Arken Museum of Modern Art

Copenhagen


Modern art fans wanting a quick escape from town should consider a trip to Arken. It's best known for its temporary exhibitions, spanning the usual modern art spectrum of site-specific installations, sculpture, painting and mixed-media works. The museum's permanent cache of post-1945 works include creations by Warhol, Damien Hirst and Ai Weiwei, as well as art by heavyweight Danes like Per Kirkeby, Asger Jorn and Olafur Eliasson. There's plenty to keep children intrigued too, including the wonderful sandy beach outside.

To get here from Copenhagen, take the S-train southwest to Ishøj station. From here, you can either catch bus 128 to the museum (five minutes) or walk (2.4km).

Transportation

  • strain: Ishøj

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Copenhagen attractions

1. Visit Carlsberg

6.92 MILES

Set to reopen in 2020 after a major refurbishment, Visit Carlsberg explores the history of Danish beer from 1370 BC (yes, they carbon-dated a bog girl who…

2. Cisternerne

6.92 MILES

Below elegant Søndermarken Park lurks Copenhagen's damp, dripping 19th-century reservoir. These days it's best known as Cisternerne, one of Copenhagen's…

3. Copenhagen Zoo

6.93 MILES

Located up on Frederiksberg (Frederik's Hill), Copenhagen Zoo rustles and rumbles with more than 2500 critters, including lions, zebras, hippos and…

4. Frederiksberg Have

7.1 MILES

This is Copenhagen’s most romantic park, with lakes, woodlands and lovely picnic lawns. Guarding the main entrance is 19th-century royal Frederik VI, who…

5. Shooting Range Wall

7.86 MILES

In a cul-de-sac off Istedgade is this imposing red-brick wall, its gate leading to the delightful Skydebanehaven (Shooting Range Gardens). While it might…

6. Cykelslangen

7.97 MILES

Two of the Danes greatest passions – design and cycling – meet in spectacular fashion with Cykelslangen, or Cycle Snake. Designed by local architects…

7. V1 Gallery

8.02 MILES

Part of the Kødbyen (Vesterbro's 'Meatpacking District'), V1 is one of Copenhagen's most progressive art galleries. Cast your eye on fresh work from…

8. Fotografisk Center

8.08 MILES

Hidden away in a warehouse in the 'brown-brick' section of the Meatpacking District, the Fotografisk Center serves up rotating exhibitions of contemporary…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "denmark/copenhagen/around-copenhagen/attractions/arken-museum-of-modern-art/a/poi-sig/1438684/1336118",
      "destination": "Copenhagen",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Denmark",
      "city": "Copenhagen",
      "position": "superzone"
    }