Icelandic Sea Monster Museum (Skrímslasetrið)
About Icelandic Sea Monster Museum (Skrímslasetrið)
The Icelandic Sea Monster Museum, Skrímslasetrið in Icelandic, is a folklore exhibition in Bíldudalur, the village on Arnarfjörður in the southern Westfjords. It collects the sea monster stories told around this fjord and presents them with sound, film and handmade models of the creatures.
Arnarfjörður was the obvious place for it. The exhibition draws on the work of Þorvaldur Friðriksson, who has gathered close to 4,000 monster accounts from all over Iceland, and in his records this fjord stands out for both the number of sightings and the variety of creatures. The museum opened its first section at the end of June 2009 in a building on the village waterfront.
Four monsters get the most attention. The fjörulalli, or shore laddie, is a shaggy beast about the size of a horse with seaweed and shells hanging from its coat, and the museum holds at least 36 recorded encounters with it. The red-maned Faxi was reportedly seen in Geirþjófsfjörður as recently as 2010, while the shell monster was last reported in 1951 and the hideous merman about 150 years ago.
The highlight inside is an interactive map table of Arnarfjörður, where stories light up as you move around the fjord. It includes clips from a documentary with interviews of people who say they saw the creatures themselves. Kids tend to love the place, and adults get a solid hour of local folklore out of it.
The Icelandic Sea Monster Museum is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 during the summer season, which opened on May 15 in 2026. A café on site serves coffee and pizza and hosts concerts and other events in summer. Bíldudalur is about 35 minutes by car from Patreksfjörður, and the museum is an easy stop before the drive out to Selárdalur.
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Good to know
Where is the Icelandic Sea Monster Museum?
The museum is at Strandgata 7 in Bíldudalur, a village on Arnarfjörður in the southern Westfjords. It is about 35 minutes by car from Patreksfjörður.
What are the opening hours of the Sea Monster Museum?
In summer the museum is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00. The 2026 season opened on May 15, so check ahead if you plan to visit early or late in the year.
Why is there a sea monster museum in Bíldudalur?
Arnarfjörður stands out in Iceland for the number of recorded monster sightings and the variety of creatures described. The museum was built around those local stories.
What sea monsters are said to live in Arnarfjörður?
The best known are the fjörulalli or shore laddie, the red-maned Faxi, the shell monster and the merman. The fjörulalli is the most common, with at least 36 recorded encounters.
Is the Sea Monster Museum good for kids?
Yes, the monster models and the interactive map table work well for children. Most families spend about an hour there.
Is there a café at the Sea Monster Museum?
Yes, the museum has a café that serves coffee and pizza. In summer it also hosts concerts and other evening events.
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