Free Entry to Aðalstræti 10 & 16 on Culture Night

At Aðalstræti 10 and 16 in Reykjavík’s city centre, you can explore how the city developed from Iceland’s settlement period to the present day. Stretching underground from Aðalstræti 16 – which houses the archaeological remains of a 10th-century Viking longhouse – to the central Kvosin area’s oldest remaining building at Aðalstræti 10, this historical exhibition traces Reykjavík’s development from a farm to a city.
The exhibition’s older part, at Aðalstræti 16, draws on archaeological findings in Reykjavík to depict the lives and work of its first settlers. Combining multimedia technology and archaeological interpretation, it shines a spotlight on the life and times of Reykjavík’s first inhabitants and their relationship with their environment in a new country. The exhibition’s centrepiece is a 10th-century Viking longhouse discovered in 2001, which is preserved in its original location and gives a fascinating glimpse into settlement-period ​Reykjavík. North of the longhouse, a wall fragment predating the longhouse was also found. Dating from before 871, this fragment is one of Iceland’s oldest archaeological remains.
The exhibition stretches onward underground from Aðalstræti 16 to Aðalstræti 10 – the Kvosin area’s oldest building – and continues into the present day. The visitor is taken through different chapters of Reykjavík’s history, learning about the daily existence of its residents and getting a taste of what life was like in the different periods. From farm to village, from town to city – visit Aðalstræti to experience Reykjavík’s history in a nutshell!
Welcome to Aðalstræti 10 and 16 on Culture Night!
Accessibility is good in Aðalstræti. Please note that the lighting is rather dim inside the exhibition hall by the ruins, and the floor is uneven in some places. Guide dogs are welcome at the museum.