The Jón Sigurðsson Museum stands at Hrafnseyri, a farm on Arnarfjörður in the Icelandic Westfjords. Jón Sigurðsson, the leading figure in the nineteenth-century campaign for Icelandic independence from Denmark, was born here in 1811. The exhibition follows his life and the politics of that campaign. A church, still used for weddings, and a historic house with a café stand alongside it. It is a self-contained stop: three buildings, and nothing else around.
Jón Sigurðsson Museum
Local name: Hrafnseyri
Iceland's national day, 17 June, is the birthday of Jón Sigurðsson, born at Hrafnseyri in 1811.
- Entrance
- Free entry (as of 2024).
- Accessibility
- There is a wheelchair-accessible toilet on site.
- Transport
- Self-drive — Route 60 over the Hrafnseyrarheiði pass (summer)
- Hours
- Daily 11:00–17:00 in season; closed out of season.
- Address
- Hrafnseyri, 466 (Arnarfjörður)
What makes it special
The museum stands at Hrafnseyri, the farm where Jón Sigurðsson was born in 1811. He led Iceland's campaign for independence from Denmark, and the exhibition follows his life and the politics around it. Two more buildings share the site. One is a church, still used for weddings. The other is a historic house with a café, where the staff bake the cakes they sell. Hrafnseyri sits alone on Arnarfjörður, with mountains behind it and no village around it.
Good to know
- Hours are seasonal: out of season the museum is closed, so check hrafnseyri.is before making the drive.
- Nothing else nearby: the museum, the church and the café are the whole stop.
- Food and drink: the café in the building next door sells cakes and light desserts baked by the staff.
- Toilets: there are toilets on site.
Getting there
Hrafnseyri lies on Arnarfjörður in the Westfjords, and people reach it by car. The last stretch of road is rough in places, but a two-wheel-drive car handles it. The drive in crosses a mountain pass, which still carries snow in May. Once you arrive there is no walk left: the museum, the church and the café stand side by side.
Best time to visit
Best: the summer season, when the museum is open and the pass is clear.
Avoid: the off-season. The site can still be reached, but the museum itself is shut.
Hrafnseyri is a long way off the main tourist circuit, and even in season the place does not feel crowded.
Things to do nearby
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Jón Sigurðsson?
The leading figure in Iceland's nineteenth-century campaign for independence from Denmark. He was born at Hrafnseyri in 1811, and the museum stands on that site.What else is at Hrafnseyri besides the museum?
A church, still used for weddings, and a historic house next door with a café. Beyond those three buildings there is nothing around.Can you get food or coffee there?
Yes. The café in the building next door sells cakes and light desserts baked by the staff.Is the museum open all year?
No. The opening hours are seasonal, and out of season the museum is closed. Check hrafnseyri.is before driving out.Do you need a four-wheel drive to get there?
No. The last stretch of road is rough in places, but a two-wheel-drive car copes with it.