M/S Museet for Søfart

Useful Information

Location:	Ny Kronborgvej 1, 3000 Helsingør. (56.039022, 12.616078)
Open:	SEP to JUN Tue-Sun 11-17. JUL to AUG daily 11-18. [2023]
Fee:	Adults DKK 135, Children (0-17) free, Students DKK 100. Groups (15+): 20% discount. [2023]
Classification:	Underground Museums
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:
Address:	M/S Museet for Søfart, Ny Kronborgvej 1, 3000 Helsingør, Tel: +45-49-21-06-85.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1915	Handels- og Søfartsmuseet opened at Kronborg Slot.
1955	dry dock built.
2011	renamed M/S Museet for Søfart.
31-DEC-2012	museum closed in the castle.
05-OCT-2013	new museum opened.

Description

The M/S Museet for Søfart (Maritime Museum) is more than 100 years old, it was founded in Kronborg Slot (Kronborg Castle). Only 10 years ago it was relocated into a new building, which is actually not a building. The area around the Kronborg Slot in Helsingør, famous from Shakespeares "Hamlet", was transformed into a cultural space named Kulturhavn Kronborg. It has event locations in the former warf, art exhibitions, restaurants and cafés. But the construction of a new above ground museum would have blocked the view on the famous castle. The award-winning design studio BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group, had the idea to create a maritime underground museum. The former dry dock is the access to the museum, the visitors walk down ramps to the floor of the dock, from which the museum at the same level is accessible. The concrete dry dock is crossed by glass and aluminum covered bridges which are also exhibition space. The old dock is a historical industrial monument and is almost completely preserved, it may be used as an outdoor exhibition space 150 m long with 3,000 m². The museum level is 8 m underground, and its exhibition rooms are all around the dock.

With the relocation of the museum, the exhibition was completely restructured. It still tells the past 600 years of Danish maritime history but in a completely new way.