The best museums in Copenhagen: what to see, what it costs and when they are closed.

Prices and opening hours were checked on 29 October 2026 on each museum's own website (sources at the foot of the page). They are "from" prices for adults and they change, so check before you go. Conversions use US$1 ≈ DKK 6.65 (ECB reference rate, October 2026).

Copenhagen museums at a glance

The ten we would choose, in the order we would choose them for a first trip. All except Louisiana are in or next to the old town, within a 25-minute walk of each other.

Under-18s are free at every museum in the table. Your ticket for the National Museum, SMK, the Glyptotek and Designmuseum Danmark is valid for a year if you buy it online, so there is no penalty for buying ahead.

1. National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet)

If you see one museum in Copenhagen, make it this one. The National Museum on Ny Vestergade, a short walk from Tivoli and Strøget, tells the story of Denmark from the Ice Age to the present: the Bronze Age Sun Chariot, the lur horns, rune stones, Viking weapons and silver, and the prehistory galleries that most visitors rush through and should not. Allow two to three hours.

Price and hours: adults DKK 150 at the door or from DKK 135 online (about US$20), under-18s free. Open 10:00 to 17:00; from November to March it is closed on Mondays. Closed on 24, 25 and 31 December. It is included in the Copenhagen Card.

2. SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark

SMK (Statens Museum for Kunst) sits on the edge of the King's Garden and Østre Anlæg park, a short walk from Nørreport. The old building holds Danish Golden Age painting, the light and landscapes that explain how Danes see their own country, alongside one of the strongest Matisse collections outside France. The glass extension behind it holds modern and contemporary art. Two hours is enough for most visitors.

Price and hours: adults from DKK 140 (about US$21), under 27 DKK 95, under-18s free. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, Wednesday until 20:00, closed Mondays. Included in the Copenhagen Card.

3. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

Founded by the brewer Carl Jacobsen and right across the road from Tivoli, the Glyptotek is our favourite museum on a grey winter day. You walk in from the cold to a glass-roofed winter garden full of palms, then on to Roman portraits, Egyptian mummies, Rodin and French paintings by Gauguin and Degas. The café in the winter garden is a fine place to warm up.

Price and hours: adults DKK 150 at the door or from DKK 135 online, under 27 from DKK 108 online, under-18s free. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:00, Thursday until 21:00, closed Mondays. Free for everyone on the last Wednesday of every month (25 November 2026, for example), when it is also at its busiest. Closed from 23 to 26 December. Included in the Copenhagen Card. Across the road, Christmas in Tivoli runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027: check Tivoli entry for your date (Tiqets), from DKK 200.

4. Rosenborg Castle and the crown jewels

Rosenborg is a castle, not a museum in name, but it is the best-preserved royal interior in the city: Christian IV's 1600s rooms, the Knights' Hall with its silver lions and, in the basement treasury, the Danish crown jewels. It is small and gets crowded at midday, so go at opening time. Our Rosenborg Castle guide has the full detail.

Price and hours: adults from DKK 140 online or DKK 150 at the door, under-18s free. From 2 November to 23 December 2026 it is closed on Mondays and open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 16:00. With the Copenhagen Card you collect a timed ticket at the castle on the day. Without it, book a Rosenborg time slot (Tiqets).

5. Designmuseum Danmark

If you came to Copenhagen partly for Danish design, this is the place: the chair collection alone, from Kaare Klint to Arne Jacobsen and Hans J. Wegner, explains why Danes care so much about the things they sit on. It is in an old hospital building on Bredgade, a few minutes from Amalienborg and Nyhavn, with a lovely garden café.

Price and hours: adults from DKK 140, under 27 and students DKK 90, under-18s free. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, Thursday until 20:00, closed Mondays. Closed from 22 to 26 December and on 31 December and 1 January 2027, but open on Monday 28 December. Included in the Copenhagen Card.

6. The David Collection, and the other free museums

The David Collection (Davids Samling) on Kronprinsessegade, next to the King's Garden, is free every day it is open, and it is one of the finest collections of Islamic art in Europe, in a quiet old townhouse. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:00, Wednesday until 21:00, closed Mondays and on 23 to 25 and 31 December.

Free days elsewhere work like this:

• Every Wednesday: Thorvaldsens Museum, Nikolaj Kunsthal and the Museum of Copenhagen are free for everyone.
• Last Wednesday of the month: the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is free for everyone.
• Under 18: free at the National Museum, SMK, the Glyptotek, Designmuseum Danmark, Rosenborg, Thorvaldsens, the Hirschsprung Collection and DAC. For a family, that often makes paying for the adults only the cheapest option.
• Under 27: SMK, the Glyptotek and Designmuseum Danmark all have a cheaper young person's ticket. Bring ID.

Our free things to do in Copenhagen guide lists the free views, churches and parks to fill the rest of the day.

7. Thorvaldsens Museum

Next to Christiansborg Palace, Thorvaldsens is the oldest museum building in Denmark and the most striking interior in the city: deep red, blue and ochre walls, mosaic floors and the white marble work of the sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. One hour is enough. Adults DKK 110, under-18s free, open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:00, closed Mondays and on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January.

8. The Hirschsprung Collection

A small, calm gallery in Østre Anlæg park, just behind SMK, with Danish painting from the 1800s, including the Skagen painters P.S. Krøyer and Anna Ancher. It is the museum we send people to when SMK feels too big. Adults DKK 110, under 29 DKK 75, under-18s free. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:00, closed Mondays, and open until 20:00 on the last Thursday of the month.

9. Danish Architecture Center (DAC)

DAC is in BLOX, the glass building on the harbour between Christiansborg and the Black Diamond library. Exhibitions on architecture and city life change through the year, and the café terrace has one of the best harbour views in town. Adults DKK 135, ages 18 to 27 and students DKK 60, under-18s free. Its most useful fact for visitors: it is open on Mondays, until 21:00.

10. Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (day trip)

Louisiana is 35 minutes north of the city by train, in Humlebæk, and many Danes would call it the best museum in the country: modern art from Giacometti to Kusama, a sculpture park running down to the sea and a view across to Sweden. Adults DKK 145, closed Mondays, open Tuesday to Friday 11:00 to 22:00 and at weekends 11:00 to 18:00. It is included in the Copenhagen Card. Our Louisiana day trip guide covers the train, and Kronborg Castle in Helsingør is about 10 minutes further up the line: Kronborg Castle tickets (Tiqets).

Museums open on Mondays in Copenhagen

This is the question we hear most. From November to March, almost every big museum in the city is closed on Mondays: SMK, the Glyptotek, Designmuseum Danmark, the David Collection, Thorvaldsens, Hirschsprung, Louisiana, the National Museum and, from 2 November to 23 December 2026, Rosenborg. On a Monday we would do one of these instead:

• Danish Architecture Center (DAC): open until 21:00 on Mondays.
• The Round Tower: open on Mondays, with a view over the old town from the top, from DKK 60.
• Experimentarium in Hellerup: the hands-on science centre is open every day, and it is the best rainy Monday with children.
• Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød: the Museum of National History is open every day, 40 minutes by S-train.
• The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde: open every day, 25 minutes by train. See our Roskilde day trip guide, or compare Viking Ship Museum tours (GetYourGuide).

A canal tour also runs on Mondays and shows you the harbour museums from the water: Stromma Classic Canal Tour (Tiqets), from DKK 157 online.

Is the Copenhagen Card worth it for museums?

Sometimes. The 24-hour Copenhagen Card DISCOVER costs from DKK 589 (about US$89) and the 48-hour card from DKK 859. It includes the National Museum, SMK, the Glyptotek, Rosenborg, Designmuseum Danmark, Thorvaldsens Museum, Louisiana and all public transport in the capital region, including the airport.

Here is the honest maths for one day. The National Museum (DKK 135 online), SMK (DKK 140), Rosenborg (DKK 140 online) and the Glyptotek (DKK 135 online) come to about DKK 550 bought one by one. That is close to the 24-hour card, so the card only pays if you add transport, a canal tour or a fifth sight. Four museums that close at 17:00 or 18:00 is also a very full day. Over 48 hours, with Louisiana and the train to Humlebæk, the card pays more easily. If two museums a day is your pace, buy single tickets online and save the 10 percent the National Museum and the Glyptotek give for online booking.

Our Copenhagen Card worth it guide has the full calculator. If the maths works for you, buy the Copenhagen Card DISCOVER (Tiqets).

Museums over Christmas and New Year

Christmas in Denmark centres on the evening of 24 December, and the museums follow. On 24 and 25 December almost all of them are closed, and several stay shut on 26 December or on 31 December and 1 January: the Glyptotek is closed from 23 to 26 December, Designmuseum Danmark from 22 to 26 December and on 31 December and 1 January 2027, the National Museum on 24, 25 and 31 December, and the David Collection from 23 to 25 December and on 31 December. Plan your museum days for 27 to 30 December, when most are open again. Our Christmas in Copenhagen guide lists what is open on each day.

A museum day in Copenhagen: our route

For a winter day built around museums, Tuesday to Sunday:

• 10:00 Rosenborg Castle, at opening time, before the tour groups.
• 11:30 SMK across the park, or the Hirschsprung Collection if you prefer something smaller.
• 13:30 Lunch at Torvehallerne by Nørreport.
• 14:30 National Museum for the Vikings, until it closes at 17:00.
• Evening: on a Thursday, the Glyptotek until 21:00, or Tivoli across the road when Christmas in Tivoli is open.

If you prefer someone to guide you, compare museum and history tours in Copenhagen (GetYourGuide). For a full sightseeing day without the museums, see our one day in Copenhagen itinerary, and for a wet day, our Copenhagen rainy day guide.

Where to stay for museum days

Most of these museums sit in a ring around the King's Garden and the old town, so the best base is Indre By, the inner city, where you can walk to all of them: hotels in Indre By (Booking.com). Wakeup Copenhagen Borgergade (Booking.com) is a good-value choice a few minutes from Rosenborg, SMK and the David Collection, and Hotel Skt. Annæ (Booking.com) sits between Nyhavn and Designmuseum Danmark. Our where to stay in Copenhagen guide compares the areas. Arriving with bags? Pre-book a fixed-price airport transfer (Welcome Pickups).

Best museums in Copenhagen: FAQ

What are the best museums in Copenhagen?

For a first visit, we at Nord Guide would pick the National Museum of Denmark for Vikings and Danish history, SMK (the National Gallery of Denmark) for art, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek for sculpture and its winter garden, Rosenborg Castle for the crown jewels and Designmuseum Danmark for Danish design. The David Collection is the best free museum, and Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 35 minutes north by train, is the best museum day trip.

Which museums in Copenhagen are free?

The David Collection (Davids Samling) is free for everyone, every day it is open. The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is free for everyone on the last Wednesday of each month, and Thorvaldsens Museum, Nikolaj Kunsthal and the Museum of Copenhagen are free for everyone every Wednesday. Under-18s get in free at almost every big museum, including the National Museum, SMK, the Glyptotek, Designmuseum Danmark and Rosenborg.

Are Copenhagen museums open on Mondays?

Mostly not. SMK, the Glyptotek, Designmuseum Danmark, the David Collection, Thorvaldsens Museum, the Hirschsprung Collection and Louisiana are closed every Monday, the National Museum is closed on Mondays from November to March, and Rosenborg is closed on Mondays from 2 November to 23 December 2026. On a Monday, go to the Danish Architecture Center (DAC) in BLOX, the Round Tower, Experimentarium, or take the train to Frederiksborg Castle or the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, which are open every day.

How much do museums in Copenhagen cost?

Most big museums charge adults from DKK 110 to DKK 150 (about US$17 to US$23). On our 29 October 2026 check: the National Museum from DKK 135 online, SMK from DKK 140, the Glyptotek from DKK 135 online, Rosenborg from DKK 140 online, Designmuseum Danmark from DKK 140, Thorvaldsens Museum and the Hirschsprung Collection from DKK 110, and Louisiana from DKK 145. Under-18s are free at almost all of them, and many have a cheaper under-27 ticket.

Is the Copenhagen Card worth it for museums?

Only if you visit four or more paid museums or sights in 24 hours, or use it for a day trip as well. The 24-hour Copenhagen Card DISCOVER costs from DKK 589 and includes the National Museum, SMK, the Glyptotek, Rosenborg, Designmuseum Danmark and public transport. Four museums bought online come to about DKK 550, so the card only pays once you add transport or a fifth sight. Most museums close at 17:00 or 18:00, so four in one day is a lot.

Which Copenhagen museums are open in the evening?

Late openings help in winter: SMK is open until 20:00 on Wednesdays, the David Collection until 21:00 on Wednesdays, the Glyptotek until 21:00 on Thursdays, Designmuseum Danmark until 20:00 on Thursdays, and Louisiana until 22:00 from Tuesday to Friday. The Danish Architecture Center is open until 21:00 on Mondays. Check the museum website for your date, as hours change over Christmas.

Sources, checked 29 October 2026: National Museum of Denmark and its opening hours; SMK tickets and hours; Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek tickets and opening hours; Designmuseum Danmark; the David Collection; Thorvaldsens Museum and Nikolaj Kunsthal's free Wednesday news; the Hirschsprung Collection; Danish Architecture Center; Louisiana; Copenhagen Card attractions and prices; Rosenborg prices and winter hours as in our Rosenborg guide. Exchange rate from the ECB. No museum on this page paid to be included.

God tur from Team Nord Guide, nord-guide.com.

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