Christmas “Sold Out” at Byggðasafnið

“The Christmas program at Sívertsen House for preschools has always been well attended, but never has attendance been as high as in 2025,” says Björn Pétursson, town museum curator, when asked to name the highlight of the year 2025.

“It was ‘sold out’ this year and fewer were able to attend than wanted to. There were 32 preschool groups that visited Sívertsen House over six days, or 545 children and 106 preschool teachers.” Yes, Christmas was sweet as sugar at the museum.

“And for fun it can be added that during the Christmas month, 624 marshmallows were roasted at a bonfire at Byggðasafnstorgið, hosted by the museum.”

Björn says that attendance at the museum, exhibitions and events was very good in 2025.

A number of exhibitions got their moment in the spotlight.

• The Local Heritage Museum set up a new themed exhibition in the Pakkhús, titled “Always Prepared, Scouting for 100 Years.” It outlines the diverse work of the scouts in Hafnarfjörður and the significant role they have played in the leisure activities of children and young people in the town over the past century.
• A new exhibition was set up on Strandstígur for June 1: The Sports Town Hafnarfjörður, Snapshots from 1900 to 1980. It features 54 photographs on 24 display panels.
• Two new exhibitions were set up in Hellisgerði, where permanent signs have been installed. The Local Heritage Museum will change exhibitions there several times a year. The first exhibition covered the 100 year history of KFUM and KFUK in Kaldárseli, and the second, installed in November ahead of the opening of the Christmas village, was about Icelandic Christmas traditions.
• A small exhibition was also set up on the fence by the preschool at Hörðuvellir in the spring, titled “The Daycare at Hörðuvellir for 90 Years.”

Björn also notes that the museum receives a number of gifts from local residents each year, which expand and strengthen its collection. “A total of 50 gifts, both objects and photographs, were received by the museum in 2025. Each gift often contained several items,” he says.

Björn highlights in particular that in 2025 an agreement was signed with Hafnarfjörður Cemetery to restore the old hearse, which is one of the museum’s objects. “The hearse is a Ford from 1938, with a wooden body built by Haukur Jónsson and carvings by the woodcarver Ríkharður Jónsson,” he says.

“The hearse was owned by the master carpenter Haukur Jónsson and served as a hearse for the people of Hafnarfjörður for about 30 years, from 1938.” But the museum also took care of other artifacts from the past.

“The small fishing boat ‘Helgi Nikk,’ which usually stands on Byggðasafnstorgið, underwent a major overhaul in December and will therefore be back in fine form on the square outside the museum next summer.”

And what did he find most enjoyable? “I suppose it was the successful symposium on the preservation of wooden boats that was held at Ægir 220,” he says.

“This was an enjoyable collaborative project between the Local Heritage Museum, the Reykjanesbær Local Heritage Museum and the Garðskagi Local Heritage Museum, held on September 30. Attendance at the symposium was good and there was clearly a need for discussion on the subject. Several guests undertook a journey of nearly 1,000 kilometers to be able to take part in the symposium.”