Museums in Copenhagen

Copenhagen combines great art with Danish history and design culture – the eight most important venues all sit in the city centre and, bar one, all charge admission. If you're after art, start at the Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK), Denmark's national gallery. For the country's history, there's no getting past the National Museum of Denmark. And if you'd rather not pay admission at all, head to the Royal Library (Black Diamond) – it's always free.

The key venues

The Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK) is the national gallery: seven centuries of European and Danish art, from the old masters to the modern era. The National Museum of Denmark tells Danish history from the Sun Chariot through the Viking Age to the present day and has a large children's museum. Ancient sculpture and French Impressionism come together at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, arranged around a glazed winter garden full of palm trees.

Danish design is on show at Designmuseum Danmark in Frederiksstaden, and the Golden Age of Danish painting at the Hirschsprung Collection by Østre Anlæg. Charlottenborg on Kongens Nytorv is the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts' exhibition hall for contemporary art. Site-specific installations fill Cisternerne, a former underground water reservoir beneath Søndermarken park. The Royal Library, finally, is Denmark's national library; its modern harbourside extension, the Black Diamond, hosts changing exhibitions plus the free permanent exhibition TREASURES.

Admission, free days and the Copenhagen Card

Of the eight venues, only the Royal Library is fully and always free – including all its exhibitions. The other seven charge admission: the Glyptotek and the National Museum of Denmark DKK 150 each (DKK 135 online), SMK and Designmuseum Danmark DKK 140 each, Cisternerne DKK 115, the Hirschsprung Collection DKK 110, Charlottenborg DKK 90. Under-18s go free everywhere (under-15s at Charlottenborg).

Pick the right day and you can visit for less: the Glyptotek is free on the last Wednesday of every month (since 2026 – the former free Tuesday has been dropped), and Charlottenborg is free on Wednesdays from 17:00. The SMK opens free in the evening several times a year for SMK Fridays. The Copenhagen Card covers free admission to the National Museum of Denmark, SMK, the Glyptotek, Designmuseum Danmark, Charlottenborg and Cisternerne; the Hirschsprung Collection is only discounted with it, and the Royal Library is free regardless.

You'll find all the venues with location, opening hours and details below.