Húsavík Whale Museum
About Húsavík Whale Museum
The Húsavík Whale Museum fills a former slaughterhouse on the harbor of North Iceland's whale-watching town with 13 real whale skeletons. Seeing a sperm whale or a narwhal laid out at full size, before or after a boat trip on Skjálfandi Bay, gives the animals a scale that's hard to judge from a deck.
The centerpiece is the skeleton of a 25-meter female blue whale that washed ashore on Skagi in 2010. It lies on its back, the way whale carcasses usually come to rest on a beach, and belongs to the Natural History Institute of Iceland. Other rooms cover whale evolution and senses, strandings, the history of whaling and the marine life of the bay.
The non-profit museum started in 1997 as a small trial exhibition and outgrew its first home within three years, moving into the abandoned slaughterhouse it occupies today. It now has about 1,400 square meters of exhibition space, a free audio guide and a gift shop by the entrance.
From May to September, the Húsavík Whale Museum is open 9:00 to 18:00, and from October to April, 10:00 to 16:00. Adult tickets cost 2,650 ISK, and children aged 16 and under get in free with an adult. Plan on about an hour, or longer if you read every panel.
You'll find it on Hafnarstétt by Húsavík harbor, a short walk from the whale-watching ticket offices and about an hour's drive from Akureyri. Because it's open all year, it also works as a backup plan when wind cancels a sailing.
Good to know
How much does the Húsavík Whale Museum cost?
An adult ticket costs 2,650 ISK. Children aged 16 and under get in free when accompanied by an adult.
What are the Húsavík Whale Museum opening hours?
The museum is open 9:00 to 18:00 from May to September and 10:00 to 16:00 from October to April.
Is there a blue whale skeleton at the Húsavík Whale Museum?
Yes. The museum displays the skeleton of a 25-meter female blue whale that washed ashore on the Skagi peninsula in 2010.
How long do you need at the Húsavík Whale Museum?
About an hour covers the skeletons and main exhibits. Allow more time if you want to read every panel or use the free audio guide.
Is the Húsavík Whale Museum worth visiting?
Yes, especially if you're whale watching in Húsavík. The full-size skeletons show how big the animals really are, and the museum is a good backup when weather cancels a boat trip.
Where is the Húsavík Whale Museum?
It's at Hafnarstétt 1 on the harbor in Húsavík, North Iceland, about an hour's drive from Akureyri.
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