Icelandic Folk & Outsider Art Museum

Top choice in North Iceland


This excellent, eclectic museum 12km from Akureyri on Rte 1 (look for the sculpture of a tall blue man out the front) is a beautiful space filled with sunlight, plant life and an intriguing array of art through the ages (in Icelandic, its name literally means ‘the museum museum’). It has a sweet apartment for rent, too.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby North Iceland attractions

1. Into the Arctic

3.91 MILES

Akureyri's newest entry on the exhibition scene, Into the Arctic displays cover the great north's wildlife, settlement, explorers and culture, from dog…

2. Akureyri Art Museum

4.31 MILES

Stimulate your senses at the Akureyri Art Museum, which hosts eclectic, innovative exhibitions – from graphic design to portraiture – and is surrounded by…

3. Akureyrarkirkja

4.33 MILES

Dominating the town from high on a hill, Akureyri’s landmark church was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson, the architect responsible for Reykjavík’s…

4. Catholic Church

4.5 MILES

The Catholic church is an attractive old red-and-white house built in 1912 and acquired by the church in 1952. On the nearby roundabout is Einar Jónsson’s…

5. Lystigarðurinn

4.66 MILES

The most northerly botanical garden in the world makes a delightful spot for a fragrant wander on sunny days. The wealth of plant life on display is truly…

6. Nonnahús

5.21 MILES

The most interesting of the artists’ residences in Akureyri, Nonnahús was the childhood home of renowned children’s writer Reverend Jón Sveinsson (1857…

7. Akureyri Museum

5.25 MILES

This sweet, well-curated museum houses art and historical items relating to town life, including maps, photos and recreations of early Icelandic homes…

8. Hjalteyri

8.24 MILES

Hjalteyri (population 43) was once a major herring harbour, and its old fish factory was Iceland's largest herring-processing plant when it was built in…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "iceland/greater-akureyri/attractions/icelandic-folk-outsider-art-museum/a/poi-sig/1178510/1318103",
      "destination": "North-Iceland",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Iceland",
      "region": "North-Iceland",
      "position": "superzone"
    }