Museums in Aarhus
Here you will find the city's best museums all in one place.
Guide to the city's 9 museums
Aarhus is a museum city. Here you will find award-winning exhibitions, world-class architecture and small cultural gems that you can only discover by exploring a little.
This guide gives you a comprehensive overview, whether you are a local, tourist or cruise guest on a short visit.
ARoS
Aros Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus
ARoS is Aarhus' iconic art universe, where you can sense, move and be challenged.
From Your rainbow panorama with views of the entire city to changing exhibitions ranging from the golden age to modern installation art. The museum is large, vibrant and invites both immersion and curiosity, whether you are into quiet breaks, strong colors or the truly great art experiences.
The game by
Viborgvej 2, 8000 Aarhus
The Old Town is a journey through 400 years of Danish history, where you walk through the lively streets. Here you will encounter craftsmen, shops, horse-drawn carriages, 70s nostalgia and modern time pockets side by side.
It is a museum of people, smells and sounds. A sensory experience that makes history feel closer than ever.
Ovartaci Museum
Olof Palmes Allé 11, 8200 Aarhus N
Museum Ovartaci is a poetic, moving and deeply human experience. Here you will encounter art, destinies and powerful stories from the history of psychiatry and of course Ovartaci himself.
A museum that stays with you and opens the door to a universe you won't soon forget.
Art Gallery Aarhus
JM Mørks Gade 13, 8000 Aarhus
Kunsthal Aarhus is the city's scene for contemporary art, a place where artists question, investigate and invite reflection. Here you will find changing exhibitions, installations and projects that both surprise and challenge.
The Kunsthallen is not a museum in the classical sense, but an art experience that is always in motion.
Moesgaard
Moesgård Allé 15, 8270 Højbjerg
Moesgaard Museum is cultural history, architecture and great stories gathered in one place. From ancient finds and bogs to global cultural histories and digital installations, Moesgaard creates both a sensory and educational experience.
The museum is located in beautiful nature, and the building itself is worth a visit.
The Viking Museum
Sankt Clemens Torv 6, 8000 Aarhus
Under Aarhus Cathedral lies a small museum full of great stories. The Viking Museum takes you straight back to the beginnings of Aros and the first traces of the city. A quick and fascinating experience, perfect when you're in the city center.
SEX
Cathedral Square 5, 8000 Aarhus C
KØN is the museum of gender, culture and identity. Here stories about people, society and equality unfold through humor, seriousness and strong communication. A thought-provoking museum that provides new perspectives on the life we live today.
Natural History Museum
Wilhelm Meyers Allé 10, 8000 Aarhus
A museum full of animals, nature, evolution and exciting stories about the world around us. From exotic species to Danish forests, the experiences are both educational and fascinating for children and adults.
Photo: Natural History Museum in Aarhus
Steno Museum
CF Møllers Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus
Science, the universe and curiosity all in one place. Steno Museum offers space for both immersion and play, with a planetarium, history of medicine and experimental spaces that bring science to life.
Photo: Steno Museum
Experiences and current events at Aarhus' museums
The museums in Aarhus don't just offer permanent exhibitions. Throughout the year you'll find special exhibitions, talks, workshops, tours, children's activities and cultural events that make your visit to the museum even more lively. Here you can quickly get an overview of current events at the city's museums.
Brunch and tour of Museum Ovartaci
Aarhus during the occupation – Lecture in the Old City
Brunch and tour of Museum Ovartaci
Opera Day in the Old Town: Experience Benjamin Britten's “Lucretia”
Aarhus museums in pictures
Anna Boghiguian – The Sunken Boat – ARoS
The Ovartaci exhibition – Museum Ovartaci
Boy – ARoS
The world of the Celts – Europe's ancient power at Moesgaard
1974 exhibition – The Old City
Aarhus #1 – Kunsthal Aarhus
Museums in Aarhus – A complete guide to art, history and culture
Aarhus is a city where cultural heritage and modern exhibitions stand side by side. The museums in Aarhus range from international art experiences to living history, natural science, archaeology and small niche gems that you can only find by going a little off the beaten track. This guide gives you a comprehensive overview of the museums that make Aarhus one of Denmark's strongest cultural cities.
Here you will get recommendations, practical knowledge and inspiration for how you can spend your hours in the city.
Art museums in Aarhus – from rainbows to experimental contemporary art
Aarhus is particularly known for its strong art scene. At the top of the list is ARoS Aarhus Art Museum, one of Northern Europe's largest museums. Here you can experience everything from the Danish Golden Age and modern installations to the museum's iconic rainbow, Your rainbow panorama. ARoS' changing exhibitions attract international guests, families, students and art enthusiasts, and the museum is one of the most visited in the city.
At the other end of the art spectrum, you'll find Kunsthal Aarhus, one of Denmark's oldest art halls. Although not a museum in the traditional sense, it serves as an important platform for contemporary art with changing exhibitions, installations and artistic experiments. The art hall is centrally located and is an obvious stop for visitors who want a more exploratory and innovative art encounter.
Historical museums – experience Aarhus through 1200 years
Aarhus is full of places where history is not just conveyed, but felt. The strongest example is Den Gamle By, Denmark's famous open-air museum. Here you can walk through several eras in one day: 1864 with half-timbered buildings and horse-drawn carriages, 1927 with shops and jazz music, 1974 with nostalgia and retro interiors, and 2014 as a look at our own time. Den Gamle By is a museum that functions as an entire city, and for many it is among the most memorable experiences in Aarhus.
Just as central, both geographically and historically, is the Viking Museum, located under the Cathedral on the same site where Aarhus was founded as the Viking town of Aros. Here you will find a compact and easily understandable exhibition that shows finds, bones, dwellings and stories from the city's earliest history. The museum is particularly popular among cruise guests, precisely because it is located in the middle of the city and can be experienced in a short time.
People, psychology and strong personal stories
One of Aarhus' most unique cultural institutions is Museum Ovartaci, which unites art, psychology and human stories. The museum houses a large collection of works by Ovartaci as well as art created by people with experience from psychiatry. It is a museum where the exhibitions are both aesthetic, thought-provoking and deeply moving, and an experience that often surprises visitors who did not know it before.
Nature, science and the mysteries of the universe
If you are more into natural science, biology and astronomy, Aarhus has several special museums that are worth visiting, both for children, young people and adults.
At the Natural History Museum you can explore animals, ecosystems and natural history from Denmark and the rest of the world. The museum is located on the edge of the Botanical Garden, making it easy to combine a museum experience with a quiet walk in green surroundings.
The Steno Museum offers exhibitions on medicine, technology, space and the history of science. It is especially popular with families and school groups, and the small planetarium is a sure hit. The Steno Museum provides an insight into how the world and our understanding of it is changing, from early inventions to modern research.
GENDER – Denmark's Museum of Gender and Cultural History
In the middle of Aarhus is KØN, formerly the Women's Museum. The museum examines how gender, identity and culture affect our lives, historically and today. The exhibitions are both cultural, socially relevant and created to create debate and reflection. It is a museum that often surprises with perspectives you didn't know you were missing.
Museums within walking distance in the city center
A large part of the city's museums are located in or close to the city center, making Aarhus an ideal museum city for visitors. ARoS, Kunsthal Aarhus, KØN, the Viking Museum and the Cathedral area are all within a 10-15 minute walk from the harbor. This short distance makes it easy to combine culture, shopping, city life and café visits in one day.
A museum environment for all types of visitors
Whether you are looking for art, history, nature, psychology, debate or science, Aarhus has a museum to match your mood and curiosity. The city's museum landscape is diverse, easily accessible and packed with experiences that can be completed in an hour or take up a whole day.
The museums in Aarhus give the city depth, stories and perspective and they make it easy to move from one era, one theme or one art form to the next. This is precisely why Aarhus is one of Denmark's most attractive cultural cities for locals, tourists and cruise guests alike.