The National Museum of Iceland is a bit out of the way of the centre of downtown Reykjavik but we figured we'd take in a bit of history and culture while visiting, and this seemed like a good place to find both. Like most museums in Iceland it costs to enter (though kids up to 16 are free, which was fortunate for us as our teenager got in free). Split across two main floors with a couple of rooms for side exhibits and galleries, the museum starts right back at the dawn of time with prehistoric artefacts and displays showing how the very first settlers clawed a living out of the sometimes inhospitable landscape. As time passed and humans evolved, Iceland became an important settlement with abundant natural resources. The first half of the exhibition was a bit 'dry' and religious for our tastes (not really our cup of tea) but we found some of the objects beautiful and enchanting nonetheless. On the higher floor you get to find out about the independence of Iceland and how things changed after 1944, and how modern Iceland embraces the amazing diversity of a multicultural society. The museum has a cafe and a gift shop offering some quirky gifts, and there's lots of amazing art on show. We did find the entry price a bit steep for a fairly small museum, but if you want to know more about Iceland's history, this is a good place to visit

... the period of occupation of Denmark by the National Socialists in the 2nd century. World War II very cleverly used for their declaration of independence. In the meantime, the British had invaded since May 1940 in order to take away the appetite of the Germans for the occupation of Ísland as a precautionary measure - replaced by the Americans in July 1941 and thus even before their admission into the Second World War. Weltkrieg. I found recent history throughout the museum, so the 19th and 20th centuries. By far the most interesting. For my taste, the recent history, i.e. from the eighties of the last century to the present day, even fell short. Finally, disarmament negotiations between the two great powers, the United States and the Soviet Union, took place in Reykjavik in 1986, as did the legendary Fischer vs Spassky chess tournament. Strangely enough, one learns relatively little about the Vikings, which are so popularly used by tourist merchandising. The population of Iceland was 50,000 at the 1703 census. How Icelanders managed to achieve a wage and price level above that of Switzerland in the rest of history is still a mystery to me. Fittingly, the National Museum café has the most expensive coffee Americano I have ever had: 800 crowns - but in an admittedly pretty environment.

I really enjoyed the story told through the museum of Iceland from settlement to the modern period, with it divided up into distinct ages. It feels like a good overview of the past 1000ish years with plenty of detail to dive into. Staff were knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We spent about two and a half hours there and saw most of it, which felt about the right amount of time as part of the city card, I don’t think I’d want to rush through much quicker.

This is a very informative museum if you want to learn about Iceland’s history. It’s not very big and you can spend a couple of hours to see it all. The audio guide is very informative and takes you around the exhibits from when Iceland was first populated until the present day.

This is a treasure trove of Icelandic history, the highlights really were all of the artefacts from the time the first vikings settled Iceland right through the Middle Ages. If you’re not into history you might not enjoy the bull of this museum but there are halls dedicated to art and contemporary Icelandic history as well as going further back in time. Really was a fascinating few hours and if you like you can even play a game of chess part way around!

A very calm and peaceful ambiance inside the museum where Iceland through the ages is thoughtfully presented. Gift shop a tiny bit disappointing. Walking back towards the many other souvenir shops, in the snow and winter sunshine, soon lifted my mood.

Very interesting museum that tells the story of Iceland; from initial settlement to it becoming a republic in the early 20th century. As I minored in archaeology (palynology to be exact) I loved the beginning of the museum that displayed a lot of finds from excavations. I liked how there were staff dotted about to chat to about the exhibits, too.

The museum is a 11 minute walk from the Settlement Exhibition. Like all the museums in Iceland, this is a small museum comprising of two floors that sheds light on the history of Iceland; how it began, the original settlers, paganism, the rise and fall of Christianity, how the country became predominantly Lutheran, and the modern Iceland as we know it now. It was informative, interesting, and history fans will enjoy this, as I did. I didn't know much about Iceland but after visiting the museum, I know LOTS! There are some great artifacts on display, especially the religious objects. The price of admission is fair (for Iceland) and a good place to while away an hour or two.

We visited the National Museum of Iceland. The museum displays objects that provide insight into Icelandic cultural history. The National Museum of Iceland was established on 24 February 1863, with Jón Árnason the first curator of the Icelandic collection, previously kept in Danish museums.

There's a ton of great material here, both artifacts and information about them, stretching from the earliest human activity on Iceland to a quick survey of modern times. Unfortunately, it's all contained in a roughly chronological jumble of exhibits that require tacking back and forth across each floor, with little to connect point A to point B. There's no narrative of the history, or clear view (especially when we get to the second floor and post-Reformation Iceland) of what the story of the Icelandic people really means, how it is connected, what the through-lines are. The result is a lot of data, but little information. Questions of Church and State come up, then vanish, then come up again, then vanish again, with no sense of why or how or what it means to Iceland today. Control from Norway, then Denmark, shows up here and there, and then there's an independence movement, and then Iceland is just kind of independent and has a new flag, but for someone who isn't actually Icelandic, it feels like half the story is missing, with the last 80-odd years turned into a collection of artifacts dug out of people's garages with very little context. In short, if the permanent exhibit is about "Making a Nation," I really don't understand what Iceland is, today, as a nation, than I did when I started. It's a worthwhile place to visit, but it could be much, much better.