Árbær Open Air Museum (or Árbæjarsafn)
A 15-minute drive east of the city, this open-air folk museum is a re-created village with more than 20 traditional buildings surrounding a town square. Árbær, a division of the Reykjavík City Museum, was a working farm until 1948, and interior decorations are meant to represent a typical 1920s farmhouse. (Look for a marvelous piece of homegrown artwork on the wall: a bird and bouquet constructed entirely from human hair.) Many of the buildings were slated for demolition in Reykjavík and around the country but found refuge here, such as an 1842 church transported from the north coast. From June to August, staff in period costume milk cows, weave wool, and cook chewy pancakes (lummur) on the farmhouse stove for visitors. What really makes a visit worthwhile is a guided tour (free with paid admission) of the original turf-roofed farmhouses, so time your visit accordingly. Without a guide you won’t learn how to spin yarn, how meat was smoked (with sheep manure), and how everyone washed their hair (in urine). Note: Admission is included in the Reykjavík City Card.
A 15-minute drive east of the city, this open-air folk museum is a re-created village with more than 20 traditional buildings surrounding a town square. Árbær, a division of the Reykjavík City Museum, was a working farm until 1948, and interior decorations are meant to represent a typical 1920s farmhouse. (Look for a marvelous piece of homegrown artwork on the wall: a bird and bouquet constructed entirely from human hair.) Many of the buildings were slated for demolition in Reykjavík and around the country but found refuge here, such as an 1842 church transported from the north coast. From June to August, staff in period costume milk cows, weave wool, and cook chewy pancakes (lummur) on the farmhouse stove for visitors. What really makes a visit worthwhile is a guided tour (free with paid admission) of the original turf-roofed farmhouses, so time your visit accordingly. Without a guide you won’t learn how to spin yarn, how meat was smoked (with sheep manure), and how everyone washed their hair (in urine). Note: Admission is included in the Reykjavík City Card.
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