Museum of Local History

Shows

The Folk Museum is a lively and informative museum for the whole family. Exhibitions are held at seven locations.

• The warehouse is generally with three exhibitions running at the same time: a permanent exhibition on the town's history, a toy exhibition and a themed exhibition.
• The Sívertsen House is the oldest house in Hafnarfjörður, built in 1803–1805 by Bjarni Sívertsen. It shows how an upper-class family in Hafnarfjörður lived in the early 19th century. It also sheds light on the remarkable history of Bjarni and his family.
• Siggubær is preserved as an example of a working-class and seafaring home in Hafnarfjörður from the first half of the 20th century. In this way, it is possible to experience how the common people in the town lived at that time.
• Bookless Bungalow The Vesturgata site features an exhibition about the period of foreign shipping in Hafnarfjörður during the first half of the 20th century. It also houses the parlour of the Bookless brothers.
• Boutique It was built in 1906 and the building formerly stood on the town's main shopping street. It is now a retail museum.
• Good job The Good Templar Hall, built in 1886, was the first proper community hall for the people of Hafnarfjörður and for a long time the centre of all cultural life in the town.
• The Coastal Path Along the harbour in Hafnarfjörður, photographic exhibitions shed light on the daily lives and history of the people who built the town.

Í first interview In Vitans, the podcast of Hafnarfjörður municipality, Björn Pétursson, the town's curator of heritage, is interviewed. The interview is recorded in the Bookless Bungalow, where Björn talks about the museum's activities, the town's history, and amusing stories, including one about a ghostly procession and Sigga's vote-gathering in Siggubær. The episode was recorded in August 2019.