National Museum of Denmark
Location
Essentials
- See ethnographic treasures and medieval artifacts
- Explore Viking lore and colonial history
- Kids can touch everything in the Children’s Museum
Practical info
Children
Free entry for 0-17 year olds, please pick up a free ticket at the reception desk
Opening hours
Tuesday – Sunday: 10.00 - 17.00
Monday: closed
Children’s Museum:
Tuesday – Sunday: 10.00 – 16.30
Ticket information
Ticket directly available on smartphone
Tickets can be rescheduled or cancelled up to 48 hours in advance
More information
When available guided tours can be booked at the information desk at the entrance
For questions about the product, please contact [email protected]
Accessibility
Getting there
Public Transport
The nearest stop is Stormgade (bus 11 & 33).
About
Collections and exhibitions on Denmark’s history, people and culture
If there is one place to start your visit to Denmark, it is the Nationalmuseet or National Museum of Denmark. Here you’ll find collections and exhibitions on Denmark’s history, people and culture. The exhibitions are divided per historic period, from Classical and Near Eastern Antiquities, with Egyptian mummies, Persian ceramics, Roman utensils and Greek sculptures; to the modern day, when Denmark changed from a great European power controlling the entrance to the Baltic into a small nation part of a larger alliance.
Along with the historic exhibitions there are also exhibitions dedicated to the Danish colonies and a Royal collection of coins and medals. A visit to the National Museum of Denmark gives you the chance to really explore Danish history and culture. The museum also offers (non-included) tours, which can be booked at the information desk.
Boredom Button at the Children’s Museum
The National Museum of Denmark includes a special Children’s Museum where kids can explore history while they play. In this section of the museum there are no ‘do not touch’ signs so that kids can really get a hands-on experience of history. The Children’s Museum is an indoor playground where kids of all ages can step aboard a Viking ship, learn to cook in a medieval kitchen or prepare the castle for an enemy attack.
Visiting a museum can be boring for kids but not at the National Museum of Denmark, definitely not if they find the Boredom Button. Anything can happen if you push this button, statues come to life, paintings talk, and secret chests open to reveal their treasures.
On Tours & Tickets, you can find more kid-friendly attractions that are interesting for both children and adults.
Get your tickets to the National Museum of Denmark
Buy your National Museum tickets here to be sure to not miss out on this super fun museum. Here you are sure to find out why the Danes are some of the happiest people in the world and why they ride their bikes everywhere.
Reviews
103 reviews
Egyptian mummies were very impressive
This museum was great. From all the Viking exhibits to the mummies on the top floor. Very impressed with the amount of exhibits on display. We spent many hours here and would come back again. Restaurant was expensive but of course you don’t have to dine here.
Great Copenhagen museum
Great museum for a few hours in Copenhagen. Prehistoric bog stuff is amazing and we appreciated learning about the Danes over the years.
Amazing Collection through Time and Cultures
This is an amazing museum with so much packed inside. We were there about 5 hours, and normally we don't go to museums since my husband likes to walk outdoors. Upstairs there was a large Money exhibit with a gold bar you could touch. We had trouble finding the rest of the exhibits, and were thinking, "Is that it?" Go to the bathroom before you start since once we found the start in the Toy and Dollhouse area, you will be walking for hours without a bathroom in sight. There really was not many, if any, places to sit either. There was a 1970's area with a den in very retro furnishings, other period furnishings, Danish pre-history including canoes, Arctic (my favorites were reindeer underwear and a G-string), Greenland, Vikings, Japanese (Including a replica of a house), Chinese, Korean, Indian, Navaho weavings, and African cultures. I liked the Egyptian area which had some hieroglyphics on stone walls and even mummies, Greek, Roman, Medieval, Stone Age, and Bronze Age. There were even the mummified remains of people found in the bogs. I remember reading about the woman. There was a new Cosplay influencer exhibit being built. Danish history including a replica of a 1700's HDMS Dannebroge war ship with three rows of cannons which helped me to understand why the Swedish King had wanted an extra or third row of cannons on the ill-fated Vasa ship that sunk and is the most well preserved ship in Sweden. The Swedish ship makers had not yet mastered the extra depth and hull and other mechanics needed to offset the extra weight. There was a more modern, multi-media interactive exhibit "Viking Sorceress" with audio narration of their stories, special lighting, props and "volcano." The separate Viking area was very interesting as well. There is a cafe and gift shop. In the cultural areas, there were so many artifacts in the cases and many lacked signs or information about them that you would just have to look at them but not understand the significance but in truth there was so much to see in the museum that you could not read too many signs. This is an excellent rainy or cold day activity or even a nice day when you want to see so many interesting things that you have never seen anywhere else.
Fantastic place to spend half a day immersed in history
Phenomenal! The best collection of Egyptian and Greek artefacts we’ve ever seen, an amazing shop and lots of history about Denmark. Go go go! We loved it.
Highlight
One of the highlights in our trip to Copenhagen. Many exhibits to see and our kid enjoyed the kids museum room. Definitely worth the visit!
Like an "afternoon of learning" :)
With just a "sheer magnitude of items" to see (which in itself is actually kind of an understatement so yes "a bit of pacing" suggested inside this "huge museum" maybe not necessarily for its structure but for its amount of displays!), it was at the "main area" (a little further inside from the area of museum entrance) where I started on the "2 upper" floors with yes historical displays not just of the country but also of its overseas possessions in the colonial times where seen among the displays were: a number of "religion-themed carving plates" featuring Christ & many saints; colonial scenes from the former Danish colonies such as Calcutta, Greenland & Virgin Islands (with a number of kind of day-to-day but still "colorful & interesting" items from those places); a number of "re-created rooms" depicting the lives of both rich & poor likely from about 200 to 300 years ago to "see behind glass"; a row of "lovely miniature" heritage-styled houses with also miniature-decorations to see inside those small structures; and actually also some actual life-sized rooms to walk through in a "palace-like setting" which likely are those preserved from the time before this building was converted into a museum (as it had been some type of royal residence). And afterward at the "front area" of the Museum (after coming back out of the "main area" as mentioned above), also nicely seen were the Viking Sorceress exhibit which was likely a temporary one for just a certain period (an "audio tour" to walk through an area with many "colorful lights" to see on the walls & ceilings, quite a number of "artificial flowers" and also many Viking artifacts including some "shiny jewelries") followed by the exhibit of "cultural items" from various parts of the world (especially those from the far east including India & China and actually seen among those world displays also more of those from Greenland & the Arctic in addition to those already seen among the colonial displays at the "main area" as mentioned above). On the day starting at the Rosenborg Castle (with 3 levels of beautiful decorations including a "throne room" at the top & also a nice park right beside including a "rose garden"), it was about a 40-minute walk afterward to this museum after which was also a brief stop at some rectangular ground area ("like a small garden" with also a number of statues & outdoor-wall-carving figures of animals) just a few-minute walk from this museum.
National Museum of Denmark
There was so much to see and we had so little time to see it all. Give yourself enough time to visit all of the exhibits. Some are more interesting than others and everyone has their own tastes, so your experience will depend on personal preference. We enjoyed it, but it came after a long day of sightseeing. Perhaps dedicate a full morning or afternoon for a visit.
Lovely National Museum with lots and lots to take in
Great museum. So much to take in, I spent over 2 hours and still didn’t see everything. Great to do on a rainy day. 140 Danish Krone for adults (just shy of €20), children (U17) are free of charge.
History and fun
Because of our budget we had to choice between this museum and Carlsberg and we chose this one and regret nothing. I think the price is low for what the museum offers. It’s very huge and you need at least 3 hours to see everything. The museum it’s interactive and the new exhibition about Vikings it’s the most interesting part. Also there is a game about how money works and it’s fun and interactive. We learned a lot of history and had a lot of fun. Good place for a rainy day but also a must see when in Copenhagen!!
Absolutely recommend
Had a brilliant time here, so much to see and walk around, cafe was lovely and very lively, lockers to keep belongings and tons of interactive and detailed exhibits
Fabulous Viking Sorceress exhibition
Loved the amazing Viking Sorceress exhibition, very atmospheric with incredible exhibits. The videos telling Volva stories from the sagas were especially good.
Excellent museum with a variety of exhibits
Interesting exhibits from around the world. The highlight for my son was the oldest dog poop, from the Stone Age. Put this on your list for Copenhagen!
Good history
Lots of variety. Some amazing pieces. The Viking experience had a lot of great artefacts. The Ancient exhibit was great too
Walk through Danish History
Really good national museum that is definitely worth a visit, be mindful that you can't bring large coats/bags into museum, lockers are provided free of charge. Musuem is large and full of Denmark's history dating back millenniums, also have other countries artifacts like Egyptian, Greek and Roman. All artifacts are explained in English also making it tourist friendly, take your time as it's easy to miss rooms, each section, floor seems to jump in time or cultures making flow confusing but not to the determent of the experience.
A gem in Copenhagen
Huge interesting museum. Far too much to cover at once. Many of the exhibits are interactive. Enjoyed the exhibits on Jule and the viking sorceress.
A great day!
Just brilliant! Loved the displays, simplicity but detail. Social history through to ancient history was amazing. Loved drawing comparisons to UK history and realising as nations we gave all had similar problems, just not always dealt with them in the same way.
Plan for 3 hrs or more if you are a history buff
Another attraction with free entry as part of the CPH Discover Card. 4 levels - ground floor beginning with pre-history (Stone, Bronze and Iron age) to Middle Ages and Medieval times on Level 1 to Stories of Denmark from 1660 to 2000 on Level 2 and Classic Egyptian & Eastern Antiquities on Level 3. Level 2 is the largest showcase and was most interesting for me, especially the later part that I could identify better with. Never knew too, that Denmark was once at war with England and Sweden and not very good at it 🤭. On the other side of Level 2 there are also special exhibits - One on the money of Denmark and another on The Roots of Christmas. Interesting to see that they no longer print their own currency since 2016. Spent almost 3 hrs here and just about covered all areas. I was a little disappointed though there wasn't too much on the Viking bit of their history.
Great museum
Great museum that was part of the Copenhagen Card. We only managed the ground floor, as we only had a couple of hours to visit. There are so many fantastic items to see from across Denmark and different time periods. Could easily spend a whole day here and all descriptions are in Danish and English.
Fantastic, third visit!
As always, a brilliant visit, we came to see the Viking exhibition as we have seen all of the previous ones (and walked around) The musuem is very clean and fresh, the displays are wonderful with how the lighting is and really makes the artifacts details come through! The museum is in Danish and English which is handy as my Danish is hit and miss The staff were also wonderful and the gift shop is very well priced! I came back even to purchase a book that is not that easy to buy online so was very happy! The Viking exhibition as always is amazing! Unfortunately we did not get the headsets so we later YT'ed the artwork and meaning, fantastic! I definitely recommend a visit here and it is my favourite musuem I have been to!
Great museum with so much to learn.
This is a great museum in Copenhagen. So much information on the history of Denmark. from the ice/stone ages right until now. We spent a lot of time here around 4 / 5 hours if you see everything. I recommend :)
Wonderful History Museum
This is a great museum with lots of information about Denmark’s history. We didn’t have time to go through the whole museum (I’m guessing that would take an entire day) but we really enjoyed the exhibits that we saw. All the information on exhibits is in Danish and English.
Fun way to kill a few hours
A fun way to kill a few hours and learn some stuff. I thought it was worth a visit. It wasn’t the most memorable museum but still fun.
Very comprehensive and informative
Definitely worth a visit and not exceptionally large in size to get around, there is a wealth of history from BC times right up to the present day which is all very well stocked and comprehensive. There is, from a subjective view, possibly too much to see and take in with all the various subjects on offer. 90 minutes sufficed for this visitor although you could easily spend 3--4 hours to investigate each and every display cabinet on show. Overall, pleased to have opted to visit.
Good Planning Needed to make the best of the museum
This is a huge museum with a vast amount to choose to see. Useful maps are provided to help decision making and restaurant facilities are available to take a break and refreshments. We were quite selective in what we saw as otherwise we could have been there most of the day. What we saw was very interesting and highly educational.
(Sort of) organized chaos of artifacts
The national museum of Denmark had a lot of artifacts and pieces of history from many places. It wasn’t focused on Denmarks history only, making it quite confusing for us visitors. I wish the layout of the museum was more organized and easy to walk through and understand what’s happening in each section. To fully understand what’s going on in the museum you may need to spend 3-4 hours.
Well curated exhibition
We arrived at four, so only had time to do the ground floor section. The exhibition captivated us. Well curated, we were fascinated by the bronze and iron age history. Well designed exhibitions with clear explanations really helped us understand the exhibits. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to go back to see the Viking and other exhibits but this was a highlight of our visit to Copenhagen.
Danish History
This museum was a fascinating walk from prehistory through modern history of Denmark. The collection of artifacts, especially the early amber sculptures and spearheads, was extensive. The Viking Sorceress exhibit was funky and explained much about the pagan history of the Vikings before Christianity. I spent a couple of hours in this museum but could have spent the whole day.
Great walk through Danish prehistory
Went specifically to see the preserved Iron age bodies and wasn’t disappointed. Really enjoyed the entire bottom floor exhibition walking through the prehistory of DK and really learnt alot. Also enjoyed the surprise DAD exhibition!
Interesting museum, outstanding cafe
The museum proved confusing to navigate, probably because it was formed from two old buildings, giving it galleries that had some surprising juxtapositions. Primarily an historical museum, it contained some interesting exhibits, such as the interior of an early 17h Century merchant’s middle class house (all one room). The most striking part was the gallery devoted to doll houses, fully furnished and lit and displayed so that one could appreciate the details of the interiors. The high point was our lunch at the museum’s café, Sm/ö/r, which can be accessed without buying a museum ticket. We each had smorsbrod, traditional open-faced sandwiches piled with a pleasing, and at times surprising, variety of ingredients on thin slices of bread something like pumpernickel – for example, curried chicken salad topped with chanterelle mushrooms, tiny cubes of what may have been celery root, radish, raisins and arugula. The selection of beers and wines was substantial and included drafts from local craft breweries. I had a wheat been with a hint of raspberry.
Changing exhibits, great layout, really educational and interesting. Nice open central space.
Central and easy to access on foot. Large spacious museum with many levels set around a main open area. We visited at lunch time on a Saturday using a city pass so our entry was included in that. They had 'vikings' in the main hall doing activities and demonstrations. Really enjoyed the exhibition about their local findings (metal detector finds) was super interesting and showed some amazing finds! Made more interesting by knowing about the item and the find. Great gift shop (we didn't see a cafe) but had lockers and free toilets.
Well organized and worth the visit
The Museum is a detailed walk through the past, explaining the advancement of technology and the human condition in Denmark from prehistoric times up to the middle ages. The exhibits are in chronological order, and I learned a lot from my visit. This is one of the attractions that can be accessed through the Copenhagen Card.
Great visit
I particularly wanted to visit this museum as I was keen to see the Gundestrop Cauldron ad I had read so much about it. I wasn’t disappointed - it is well displayed so you can clearly see all the panels as well as the interior. Aside from the cauldron, there is so much to see here, all well laid out with clear information available. Wheelchair accessible.
I came for the Viking exhibits and was surprised to find so much more
I briefly visited the museum’s Viking exhibit 10 years ago and wanted to return after hearing about the expansion of their collection, housed in the Viking Sorceress exhibit. The exhibit was excellent, including an immersive introduction to Viking mythology as well as touchscreens in Danish and English for all of the objects in the exhibit (similar to the Viking exhibit in Stockholm’s National History Museum.) What I wasn’t expecting to find was an expansive collection of medieval Scandinavian religious art, items covering Denmarks’s history from 1600-2000, and artefacts from all over the world. I was particularly impressed by the collection of Etruscan and Phoenician art (both of which are somewhat rare to find) housed near the extensive Egyptian, Greek, and Roman collections. Although I lived in Asia, there were items on display that I had never seen before, including a rack designed to infuse a kimono with the scent of incense. There are also lots of items from Africa and the Pacific Islands near Australia. I spent two full days here exploring the entire collection. It is that good.
Very much recommend.
Unfortunately very busy due to bad weather, but very pleasantly surprised by the museum. There are a lot of exhibitions and much to see in each, all with information in English & Danish. Items are well displayed allowing for a clear view. Staff were friendly & very helpful, also speaking good English.
Great history museum
Spent a couple of hours in this museum Skipped the prehistory part and really enjoyed the voices of the arctic and other exhibits which illustrate medieval to renaissance history. The more modern history was good as well.
A fascinating journey into the history of the humankind
It took me entirely three hours to finish the first floor of the museum using special fossils to show the history and way of living of the inhabitants of those lands from pre-historical till B.C... Each period is profoundly explained in greater detail as to how the men lived and worked. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to tour the other two floors to experience the further history.
A 5 star experience
Every artifact from Denmark and its history seems to be here and beautifully presented. There is a nice cafe and top notch Children's Museum. A great couple of hours
Great Museum, so many iconic things to see
We used our Copenhagen Card again when we entered this Museum. First thing you notice is the large impressive foyer and the entrances off it leading to the displays. We wandered thro the history of Denmark from the start to Neolithic, early settlements Bronze & Iron ages, onto the Celtic period and its Sun Chariot and Battle Horns the highlights. Also particularly interesting for us were the Egtved girl and other burials plus the longship remains, not forgetting the world's oldest dog poo sadly no sign of the green bag it. We did some of the second floor as well, peoples of the arctic and Voices from the colonies were quite good. Unfortunately we ran out of time before we got to the Egyptian mummy and inads on the third floor. You could easily spent 3 to 4hrs depending on your interests and how must you already know of Denmark or peoples progression thro the eons.
One of the best
Love the collection. There’s something for everyone. My favorite section was the danish art area! So unique and beautiful space.
Danish History Boot Camp
Lots of excellent exhibits. Considering I previously had almost no knowledge of Danish history, I came out feeling like I had absorbed a smattering of the featured time periods and built up an overall picture. The Empire section was particularly informative. The only part that I found rather unenjoyable was the prehistory exhibit on the ground floor - mainly because it was so busy. Presumably this is because everyone is recommended to start there, and only those who are really interested in history then make their way upstairs.
Well worth a visit… so much to see and learn
Really interesting place to understand the history of Denmark throughout the ages. Collections are really varied from the inside of churches and danish rooms, to dolls houses and toys though the ages. There’s even an area for kids to play in including a pirate ship and imaginary play. Well worth a visit
FREE on Wednesdays !!!!
Massive museum full of tons & tons of pieces easily spend hours in there. All information boards are presented in multiple languages so easy to read. Upon entering there are free lockers and spaces to hand your coats and bags so you can walk around the museum comfortably I wish more places did this. Best thing was that this museum is completely free on Wednesdays.
Another highlight of this lovely city
This is a very interesting museum, we particularly liked the pre-history sections, and it was very well explained and curated.
Fantastic museum, slightly confusing layout.
Fascinating museum that's packed full of items and sections. The staff were so helpful, especially one at the entrance (I believe his name was Henrik?). There are some incredible artefacts, such as the woman from Huldremose. Only criticism is that the layout of the numbered rooms is quite confusing. Sometimes you entered the section on the wrong end - would be helpful with arrows or signs that said "This way" etc.
Whole history of Denmark
Was fascinating to see the lay out on the ground floor and walk through the prehistoric history section that is very well stocked with all manner of harpoons and tools with explanations of how hunters and fishermen evolved their skills in the area. The two particular highlights in this section were the Lurs and the Runestones. There is a history of money exhibit ongoing at the moment that is very interactive and would be good for slightly older children. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t a Viking Exhibit at the time I visited, which I would have known if I had done a bit more research first, so that’s my fault. If you are looking for Vikings rather than the larger history of Denmark make sure you check the website for current exhibits.
Must see in Copenhagen
We visited here on a Wednesday afternoon in December. Not a large crowd, so able to spend a lot of time in the exhibits. The 1600-2000 exhibit section explains a great deal about the Danish! Worth the time to appreciate this period in the country’s history.
Excellent museum with a variety of exhibits
Interesting exhibits from around the world. The highlight for my son was the oldest dog poop, from the Stone Age.
A lovely museum
A lovely well organised museum spacious and interesting exhibits. It was well laid out and told the history of Denmark. The cafe is fabulous and would recommend.
Hours of information
The museum has far more in it than first meets the eye. As you enter there are lockers for big coats and bags. There are plenty of clean well maintained toilets in the building. There is a route of history which I did find difficult to follow. The Christmas exhibition was really good, thank you we really enjoyed this part. Money also made use think how lucky we are in comparison to other nations. I did like the idea of walking along a long time line, but I did get lost on route so mis stepped time. I would say must visit but we did use Copenhagen card so nice and easy, bring headphones as there is an app. Actually I think Denmark seems to run every thing on an app.
Interesting museum
Great visit to the museum, which would have been so much better if the signage/ route to follow was better. We ended up joining an exhibition half way through and had to work out way backwards. It was interesting to read the history of Denmark Having said that I found the museum interesting and very well displayed. I particularly liked the Christmas exhibition with the wintery Christmas trees displayed. The dolls houses were beautiful and had so much detail. All different sizes. Each display had English information which was interesting to read. Included with the Copenhagen card. The cafe was nice, caffe latte was a welcome break and the small cake yummy. Such a shame it so expensive!
Having doubts? You can cancel or reschedule this booking up to 48 hours in advance for free.
