East Iceland Heritage Museum

The East Iceland Heritage Museum was founded in 1943 and since then its aims has been to preserve the history of East Iceland by collecting and preserving things that reflect the society, culture and everyday life of people in the area, from past to present day. 

The museum has two permanent exhibitions, one about the reindeers in East Iceland and one about the old rural household in the region. The museum also has diverse temporary exhibitions through the year. 

Reindeer in East Iceland
The East is the only part of Iceland where you will find wild reindeer. They contribute to the unique nature and are strongly connected to the region’s history and culture. The focus of the exhibition is on their nature, characteristics, and survival, as well as reindeer hunting and how reindeer products have contributed to a creative development of fashion design and handcraft. 

The old rural household as a self-sufficient entity
On display are items from the historical, rural community in East-Iceland up until the mid-20th century. Some items relate to a practical role in everyday life, while others bear witness to the fact that life was not only about basic survival but also about creating beautiful things for decoration and pleasure. Among things on display is a living room (baðstofa) of an Icelandic turf house. 

For more information, please visit www.minjasafn.is