East Iceland Heritage Museum

About East Iceland Heritage Museum

The East Iceland Heritage Museum is the best place in Egilsstaðir to learn how people in this corner of the country actually lived, and how the region's wild reindeer fit into that story. Known locally as Minjasafn Austurlands, it sits in the Safnahúsið building at Laufskógar 1, a short walk from the town center and the swimming pool.

The museum has two permanent exhibitions. Reindeer in East Iceland, which opened in 2015, covers the animals' survival, the history of reindeer hunting, and how reindeer meat, hides and antlers have been used in food, crafts and design. East Iceland is the only part of the country where wild reindeer roam, so this exhibit puts the herds you may see along the road into context.

The second exhibition, A Self-Sufficient Unit, shows how rural households in the region fed, clothed and housed themselves until the mid-20th century. Among the exhibits is a wooden baðstofa, the shared living and sleeping room of an old farmhouse, from the farm Brekka in Hróarstunga. Special exhibitions rotate through the year, and Landnámskonan, built around the remains of two well-equipped Viking Age women found near Seyðisfjörður, was on display at the time of writing.

In summer (June 1 to August 31), the museum is open Monday to Friday 10:00–17:00 and Saturday 11:00–17:00. From September through May, hours drop to Tuesday to Friday 11:00–16:00. Adult admission is 1,800 ISK, visitors 17 and under get in free, and an audio guide costs 400 ISK.

An hour is enough for most visitors. It makes a good stop on a gray day in Egilsstaðir, or on the way to Lagarfljót lake, which starts at the edge of town.