Hafnarfjordur is the third-largest town in Iceland and, together with Kopavogur, part of the Greater Reykjavik. Right here, all the significant institutions of the country, including the parliament, are stationed.

Hafnarfjordur has no ancient architectural monuments: only a stone arch installed on the site of the first Icelandic church reminds of the past. Instead, there are plenty of unique museums. Among the popular ones are the Icelandic Maritime Museum, the National Film Archive of Iceland, the National Museum, the Hafnarfjordur Centre of Culture and Fine Art.

Hafnarfjordur Museum keeps cultural artifacts and photographs of the city and its surroundings. The museum collection, located in several buildings and outposts around Hafnarfjordur, presents a rich heritage of the region.

The museum buildings:

• Pakkhúsith is a carefully restored sea-blue house. Previously it was used as a warehouse, but today, it hosts exhibitions. The permanent ones are dedicated to town history, children’s toys, and things. The third, temporary exposition, is thematically updated throughout the year.

• Sivertsens house (Vesturgata, 6) is the oldest house in Hafnarfjordur. Built in 1803-1805 by the local entrepreneur and fishmonger Bjarni Sivertsen, the house has been restored to its original look. There you can see the lifestyle of an upper-class Hafnarfjordur family of the early 19th century.

• Bookless Bungalow (Vesturgata, 32) was constructed in 1918 by Scottish brothers who managed a large fish factory. For many years, their business was the largest employer in the town. Today the restored house serves as an exhibition telling about foreign fishing firms in Hafnarfjordur at the beginning of the 20th century.

• Siggubaer House was built in 1902 preserved as an example of a house for workers and seamen dated the early 20th century.

• Beggubuth is the location of the Museum of Commerce (Vesturgata, 8). It was built in 1906, and for a long time, it stood on the main trading street. The house survived a move and now is situated on Museum Square.

• The Good Templars Hall erected in 1886 was considered incredibly big: it could accommodate 300 people while the town population numbered only 400. As the first public hall in Hafnarfjordur, the hall was the centre of cultural and social life. Besides meetings of the Order of Good Templars, it was a meeting place for the first city council. Today there is an exhibition on sports development in Hafnarfjordur.

• Along the paved coastline, there is a photo exhibition about the eras and life of the people who built the town of Hafnarfjordur.