Access to the Reykjavík Maritime Museum

Maritime Museum

Grandagarður 8, 101 Reykjavík, tel. (+354) 411-6300

The Maritime Museum is located on Grandagarður 8, opposite a series of renovated vintage fishing sheds that house various shops and services. The main entrance is on Grandagarður, but there’s also a harbour-side entrance via the pier opposite the slipway. The ticket office and museum shop are both located in the reception area of the building.

The Maritime Museum features two main exhibitions, a permanent exhibition on the second floor and a special exhibition on the ground floor. The Fish & Folk – 150 years of fisheries exhibition features bright lights and videos with sounds that may affect those with sensory processing disorders. There are several benches for guests to sit down on and rest.

The museum is spread across two floors with good access for the disabled. There’s a visitors lift between floors and automatics doors via the main entrance on Grandagarður.

The ship has steep stairs, raised thresholds and narrow passages, making it unsuitable for wheelchairs or anyone who has limited mobility. People with claustrophobia are also not advised to go on board.

Plan Your Visit

Entry

The museum has two entrances: its main entrance is on Grandagarður and the other via the harbour. The main entrance on Grandagarður features automatic sliding doors. The harbour-side entrance has manual doors with a threshold.

The ticket office and museum shop are both located in the reception area on the ground floor.

Parking facilities

Parking is available by the Grandagarður and harbour-side entrances, with the Grandagarður car park closest to the museum. Access to the harbour-side car park (approx. 150 m from the entrance) is via Rastargata. The parking bay directly outside the front entrance (by Grandagarður) can accommodate a coach or bus.

Public Transport

Bus service 14 stops on Grandagarður close to the museum’s main entrance.  

Toilets

There are three toilets on the second floor at the start of the main exhibition, one of which is accessible for the disabled. The corridor to the toilets has an access ramp; however, the door is not automated.

Meeting Facilities

The Hornsílið conference room is located on the second floor by the lift and fitted with an access ramp.

Indoor picnic areas

The museum does not provide any dining facilities or indoor picnic areas. There are, however, picnic benches directly outside the museum (harbour-side) for use when weather permits.

Courtesy pushchairs/strollers

Unfortunately, we do not provide courtesy strollers or pushchairs, but guests are welcome to bring their own.

Guided Tours

For further information, please contact 411-6300 or send an email to borgarsogusafn@reykjavik.is

Coastguard Vessel Óðinn           

The ship has steep stairs, raised thresholds and narrow passages, making it unsuitable for wheelchairs or anyone who has difficulty walking. People with claustrophobia are also not advised to go on board.

Access for people with disabilities

Blue-badge parking

There is one blue-badge parking space by the Maritime Museum located to the right-hand side of the entrance on Grandagarður. 

Courtesy wheelchair

The museum offers a courtesy wheelchair located on the ground floor by the cloakroom area. There are also lockers available.

Wheelchairs access throughout the museum is generally good. For further information contact the museum reception desk.

Seating 

Look out for specially-designed benches in the shape of Iceland as you enter the exhibition. There are also a couple of benches to sit down on and rest on inside the exhibition. 

Lift

The visitors’ lift is located to the left of the stairs going up. A wheelchair lift, down to the special exhibition, is located on the ground floor to the left of stairs going down. 

Autism & Sensory Processing Disorder

Sensory stimuli

Those with sensory processing difficulties may be affected by certain stimuli in the museum’s main exhibition, which features bright lights, sounds from multimedia installations and the smell of salt fish and stockfish.

Reykjavík City Museum regularly advertises special opening hours where sensory stimuli, such as sound and light, are specifically set with the needs of the group in mind.

For further information, please contact 411-6300 or send an email to borgarsogusafn@reykjavik.is 

Blind and visually impaired

Guided tours

Reykjavík City Museum is one museum in five locations (Árbær Open Air Museum, The Settlement Exhibition, Museum of Photography, Maritime Museum and Viðey Island) offering regular guided tours for the blind and visually impaired. Tour timetables are advertised in advance.

For further information, please contact 411-6300 or send an email to borgarsogusafn@reykjavik.is.

Guide dogs

Guide dogs are welcome at the museum.

Deaf and hard of hearing

Guided tours

Reykjavík City Museum is one museum in five locations (Árbær Open Air Museum, The Settlement Exhibition, Museum of Photography, Maritime Museum and Viðey Island) offering regular guided tours in sign language for the deaf and hard of hearing. Tour timetables are advertised in advance.

For further information, please contact 411-6300 or send an email to borgarsogusafn@reykjavik.is 

Various groups

Reykjavík City Museum welcomes diverse groups and makes every effort to meet their needs. Has your group visited the museum yet?

Amongst those groups who are regular visitors to the museum are:

Klúbburinn Geysir

Hlutverkasetrið

Dagþjálfun fólks með heilabilun

For further information, please contact 411-6300 or send an email to borgarsogusafn@reykjavik.is.