A unique and unmissable museum. Haraldur Sigursson is a world-famous geologist who has made remarkable discoveries during his career. The museum showcases his impressive personal collection of volcano-related art and objects. Somehow, it succeeds in combining a detailed and very accessible introduction to the geology of Snaefelsnes (the region where it is located) and to volcanoes in general, with a carefully curated exhibition of objects and high-quality paintings about volcanoes by Icelandic and international artists including Warhol, Dr. Atl, Siqueiros, and Hokusai. It's really a beautiful and rewarding place. Upstairs, there's a comfortable library and a viewing area with a selection of excellent videos. The person working on the desk was lovely - chatty and extremely helpful. All in all, this is a wonderful destination for anyone interested in either geology or the arts, or just wanting to understand more about the astonishing landscapes of Iceland. The day we visited, Haraldur was in the museum and very kindly took time to answer our questions about the area and to chat for a while.Like many museums outside Reykjavik, the Volcano Museum is only open from May to September so it's best to check the web site or call ahead. Admission is 800ISK and well worth it.Museum web site: http://eldfjallasafn.is/e/index.html - they organize geological tours of the Snaefelsnes peninsula. We didn't do this but wished we'd had the time. It must be a fantastic experience.
Haraldur Sigurdsson's Eldfjallasafn Volcano Museum is a must see for any traveler to Stykissholmur. Located in a beautifully renovated old cinema, this museum contains various artistic representations of volcanoes, collected during Dr Sigurdsson's many worldwide expeditions to these same volcanoes. The works are artistically arranged and an explanation of each work's subject matter is conveniently displayed. Of interest also are the huge samples of each type of volcanic rock found in Iceland. An upstairs area, in which film projectors were formally housed, today is a cozy theater where visitor may view interesting film clips relating to volcanoes. These include a CBS "60 Minutes" segment in which Haraldur Sigurdsson is featured. At specified times, Dr. Sigurdsson also presents, in English, extremely interesting lectures.
We were lucky enough to meet with Haraldur Sigurdarson who gave us an introduction of the museum. Great experience, never to be forgotten.
Yes, this could be better...could tell more about volcanos, and specifically the Icelandic volcanos. But as it is, it is highly relevant to this country/landscape, and if you take time to watch some of the videos (upstairs), it can be quite educational.Worth a visit, especially for the reasonable 800 ISK/Adult price.
The Volcano Museum (Eldfjallasafn) in Stykkisholmur is located in the town's former cinema, and is decorated with posters of old movies with a volcanic theme - Stromboli, The Volcano at the Top of the World, etc. This makes an interesting backdrop to a fantastic display of volcano memorabilia, including works of art, artefacts, geological specimens, etc, all collected by the famous volcanologist Haraldur Sigurðsson, who unfortunately wasn't in residence at the time! Upstairs is a video display of the Eyjafjallajokull eruption of 2010. The young curator was very knowledgeable, and not only did he speak to us in English, but I heard him speaking in German and French too, as well as Icelandic. Well worth a visit.
Very small museum located in the heart of town, some rocks, some pictures and a video. Probably not more than 15 minutes of time.
Located just across the road from the farm that was highly impacted by the volcano and attended by the lady of the farm. Unique insights into the event and its impact.
We first visited the Eldfjallasafn Volcano Museum in Stykkisohlmer in 2012 when we drove the Grand Circle route following route 1 all around Iceland. We made a side trip to Stykkisohlmer to visit this museum based on some of the tourist information that we gathered once we landed in Iceland. We recently visited Iceland again and spent an overnight in Stykkisholmur before taking the ferry to the West Fjords. We were able to spend more time at the volcano museum and were able to learn more about the collection. The museum houses the private collections of historic volcanic art, artifacts and rock samples that were obtained by Haraldur Sigurdsson over a long and productive career as one of the leading volcanologists in the world. The collection was gathered during extensive professional travel associated with research on some of the greatest volcanic eruptions of all time and investigating both potential and ongoing eruptions. The museum houses paintings of some of the historic ideas and interpretations concerning the processes of volcanic eruptions. Others are of the effects on the inhabitants who were in the path of destruction of these eruptions. These paintings and old lithographs help to put these ideas and events in the proper perspective of the damage that was thrust on the people of the time and how awful a similar event would be on the present population. The museum also has excellent examples of the major types of rocks and minerals produced by the different volcanic eruptive cycles and processes operating in magma chambers and the mantle. It is so nice to be able to be able to see and touch such large samples. The collection of books and video concerning volcanic events, located on the second floor is excellent. We spent a considerable amount of time here enjoying these resources. It is so unusual to find such an extensive collection of many things associated with volcanic events and processes.
Being on Iceland,you are surrounded by volcanoes. And this is a very nice small museum about them.The museum has 3 parts,An art department, A comprehensive stone department,and an nice film about volcanoes,Andoneof the leading vulcanologists of Icelands works here, and he is a fountain of information.To see is all,count about 3 hours.
Unfortunately we visited on the day of our arrival when we were less than fresh. It includes a display of artworks on the theme of volcanoes. Upstairs documentaries featuring the founder of the museum are shown. These were quite interesting but found myself drifting off due to the long travel day.