Sagnheimar Folk Museum

Sagnheimar, the Folk and Natural History Museum, is deeply rooted in the legacy of the original Vestmannaeyjar Folk Museum. The museum’s founder, Þorsteinn Þ. Víglundsson, always considered the spring of 1932 — when he received the first item for the collection — as the true starting point of the museum, making it one of the oldest local museums in Iceland. The history of the museum up to 1978 is closely intertwined with the life of Þorsteinn Þ. Víglundsson (1899–1984), the driving force who, for nearly half a century, fought for its establishment and preservation. He was deeply committed to safeguarding cultural heritage and had a remarkable talent for inspiring his students and engaging them in collecting items and saving them from being lost. His vision for the museum was inspired by the Norwegian folk museums he encountered while studying in Norway from 1921 to 1923. For many years, the museum’s collection lacked a permanent home and was kept in various locations in Vestmannaeyjar, including the Secondary School and the Bank, and even found temporary refuge at the National Museum of Iceland during the Heimaey eruption in 1973. In 1978, a major milestone was reached when the museum moved into the newly built Culture House, alongside the town library, regional archives, photography collection, and art museum. Since moving to the Culture House, the museum and its exhibitions have undergone various changes. The most significant transformation took place in 2010–2011, when the museum was completely redesigned and reopened on July 2, 2011, under the name Sagnheimar Folk Museum. The new exhibition places strong emphasis on multimedia and informative texts, with a much smaller number of objects on display. Nearly half of the exhibition area is devoted to a harbor scene highlighting fishing and fish processing, complete with a baiting shed and workers’ quarters. There is also an islet hut illustrating the traditional use of seabirds and eggs. Other permanent exhibits include the Þjóðhátíð festival, the Turkish Abductions, Icelandic Mormons in Utah, the lives of women, Captain Kohl and the local militia, and the 1973 eruption of Heimaey. The exhibition space also features rotating “mini-exhibits,” showcasing objects brought out from storage. The museum has excellent facilities for film screenings and lectures for up to 130 people and room for art exhibtions. For children, there is a pirate cave with costumes and a treasure chest, a tactile collection, and a turf house play area. The museum’s goal is to appeal to all age groups through education and entertainment.