Ingimundur Sveinsson was the architect behind the perfection of Perlan Museum’s building. A dome made out of glass resting on six tanks filled with millions of liters of geothermal hot water, and a hollow steel frame that keeps everything together.

The Perlan Museum is a place where you see and feel Iceland’s natural wonders in an unconventional way. On our visit to the museum, we were astonished by the cuts of details in every exhibition.

Wonders of Iceland

The first exhibition you will encounter is the Wonders of Iceland. It is a journey through the most beautiful natural curiosities, starting with experiencing the glaciers and ice caves. Going inside a real glacier has always been one of our dreams (still in our agenda for this year), but we lived the fantastic experience in the Perlan Museum. It is a 100-meter long ice cave made with real snow from the Blue Mountains. The idea is to see how a real glacier looks. And this one feels exactly like one. Of the things we appreciated is that it is not only about going inside the glacier, but also about learning about the story with interactive activities. A 360 degrees view over Vatnajökull will amaze you.

We know glaciers are something unique and a real wonder, but Perlan presents an addition of geological spectacles: volcanoes, earthquakes, plate tectonics, and the large geothermal areas in Iceland.

We cannot leave behind the fact that our planet is not at its best right now. The glaciers are one of the earth’s most affected features due to climate change. They are melting faster than expected, and the impact, if they disappear forever, will be tragic. In Perlan, you will learn about the effects around the glaciers and its importance.

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Áróra – Planetarium Show

As a part of the Wonders of Iceland exhibition, the Planetarium Show is a ride across space. The Áróra is built inside one of the water tanks, and with its technological approaches, visitors will have the experience of a lifetime. The virtual travel in Iceland shows a magical and one of a kind show.

Photos are not allowed inside, and the booking is made upon arrival. A new show called Travel the Universe will be coming soon. Prepare to visit galaxies and stars!

 

Water in Icelandic Nature

In partnership with the Icelandic Museum of Natural History, the exhibition of Water in Icelandic Nature opened to the public. The exhibit, as Perlan describes “…will awaken interest and admiration for the nature of water and to inform about its wonders and importance for the future prosperity of society”.

As an interactive exhibit, they portray the aquatic organisms and their role with water and nature. It is interesting to see how they created this exhibition around the importance of water, and the positive impact this creates in the society around Iceland.

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A Learning Center – Stories and Effects

The world needs us, and the Perlan Museum is a smart approach to learn about what is happening, specifically with Icelandic Nature, and how people can act to protect it. Learning about the effects of Global Warming and making people truly understand, is not an easy task. So, that spaces like the Perlan Museum provide this kind of information is very valuable.

About the Perlan Museum

The museum opens at 9:00 in the morning and closes at 19:00 hours. There is a free bus service from the museum that leaves every hour being the first one at 9 am and the last one at 17:30 — the bus leaves from Downtown Reykjavik.

Wonders of Iceland Exhibition
Starts at 3.900 ISK adults
1.950 ISK Children
Family Discount available
Showtimes every hour

WOI + Áróra – Planetarium Show
4.500 ISK Adults
2,450 ISK Children
Family Discount available
Showtimes every hour

Enjoy this excellent museum in Reykjavík City! And of course, don’t forget to experience the great panoramic views of the city. And if you are hungry, there is the delicious restaurant Út í Bláinn (Perlan Restaurant), a high-quality place of Icelandic producers. Let us know about your experience!