The Icelandic Maritime Museum

The Maritime Museum is part of the National Museum, and is located in Hafnarfjörður, in an old storage house built in 1865 for Knudtzonsverslun, one of the major merchants of the nineteenth century. The house was renovated in the 1980s and turned into a maritime museum. Given the centrality of the fishing industry in the nation's economy, history and culture, one can only wonder at how late the museum was opened, in 1986! However, better late than never, and since its inauguration the museum has been host to a collection of articles related to Iceland's vital history of seafaring, fishing and life by the seashore. The items on show are traditional fishing boats using two oars, a lifeboat, a good old fashioned diving suit and seaman's clothes, ship models, various fishing gear and other tools and equipment.