The Viking Ship Museum reopens to the public on June 8th

Not so long ago, an empty museum was something that existed in quiet mornings, before opening, or in the late afternoon when the last guest said 'thank you for today'. The fact that the Viking Ship Museum had visitors 365 days a year was almost a natural law. Now empty museum rooms have been a tangible part of our everyday lives for almost three months, and the museum can hardly wait to open its doors to the guests again on June 8. Photo: Werner Karrasch
Not so long ago, an empty museum was something that existed in quiet mornings, before opening, or in the late afternoon when the last guest said 'thank you for today'. The fact that the Viking Ship Museum had visitors 365 days a year was almost a natural law. Now empty museum rooms have been a tangible part of our everyday lives for almost three months, and the museum can hardly wait to open its doors to the guests again on June 8. Photo: Werner Karrasch
2020-05-27

After almost three months without guests, the Viking Ship Museum can hardly wait to open its doors to the public on June 8th.

It will be with one-way tours of the exhibitions and with an activity program tailored to the requirements for distance between guests - and the prospect of a different season.

"We can hardly wait to open the doors"

The museum is working hard to get ready to welcome the summer guests. Both indoor and outdoor areas are being redesigned to ensure a better audience flow and to create more room for visitors in the museum shop and Café Knarr.

 “The museum will open in a slightly renewed edition,” says Museum Director Tinna Damgård-Sørensen.

“We have seized the opportunity to create lasting improvements for our guests while the museum has been closed. At the same time, we have reviewed and adapted our buildings, our outdoor areas and all our activities so that they more than live up to the recommendations of the authorities to create a good and safe experience for everyone - including the people who are vulnerable and therefore need to keep their distance ”, says museum director Tinna Damgård-Sørensen.

A revised edition

Some of the changes the Viking Ship Museum has had on the drawing board for several years, but they have been difficult to realize, taking into account the guests who, until the corona hit, could visit the museum every single day of the year.

The expansion of the museum shop and Café Knarr has thus been on the wish list for a long time, while the changes in the exhibition and activity areas are driven by the need to adapt the museum so that it can create a safe and secure framework for the museum experience.

A new reality

It is not only the physical framework that has changed when the museum opens its doors again. Usually, the museum area is echoed by voices in many different languages. As many as 75% of the museum's visitors are usually foreign tourists and such a large number of foreign visitors - regardless of any border opening - can not be expected this year.

“We are working hard to have new, exciting experiences ready for the summer holidays, where a lot of Danes will hopefully want to seek out good and safe cultural experiences. We are fortunate that the museum has activities and exhibitions both indoors and outdoors, and really good space to spread out, ”says Tinna Damgård-Sørensen.

The Sea Stallion gets a lead role

The Viking Ship Museum's famous long ship 'The Sea Stallion from Glendalough' will play a central role in the summer's activities. It is actually only possible this year precisely because the ship does not sail on it’s traditional summer voyage and is therefore available to the museum's guests throughout the holiday season. We are thus able to meet the expressed desire of many guests to visit the ship and gain more knowledge of the legendary return trip to Ireland.

The museum's lifeblood is the audience

"We are looking forward to seeing the audience again," says museum director Tinna Damgård-Sørensen. “And we're excited to find out what our guests say about the changes we've made. Hopefully we get some experience we can take with us in planning for the Viking Ship Museum of the Future”.

New opening hours:

Opening hours June 8 - 26:

Weekdays: 13 - 17 
Weekends: 10 -17
On all weekdays, schools will be able to book in the morning, just as on selected mornings we will offer opening for especially vulnerable groups against advance booking.  

Opening hours June 27 - August 9 (school summer holidays):  

All days: 10 am - 5 pm

Created by Rikke Tørnsø Johansen