Eldheimar is a volcano museum in Vestmannaeyjar, the town on Heimaey in South Iceland. It covers the eruption that opened beside the town in 1973 and buried a large part of it under ash and lava. At the centre of the museum is a house excavated from that ash, with the building constructed around it. Filmed interviews with evacuated residents run alongside the displays, and a second exhibition upstairs covers Surtsey, the volcanic island that formed off the coast in 1963.
Eldheimar Volcano Museum
Local name: Eldheimar
One house buried by the 1973 eruption was dug back out of the ash and left standing where it was found; the museum was then built around it.
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance, parking and toilet.
- Parking
- Free car park at the museum, with wheelchair-accessible spaces.
- Hours
- Open daily, 11:00–17:00.
- Address
- Gerðisbraut 10, 900 Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
What makes it special
The 1973 eruption buried a large part of the town under ash and lava. Eldheimar is built around one house that was dug back out and left standing where it was found. The museum was raised around the ruin, and that single wrecked building carries the exhibition.
The rest is documentary. Filmed interviews with residents who were evacuated and lost their homes run through the displays, and an audio guide comes with entry. It is location-aware, so the commentary follows you from panel to panel.
Upstairs there is a second exhibition on Surtsey, the island that rose out of the sea off Heimaey in 1963. It covers the geology and the biology of a brand-new landmass, down to how it was colonised. In effect it is a second museum, and it is worth the stairs.
Good to know
- Audio guide included — it is location-aware, so the commentary changes as you move between the displays.
- Two exhibitions — the 1973 eruption on the main floor, Surtsey upstairs. Leave time for both.
- It is a small museum — it will not fill a wet day on Heimaey on its own. Pair it with something else.
- Family visit — the museum is set up for children, and there are toilets on site.
Getting there
Eldheimar stands above the harbour, on the side of town nearest the 1973 lava. Walking up from the harbour takes about 15 minutes, and it is uphill. Drivers come straight to the door: the car park is at the building, with a step-free way in from it.
Best time to visit
Better: early in your stay on Heimaey. The museum explains the 1973 eruption before you go looking at what it left behind, and the lava, the new ground and the shape of the town all read differently afterwards.
Avoid: saving it for the last afternoon, when the context it gives you has nothing left to work on.
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Frequently asked questions
What does Eldheimar cover?
The 1973 eruption on Heimaey and what it did to the town: how it began, the consequences and the aftermath, told partly through filmed interviews with residents who were evacuated and lost their homes.Is the audio guide included?
Yes, an audio tour comes with entry. It is location-aware, so the commentary matches the display you are standing in front of.Is there anything on Surtsey?
Yes. A separate exhibition upstairs covers Surtsey, the volcanic island that appeared off the coast in 1963, including the geology and the biology of new land.Is it worth bringing children?
The museum is set up for children, and there are toilets on site. The interactive panels and the audio guide carry the exhibition as much as the text does.