The National Museum

Suðurgata

The National Museum (Þjóðminjasafn Íslands) picks up the first place yet again, but not simply due to its institutional status. What our panel felt made it such a successful museum in its category was how the curation offers the exact right scope to view Icelandic history — it’s condensed, but not too condensed. The past year saw them explore new angles from which to view the Icelandic national identity, including an exhibit on inheritance that highlighted the stark poverty of Icelanders prior to the 20th century, as they left their children the trifles of daily life upon their passing (down to a pair of underwear with a hole in it). The National Museum has also entered into successful partnerships with contemporary artists and designers to find new ways to explore Icelandic history in the making.

Runners-up

Einar Jónsson Museum

Hallgrímstorg 3

Once an imposing castle structure perched alone atop a barren hill, this building inspired by basalt hexagons is unmissable to anyone passing by Hallgrímskirkja church. A former home to one of Iceland’s foremost sculptors, Einar Jónsson, it now houses his works and the charming sculpture garden, which plays home to Einar’s unmissable fascination with Norse mythology.

Dugguvogur 4, 104 Reykjavík

Described as Iceland’s “first holistic Indoor Playground and Family Center in Iceland,” this one is sort of like a private members club for toddlers. Fjölskylduland is somewhat like a large indoor playground, full of stimulating activities for children 0-6 years old. If the playhouse isn’t enough to keep their attention, you can enroll them in gymnastics, or baby yoga. Because you’re never too young to align your chakras!

Runner-up