Odense Museums and Art Galleries

(Odense, Region Syddanmark, Denmark)

The city of Odense has a strong association with one of Denmark's most famous children's authors Hans Christian Andersen, whose works and stories are celebrated at the Hans Christian Andersen Museum. Art lovers will find that of all the best art galleries in Odense, the Funen Art Museum (Fyns Kunstmuseum) stands out, where the creations of many a Danish artist are displayed.

Situated close to central Odense and within the suburb of Fruens Boge, the Funen Village comprises many historical buildings, transported here from various locations on Funen. Other topics covered within the city's museums include archaeology, the Danish composer Carl August Nielsen, and the history of rail travel in Denmark, illustrated with a number of magnificent steam locomotives.

Hans Christian Andersen Museum (HC Andersen Hus)

Address: Hans Jensens Stroede 39, Odense, Denmark, DK
Tel: +45 066 14 8814
One of the most popular of the many cultural attractions within the city of Odense, the Hans Christian Andersen Museum remembers the life of this much-loved Danish author (1805 - 1875), who was responsible for many familiar children's stories and fairytales, such as the Little Mermaid, the Snow Queen, the Ugly Duckling and the Emperor's New Clothes. Sited along an especially charming cobblestone street, visitors to the Hans Christian Andersen Museum can enjoy a huge variety of memorabilia, along with audio-visual presentations, a detailed reconstruction of how Andersen's study in Copenhagen actually appeared, many newspaper cuttings, and a huge collection of all his novels, which has been translated into no less than 80 different languages and sold all over the world.
Open hours: June to August, daily - 09:00 to 19:00; September to May, Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children

Danish Railway Museum (Danmarks Jernbanemuseum)

Address: Dannebrogsgade 24, Odense, Denmark, DK
Tel: +45 066 13 6630
Something for train buffs everywhere, the Danish Railway Museum is known locally in Odense as the Danmarks Jernbanemuseum and is located alongside the main train station. This is the largest railway museum of its kind in the whole of Scandinavia and is actually a replica of a historic station, with around 50 beautifully restored steam and diesel locomotives of various ages, together with a number of carriages, working model railways and a host of railway memorabilia. The royal carriage once used by King Christian IX (1818 - 1906) is of particular interest.
Open hours: daily - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children and families

Carl Nielsen Museum

Address: Claus Bergs Gade 11, Odense, Denmark, DK
Tel: +45 066 14 8814
The Carl Nielsen Museum is situated within the Odense Kocerthus and celebrates the life of acclaimed Danish composer and musician, Carl Nielsen (1865 - 1931). Nielsen grew up close by, in Funen's small village of Sortelung, directly south of Odense. Amongst his famous works is the piece named the 'Suite for Strings', which was regularly played by many orchestras throughout Denmark during his lifetime. The museum is laid out in a chronological order, with highlights including Carl Nielsen's very own piano, and some interesting sculptures created by his artistic wife, Anne Marie Brodersen.
Open hours: June to August, Tuesday to Sunday - 12:00 to 16:00; September to May, Thursday to Sunday - 12:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children under 15 years old

Funen Village (Den Fynske Landsby)

Address: Sejerskovvej 20, Odense, Denmark, DK-5260, DK
The Funen Village is actually a large open-air museum, which was established in the early 1940s and opened to the public soon after the Second World War was over. As you stroll around you will encounter some 30 different buildings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, which have been carefully moved to this location from all over the island of Funen. As you arrive, the Visitors Centre will show you a short film explaining what life was really like in this part of Denmark during the 19th century.
Open hours: April to June, Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 17:00; July to August, daily - 10:00 to 19:00; September and October, Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 17:00; November to March, Sunday - 11:00 to 15:00
Admission: charge, children under 17 years old are free

Funen Art Museum (Fyns Kunstmuseum)

Address: Jernbanegade 13, Odense, Denmark, DK
Tel: +45 066 14 8814
Housed within a rather splendid Graeco-Roman building, the Funen Art Museum is home to an impressive collection of paintings from all over Denmark. In total, there are almost 3,000 works of art exhibited here at the Fyns Kunstmuseum, so there is an awful lot to see. Some of the most notable Danish artists include Asger Jorn, Johannes Larsen, Peter Hansen, Richard Mortensen and Vilhelm Hammershoi.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children

City Museum (Montergarden)

Address: Overgade 48, Odense, Denmark, DK
Tel: +45 066 14 8814
The Montergarden is otherwise known as the Odense City Museum and is where you will find a wealth of history, with exhibits dating back as far as the Viking era. There are also endless medieval displays and archaeological treasures, along with two half-timbered houses from the 16th and 17th century, which you can explore fully at your own pace.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children