11 Best museums in Copenhagen

Since becoming one of the most important Viking fishing villages in the region in the 10th century, Copenhagen has acted as a haven for local culture, which deepened from the Middle Ages onwards when the city was chosen as the capital of Denmark. It was also chosen as the capital of Denmark. Today, much of its heritage lies in its museums, which are a national and international reference.

Among the best things to see and do in Copenhagen, one of them is to discover the city through its exhibitions. To do this, include on your list the National Museum of Denmark, the National Gallery, the Design Museum, the Canal Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Natural History Museum, among others.

Booking tickets to visit the National Museum of Denmark or Nationalmuseet is a must. It is the largest museum in Denmark and one of the oldest in Europe. It is located in the centre of the capital and has an impressive collection of historical, archaeological and cultural objects from the Stone Age to the Modern Era. It was founded in 1807 and has expanded significantly since then, acquiring and exhibiting a wide variety of objects and artefacts.

The permanent collection has more than 2 million items, including Viking artefacts, gold and silver treasures, weapons and armour, prehistoric artefacts, art objects and textiles. One of the most popular exhibits is the remains of the Tollund men, which are mummified Iron Age bodies discovered in a peat bog in Denmark in 1950. It also has a large Viking collection, which includes ships, jewellery and weapons, as well as objects from the medieval and Renaissance periods.

The museum, which is often included in the best tours of Copenhagen, also hosts temporary exhibitions, lectures and educational activities for visitors of all ages. It also has a research library that is accessible to the public and activities for younger visitors, making it one of the best things to do with children in Copenhagen.

Interesting details

• Price: admission costs €18 per person.
• Location: Ny Vestergade 10, Copenhagen.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm.

The Danish Resistance Museum traces the history of the Danish resistance during World War II and is one of the most interesting museums in Copenhagen, especially for the historical value of its exhibits. Founded in 1957, after the reconstruction of the capital was completed, it has a collection of objects and documents related to the local resistance and the German occupation.

The collection includes uniforms, weapons, espionage tools, photographs and letters used by members of the Danish resistance. In addition, it reviews the cruelty of the German occupation, including the history of the Rescue Network, which saved thousands of Danish Jews from deportation to concentration camps in Eastern Europe. There are also temporary exhibitions and cultural events such as lectures and discussions on World War II-related topics.

A visit to the Resistance Museum is a must if you are a fan of World War II history and the struggle against oppression. The collection offers an insight into the courage and determination of the Danes who united to resist German occupation and defend the values of freedom and democracy. There is also a library and archive with a wealth of research material on the history of the Danish resistance.

Details of interest

• Price: admission costs approximately €15 per person.
• Location: Esplanaden 13, Copenhagen: Esplanaden 13, Copenhagen.
• Opening hours: daily from 10am to 5pm.

The Danish War Museum is housed in a historic building dating from the early 17th century and is well worth a visit. So if you visit this museum, you can enjoy a double visit: the building and the collection.

Its permanent collection is one of the most extensive in the world and includes up to 100,000 objects of great heritage value, including war objects such as swords, machine guns, armour, etc.

This museum takes you on a journey through the history of warfare in Denmark over more than 500 years and the country's role in major national and international conflicts such as the Second World War and the war in Afghanistan.

Interesting details

• Price: entrance fee is approximately €18 per person.
• Location: 3 Tøjhusgade, 1220, Copenhagen.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.

The Copenhagen Canal Museum is a naval exhibition located in the picturesque district of Christianshavn. It was opened in 1948 and is located in the former premises of the Holmen shipyard, which formerly housed the armament and ammunition depot for the capital's harbour.

The museum has a collection of naval weaponry, ranging from cannons and guns to mines and torpedoes. It also houses scale models of ships and artefacts relating to Danish naval history and navigation, from Viking times to the present. Highlights include the historic cannons that protected the entrance to Copenhagen harbour, as well as a display of torpedoes and naval mines.

In addition to its permanent collection, the museum organises temporary exhibitions, interactive workshops and guided tours. Outside the museum, you can see several historic ships moored in the canal. Nearby, you can also see the free city of Christiania, an ideal visit for naval history buffs and those interested in Denmark's past and the history of shipping. You can also combine the visit with a tour of Copenhagen's canals.

Interesting details

• Price: The entrance fee is approximately €9 per person.
• Location: Stormgade 18, Copenhagen.
• Opening hours: daily from 9am to 6pm.

The Design Museum, also known as Designmuseum Danmark, is a museum dedicated to Danish design and visual culture and is housed in a historic 18th century building that is considered one of the finest buildings in Copenhagen.

It houses an extensive collection of design objects including furniture, ceramics, jewellery, textiles, posters and decorative art objects from the 17th century to the present day. It also has temporary exhibitions exploring different aspects of contemporary design and visual culture. Highlights include Arne Jacobsen's Ant Chair, a wide selection of Royal Copenhagen porcelain and works by leading 20th century Danish designers such as Finn Juhl and Hans J. Wegner.

In addition to exhibitions, the Design Museum also offers educational programmes and workshops for children and adults, and has a gift shop selling Danish and Nordic design products. It also houses a café, which is often included in the best food tours of Copenhagen.

Interesting details

• Price: entrance fee is approximately €17 per person.
• Location: Bredgade 68, Copenhagen.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

If you visit the Copenhagen Museum of Modern Art, you will not only get to see the exhibition and a beautiful ship-shaped building, which resembles a giant cargo container floating in the harbour dockyards, but also the coastal town of Ishøj, located about 20 kilometres from Copenhagen.

The museum houses a permanent collection of more than 400 works of modern and contemporary art, with an emphasis on Danish and Nordic art. Featured artists include Asger Jorn, Per Kirkeby, Tal R, Olafur Eliasson, Yayoi Kusama, Ai Weiwei and Damien Hirst. You can visit the exhibition on the Copenhagen sightseeing bus. In addition to its permanent collection, it organises temporary exhibitions and cultural events such as concerts, film screenings and workshops for children and adults.

The museum also has a gift shop and a restaurant overlooking the sea and is a popular place for lovers of modern and contemporary art, as its distinctive architectural design is an attraction in itself. With its rich collection and a variety of exhibitions, the museum offers a unique cultural experience.

Interesting details

• Price: entrance fee is approximately €12 per person.
• Location: Skovvej 100, Ishøj.
• Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday 11am-5pm.

If you want to visit one of the main museums in Copenhagen, you can't miss the National Gallery of Denmark, which is the most representative art museum in the country. It is located in the historic centre of the capital and houses an extensive collection of Danish and international works from the 14th century to the present day.

The gallery has a collection of more than 700 years of Danish and European art, including paintings, sculptures, drawings and decorative arts. Highlights include paintings by Danish Old Masters such as Christen Købke and Vilhelm Hammershøi, as well as works by international artists such as Rembrandt, Rubens, Goya, Picasso and Matisse. It also presents temporary exhibitions and educational programmes, making it an ideal family activity.

The museum has a modern and spacious architecture and offers a unique cultural experience for both local visitors and international tourists that is often included in the tours of the best bike tours in Copenhagen.

Interesting details

• Price: entrance fee is approximately €16 per person.
• Location: Sølvgade 48-50, Copenhagen.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

If you want to visit one of the leading natural science museums in the Scandinavian region, then the Danish Museum of Natural History, located in the Botanical Garden of the University of Copenhagen in Østerbro, is a must.

It houses an extensive collection of animal, plant, mineral and fossil specimens. It includes more than 14 million specimens, making it one of the largest in Europe. Visitors can see permanent and temporary exhibitions with stuffed animals, skeletons, fossils, rocks and minerals. Highlights include the life-size dinosaur skeleton exhibition and the Danish fauna exhibition, which shows the diversity of the country and how it has evolved over time.

The museum also has an educational programme that includes guided tours for school groups and training courses for students and professionals. It also organises events and activities for the general public such as children's workshops, lectures and public talks, and if you plan to visit Copenhagen in the summer, you can also enjoy the palace gardens.

Interesting details

• Price: admission costs approximately €12 per person initially.
• Location: Øster Voldgade 5, Øster Voldgade 5, Copenhagen: Øster Voldgade 5, Copenhagen.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm.

The Thorvaldsen Museum is dedicated to the sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, one of Denmark's most representative artists. It was founded in 1848, shortly after his death, and houses a large collection of his works with a wide variety of sculptures, ranging from his early works to the masterpieces that made him famous throughout Europe. There are also drawings, sketches, clay models and other materials illustrating the artist's creative process.

The museum building is a tourist attraction in itself. It is neoclassical in style and features a grand marble entrance and a central staircase adorned with sculptures by the artist. The interior of the museum is designed to create an atmosphere that mimics the feel of a Roman art gallery, as Thorvaldsen found inspiration in ancient times.

The Thorvaldsen Museum is a must for those interested in Danish art history and culture. The museum's collection is one of the largest Thorvaldsen collections in the world and provides a unique insight into the work of one of the Scandinavian region's most important artists.

Details of interest

• Price: entrance fee is approximately €8 per person.
• Location: Bertel Thorvaldsens Plads 2, Copenhagen.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm.

The Hirschsprung Collection is an art museum that was founded in the early 20th century by tobacco merchant Heinrich Hirschsprung and his wife Pauline, who before their deaths donated their private art collection to the Danish government.

The collection comprises more than 7000 pieces, mainly paintings and sculptures, spanning the artistic periods from the 18th to the early 20th century, including works by Christen Købke, Vilhelm Hammershøi, P.S. Krøyer and Theodor Philipsen. In addition, the museum is housed inside one of Copenhagen's finest palaces, located in the Østre Anlæg park.

The Hirschsprung Collection is famous for its collection of works by the Skagen Painters, a group of artists working in the town of Skagen in the far north of Denmark in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Skagen Painters were known for their ability to capture the unique light and colours of the Danish landscape, and their work has come to symbolise the national spirit of the time. It also houses an art library, with a collection of books and magazines relating to 19th and early 20th century Danish and European art.

Interesting details

• Price: entrance fee is approximately €10 per person.
• Location: Stockholmsgade 20, Copenhagen.
• Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 4pm.

The David Collection Museum is one of the smallest museums in Copenhagen, but it is also the capital's most famous private art exhibition and one of the best things to see and do in Copenhagen. The collection is owned by businessman Jens Erik Sørensen and named after his father, David Sørensen.

The museum houses a collection of over 800 works of art, including paintings, sculptures and works on paper by representative artists from the 16th century to the present day, such as Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall. David' s collection is housed in a former brewery in the Vesterbro district and the building has been renovated and designed to house the exhibition, with large exhibition spaces and lighting carefully designed to highlight the works of art.

The museum also has a gift shop and café. Despite its relatively small size, the David Collection Museum is a popular attraction for art lovers looking to discover a unique and diverse collection of artworks.

Details of interest

• Price: entrance fee is approximately €11 per person.
• Location: Kronprinsessegade 30, Copenhagen.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm.