Opened in 2014, this museum salutes the history of human exploration, covering Viking voyages and polar expeditions, but its most nootable exhibition focuses on the Apollo astronauts in Iceland in the 1960s, who received geology training in the lunar-like landscapes near Askja. There are some great photos from this era, and museum operators organised a return of some of the astronauts in 2015.
Exploration Museum
North Iceland
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
24.13 MILES
The bizarre swirls, spirals, rosettes, honeycombs and basalt columns at Hljóðaklettar (Echo Rocks) are a highlight of any hike around Vesturdalur and a…
25.76 MILES
Goðafoss (Waterfall of the Gods) rips straight through the Bárðardalur lava field along Rte 1. Although smaller and less powerful than some of Iceland’s…
27.56 MILES
Krafla’s most impressive, and potentially most dangerous, attraction is the Leirhnjúkur crater and its solfataras, which originally appeared in 1727,…
28.38 MILES
The ochre crater of Víti reveals a secret when you reach its rim – a cerulean pool of floodwater at its heart. The 300m-wide explosion crater was created…
0.06 MILES
This excellent museum provides all you need to know about the impressive creatures that visit Skjálfandi bay. Housed in an old harbourside slaughterhouse,…
0.14 MILES
Húsavík’s beloved church is quite different from anything else seen in Iceland. Constructed in 1907 from Norwegian timber, the delicately proportioned red…
Icelandic Folk & Outsider Art Museum
29.62 MILES
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…
16.45 MILES
Flatey (pronounced Flat–eh) is a serene 2.5km-long island 9km from Húsavík, on the northwest edge of Skjálfandi Bay. The name simply means flat island …
Nearby North Iceland attractions
0.06 MILES
This excellent museum provides all you need to know about the impressive creatures that visit Skjálfandi bay. Housed in an old harbourside slaughterhouse,…
0.14 MILES
Húsavík’s beloved church is quite different from anything else seen in Iceland. Constructed in 1907 from Norwegian timber, the delicately proportioned red…
0.21 MILES
A folk, maritime and natural-history museum rolled into one, the Culture House is one of the North's most interesting regional museums. ‘Man and Nature’…
0.4 MILES
A walk along the duck-filled stream of the endearing town park, which is as scenic as the waterfront area, offers a serene break. Access is via a…
11.11 MILES
The geothermal site Hveravellir, on Rte 87, about 20km south of Húsavík, provides some of Húsavík's hot-water supply and the means of power production…
12.53 MILES
At the tip of the Tjörnes Peninsula is the Mánárbakki Museum, home to the eclectic personal collection of friendly farmer Aðalgeir, who will give you a…
16.45 MILES
Flatey (pronounced Flat–eh) is a serene 2.5km-long island 9km from Húsavík, on the northwest edge of Skjálfandi Bay. The name simply means flat island …
8. Ystafell Transportation Museum
19.63 MILES
Some 37km south of Húsavík on Rte 85 (or about 9km off the Ring Road), this impressive, remote museum is well worth a stop for any petrolheads passing…