What to see in Copenhagen: 7 unusual museums
Copenhagen's unusual museums: for those who have seen it all

What to see in Copenhagen: 7 unusual museums

Do you think museums are boring exhibits covered in centuries-old dust? Not in Copenhagen. Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces are kept in castles here, but the city’s museums offer a more unconventional program. Holograms, modern art objects, the opportunity to feel the exhibits and atmosphere with all the senses — welcome to the world of art in the Danish way.
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The capital of Denmark is conventionally divided into Little Copenhagen — the city itself, and Big Copenhagen — its nearest suburbs. Attractions can be found in both parts. It is not difficult to get to them: the subway covers the city and the suburbs.

Copenhagen Museums

Maritime Museum of Denmark (M/S Museet for Søfart)

The Maritime Museum in Elsinore (Helsingør) is one of the most talked about museums of recent years. It has been named a »Cutting-edge cultural site» by the New York Times and «One of the eight greatest new museums» by the BBC. It is not only interesting for its modern interactive exhibitions, but also for the exhibition hall building itself, which has won a number of international awards for its architectural design.

The huge ship-shaped museum is built underground around an old dry dock, opposite Kronborg Castle. Descend the sloping bridges and enter a building with movie projections and sound effects: come face to face with a torpedo, see the world’s largest container ship model, get a tattoo of an old sailor, learn the principles of maritime navigation and star orientation, put on headphones and hear a storm.

There is a cafe and a store on the grounds of the museum.

Fish from different types of plastic point to ocean pollution problem
Fish from different types of plastic point to ocean pollution problem
Here you can put on headphones and listen to the sounds of the sea, sailors
Here you can put on headphones and listen to the sounds of the sea, sailors' conversations, and watch nautical videos
Compasses, which helped sailors navigate and chart their way
Compasses, which helped sailors navigate and chart their way
Maritime manuscripts
Maritime manuscripts
Screens in the boxes show themed videos and headphones broadcast the sounds of the sea
Screens in the boxes show themed videos and headphones broadcast the sounds of the sea
Here you can get a flushable tattoo based on your own sketch or an example from a magazine
Here you can get a flushable tattoo based on your own sketch or an example from a magazine
It broadcasts videos of World War II bombings, sounds of aircraft and sailors
It broadcasts videos of World War II bombings, sounds of aircraft and sailors' conversations

Louisiana Museum for Moderne Kunst (Louisiana Museum for Moderne Kunst)

The Louisiana Museum of Contemporary Art is located in the suburb of Humlebæk, 40 minutes from central Copenhagen, in a beautiful old park with a magnificent panoramic view of the Øresund Strait. Along with traditional art forms (graphics, painting, sculpture), new formats are also presented here: short films, musical events, modern architecture, light installations.

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is the most visited museum in Denmark and is included in Patricia Schultz's book«1000 Places to See Before You Die».

There is a cafe and a Scandinavian design store on the grounds of the museum.

  • Mode of operation: Tuesday — Friday, 11:00—22:00; Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 11:00—18:00; Monday — day off.
  • Admission: adults — 130 DDK, children under 18 — free of charge, students — 110 DDK.
  • Official site of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.
The "Louisiana" building was built in 1855
The «Louisiana» building was built in 1855
A room with short art-house style videos
A room with short art-house style videos
One of the exhibits combining ordinary things and holograms
One of the exhibits combining ordinary things and holograms
Museum courtyard with access to the sea
Museum courtyard with access to the sea
One of the sculptures in the courtyard
One of the sculptures in the courtyard
Exit to the strait. There is also a cafe here
Exit to the strait. There is also a cafe here

Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

Ever seen a letter written on a grain of rice? Or met someone who can whistle with a mouthful of tennis and billiard balls?

The Ripley Museum’s Believe It or Not! turns everyday norms upside down and invites you into a world of extraordinary people and records from around the world.

A two-headed cow and a head the size of a fist. A death row inmate who survived 13 gunshots before gaining his freedom. A woman who stretched her neck 34 centimeters with the help of metal rings. A stunning replica of the Taj Mahal built from 300,000 matches. All of which have taken pride of place in the Ripley Museum. Here the wonders never end, and people never cease to be amazed.

The museum includes four exhibit halls: Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Guinness World Records, Mystic Expolatorie, and H. C. Andersen Fairy-Tale House. They are all independent of each other and require separate tickets, but there are combo tickets available — they are cheaper. There is a 10% discount if purchased online.

At the entrance to the exhibition halls, a human sculpture "photographs" visitors
At the entrance to the exhibition halls, a human sculpture «photographs» visitors
Robert Ripley, founder of the museum
Robert Ripley, founder of the museum
Unusual musical instruments from around the world, each with its own story to tell
Unusual musical instruments from around the world, each with its own story to tell
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh’s portrait on a butterfly wing

Andersen Museum (H. C. Andersen Eventyrhuset)

For a short while, you can plunge back into childhood at the H. H. Andersen Fairytale House in Copenhagen. Here, colorful paintings depict the world’s favorite fairy tales of the Danish writer, and «live» exhibits amaze with light and audio effects in Danish, English and German. The museum has Andersen’s study, where stories about his life and travels are told, manuscripts and collections of the writer’s instruments are kept.

Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Writer
Writer’s Props
Characters move and dance, and you can listen to a story near each exhibit
Characters move and dance, and you can listen to a story near each exhibit
Editions of the writer
Editions of the writer’s tales from different years of publication

Botanical Garden (Botanisk Have)

The beautiful botanical garden in the heart of Copenhagen is a museum and home to a collection of plants from all over the world. Even species that are extinct in the wild grow here.

The garden has everything from orchids to unique plants from the time of the dinosaurs. A Victorian palm house houses a rainforest where butterflies live in the summer.

  • Mode of operation: in April-September daily from 08:30 to 18:00. From October to March — until 16:00. More information here.
  • Admission: free of charge. Only the ticket to the palm house is paid: adults 60 DDK, children 0—2 years old are free, from 3 to 17 years old and students 40 DDK.
  • Official website of the Natural History Museum of Denmark.

Natural History Museum of Denmark (Statens Naturhistoriske Museum)

The museum has a real mammoth, a 17-meter dinosaur and other prehistoric giants, an evolution exhibit and a natural history lab where you can touch the animals' soft fur and sharp teeth.

A souvenir store is available on the museum grounds.

Designmuseum Denmark (Designmuseum Danmark)

Designmuseum Danmark is located in the historic center of Copenhagen, close to tourist attractions, harbor boats, design companies and galleries.

It is a working archive: it houses one of the world’s largest collections of Danish design. The museum holds works by:

  • Finn Juhl, Denmark’s first internationally recognized Danish furniture designer.
  • Arne Jacobsen, who has been called the father of modern Danish design.
  • Poul Kjærholm, who created the famous RK furniture series.
  • Verner Panton, master of acid colors, fluid shapes and futuristic design.
  • Hans Wegner, who has been called «the king of chairs and armchairs». During his lifetime, Wegner designed about 500 models, more than 100 of which are part of the collections of contemporary art museums, from the Pompidou Center in Paris to New York’s MoMA.

The museum is located next to Amalienborg. It hosts thematic design exhibitions, special events, guided tours and workshops. The exhibition includes furniture, glass, ceramics, fashion, textiles and posters.

Amalienborg Museum (Amalienborgmuseet)

Royal life past and present, private interiors of the last monarchs, a treasure trove of world-class jewelry — Amalienborg preserves the history of the last 150 years of Denmark and introduces the lives of King Christian IX and Queen Louise. The couple were known as the «kin of Europe»: their four children ascended the thrones of England, Greece, Russia and Denmark. The rooms of the royal couple and their descendants remain untouched. And from February 2020, one of the most important collections of Russian jewelry in the world can be seen in the Fabergé Chamber.

The Royal Reception Rooms, unlike the other rooms, are still used by the royal family. The museum is closed to the public during these hours.

Guardsman near Amalienborg
Guardsman near Amalienborg
One of Amalienborg
One of Amalienborg’s buildings
View of the square and Amalienborg
View of the square and Amalienborg

It took me a week and a Copenhagen Tourist Card to see all these museums along with the most impressive castles. It saves a lot of money on visiting museums and sights, and it also covers the cost of public transportation. You can order the card on the official website.

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