be in Icelandic.

Attendance is free of charge. All are welcome.

History Walks: The wishing wells of Innri-Njarðvík

Karvel Gränz will lead a history walk between the wishing wells of Innri-Njarðvík, but he has a personal connection with them. One has been restored and another cleared of debris, making them stand out in their surroundings. By the latter an unknown path was uncovered,  adding to the history of the well.

The tour will be in Icelandic.

Attendance is free of charge. All are welcome.

This will be the first of four history walks this summer. The next two will take place on Wednesday evenings August 20th and 27th. The last is scheduled for Sunday September 7th at 11 AM.

Find the Graffiti

The Harbor House is almost 150 years old and houses exhibitions by Reykjanesbær Heritage Museum. In many places, you can see pictures and symbols that people have carved into the wood of the building over the years. Check out the "wall graffiti" in the building and find the right symbols!

All are welcome! Admission is free.

The event is part of BAUN, the Children's and Youth Festival in Reykjanesbær.



Stekkjarkot

Stekkjarkot will be open on May 3rd-4th and May 10th-11th, from 1-4 p.m.

The game Kubb will be available by the cottage during opening hours. We encourage as many people as possible to come and experience life in the 19th century and play a game in good company. 

All are welcome! Admission is free.

The event is part of BAUN, the Children's and Youth Festival in Reykjanesbær.

Stekkjarkot is a reconstructed turf house, typical of the many cottages that characterized the area in the 19th century. The inhabitants of Stekkjarkot had to rely only on fishing for a living as farming was forbidden on the rented land.  Stekkjarkot was inhabited in 1857-1887 and then again in 1917-1923. The current building was built in 1993 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the town of Njarðvík.

Guided tour of the Harbour House for families

Reykjanesbær Heritage Museum welcomes families and others interested to join in a guided tour of the Harbor House at Duus Musuem Hub.

The Harbor House is over a hundred years old and holds various mysteries and strange stories. Sebastían Arnarson will lead families and other  visitors through the house and discuss lost wells, beached ships, Lego houses and clever cats.

The tour is in Icelandic. Admission is free, all are welcome.

Stekkjarkot

Stekkjarkot is a reconstructed turf house, typical of the many cottages that characterized the area in the 19th century. The inhabitants of Stekkjarkot had to rely only on fishing for a living as farming was forbidden on the rented land.  Stekkjarkot was inhabited in 1857-1887 and then again in 1917-1923. The current building was built in 1993 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the town of Njarðvík.

Stekkjarkot will be open during the annual Museum Weekend.  Admission is free, all are welcome.

Museum Weekend at Suðurnes

Museum Weekend in Suðurnes is held annually, filled with fun events and events all over the Reykjanes peninsula. Museum Weekend is a joint project of museums, centers and exhibitions in Suðurnes. The weekend program is varied and fun for the whole family.

The event calendarcan be found at www.safnahelgi.is



History Walks

The last history walk this summer will be around Keflavík.

Participation is free of charge. The tour will be in Icelandic.

Rise up, thou symbol of young Iceland!

This year Iceland celebrates the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the modern republic on 17 June 1944. A new constitution took effect, and the momentous event was celebrated at Þingvellir, Iceland‘s ancient parliamentary site. The festivities attracted huge crowds, estimated at 25 to 30 thousand (about one-fifth of the population). 

Reykjanesbær Heritage Museum has in its collection the flag flown over the festivities in 1944. It is quite large,  over 23 m2, and will be on display in Duus Museum Hub this summer.

History Walks

The fourth history walk this summer will be around Ásbrú. This time round the event will be a drive as Ásbrú extends over a large area. Tour guide is Kristján Jóhannsson.

Participation is limited to 75 people and is free of charge. The tour will be in Icelandic.

History Walks

History walk around Ytri Njarðvík will take place on Tuesday, 30 July at 8 PM. The tour will leave from the church in Ytri Njarðvík.

Participation is free of charge and all are welcome. The tour will be in Icelandic.

Listening to the sea

"When I come out at night, I always notice where the sounds are coming from and what they are like. That's the main thing, but next to that is the sea level and the appearance of the sea." Foreman Bjarni from the town Hafnir.

The exhibition deals with the close relationship between the fishermen of the rowboat era and the waters around the Reykjanes peninsula. The exhibition is intended to give a small insight into the world that was, sometimes gentle and easy, but perhaps more often turbulent and requiring regular human sacrifices. The exhibition includes, among other things, a full-size two-person boat built according to the detailed drawings from 1772.