Experience the unique The Phallological Museum of Iceland – Icelandic Penis Museum with Your Friend in Reykjavik, Valur.
This is the only museum in the world with a collection of phallic specimens belonging to all the various types of mammals found in a single country.
The Phallological Museum was established almost by chance. The founder had, for some reason, been given a few phallic items, both natural and artificial, as joke gifts from friends. Then he got the idea that collecting the male member of as many mammals in Iceland as possible would be fun.
When the museum opened in 1997, the owner had 62 specimens. Today there are over 217, and among them is a replica of Jimi Hendrix’s penis (added after we did the live tour).
Besides, there are twenty-four folklore specimens and almost fifty foreign ones (even a penis from an Icelandic elf). Altogether the collection contains 282 samples from 93 different species of animals.
Visitors to the museum will encounter fifty-five examples belonging to sixteen kinds of whales. One specimen was taken from a rogue polar bear; another thirty-six samples belonged to seven different seal types and walruses.
More than one hundred fifteen specimens originate from twenty different kinds of land mammals. A total of more than two hundred specimens belong to forty-six different mammal types, including Homo sapiens, which is usually what people find the most fun to see.
Who is the founder?
The museum’s founder, Sigurður Hjartarson (born 1941), is a historian with a BA degree from the University of Iceland and an M.Litt. Degree in Latin American History from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He worked as a principal and teacher for 37 years, the last 26 years as a teacher of History and Spanish at the Hamrahlíð College in Reykjavík. In 2004, he retired and moved to Húsavík. He has written and translated some 20 books, chiefly on Latin American History, including textbooks in History and Spanish.
The museum’s curator is Sigurður’s son. Hjörtur Gísli Sigurðsson quit his job as a logistic manager to take over as a curator in late 2011. At the time, the museum was in Húsavík, the whale-watching capital of Iceland. He moved it back to Reykjavík, where it had opened in 1997. The museum recently moved to its largest location in Hafnartorg, close to the famous hot dog stand Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur.
Address:
- Hafnartorg
- 101 Reykjavik
- Opening hours: Every day, 10 am – 7 pm.
- Admission: 2500 ISK per adult. Children under 13 Years in the company of parents free
What else?
Check out other Icelandic museums you might find interesting. Maybe you like to add some art to your visit, or sculptures. Check out our blog post on the Best Museums in Downtown Reykjavik.
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The Phallological Museum is a unique and interesting place that is definitely worth a visit if you are in Reykjavik. It is a great way to learn about the different types of mammals found in Iceland, and the collection of phallic specimens is fascinating. The museum is also a lot of fun to visit, and the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend a visit to the Phallological Museum to anyone who is interested in learning more about Icelandic wildlife or just wants to have a fun and unique experience.