The House of Collections

About The House of Collections

The House of Collections (Safnahúsið), also known in English as the Culture House, is a museum building at Hverfisgata 15 in central Reykjavík, next to the National Theatre and a short walk from Harpa and Laugavegur. It was built in 1906 to 1908 to designs by the Danish architect Johannes Magdahl Nielsen, and when it opened in 1908 it housed the National Library, the National Archives, the natural history collection and the antiquities collection. It is one of the finest early 20th-century public buildings in the city, and the historic interior is part of the visit.

Today the building is one of the venues of the National Gallery of Iceland. The long-running exhibition Resistance, shown until March 2028, draws on the gallery's collection to explore themes such as opposition, consumption and climate action through Icelandic art from different periods. A second exhibition, Stay and Turn to Stone! Folklore in Icelandic Art, runs from 1 February to 31 December 2026 and looks at how Icelandic folk tales and legends appear in the country's art. The building also has a museum shop and meeting rooms for hire, and the gallery runs a monthly children's club.

The House of Collections is open every day from 10:00 to 17:00. Admission has been ISK 2,400 for adults and ISK 1,200 for students and seniors, with free entry for under-18s, and the ticket also covers the main National Gallery building on Fríkirkjuvegur by Tjörnin, about seven minutes' walk away. Check current prices before your visit.

Plan on about an hour to see the exhibitions and the historic interior. It is a good indoor stop on a rainy day in Reykjavík, and it combines easily with Arnarhóll hill, Harpa, the Old Harbour and the shops on Laugavegur. Paid street parking and several city car parks are nearby, but most visitors arrive on foot.