15 Copenhagen Museums With Free Entry in 2023
Visiting Copenhagen can be expensive, but there are plenty of free museums and attractions if you know where to find them and which days to visit.
Copenhagen currently has 15 museums offering free admission. Check each museum’s description below for their free entry days, as not all museums offer free access every day.
- The David Collection – (always free)
- Glyptoteket – (free on the last Wednesday of the month)
- Thorvaldsens Museum – (free on Wednesday)
- The Museum of Copenhagen – (free on Wednesday)
- Copenhagen Cathedral Museum (always free)
- Nikolaj Kunsthal – (free on Wednesday)
- Charlottenborg Kunsthal – (free after 5 pm on Wednesday)
- The Bank & Savings Museum (always free)
- Diesel House (always free)
- Magasin du Nord Museum (always free)
- Royal Cast Collection Museum (always free)
- Villum Windows Museum (always free)
- Immigration Museum (always free)
- Ballerup Museum (always free)
- Møstings Hus (always free)
Even though many museums are free, they are of world-class quality.
For example, visit the Glyptoteket on the last Wednesday of the month and see works by Rodin, Matisse and Picasso or visit Thorvaldsens Museum on a Wednesday and see the work of Denmark’s most famous sculptor for free!
The David Collection (Davids Samling) – Always Free Entry
The David Collection also called The David Museum and Davids Samling features paintings, ceramics, glass, textiles, furniture, silver, calligraphy and sculpture.
Along with regularly changing temporary exhibitions, the David Collection also has the following permanent collections –
- The Islamic collection dating back to the 7th century.
- European works dating back to the 18th century.
- Danish art from the 1880s.
Info tablets that translate the Islamic text and provide audio coverage of many items in the collection can be borrowed at no charge.
There’s so much to see inside the David Collection; it’s hard to take everything in with just one visit.
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The David Collection Opening Times
| Open Days | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Tuesday – Sunday | 10 am – 5 pm |
| Wednesday | 10 am – 9 pm |
| Monday | Closed |
How To Get To The David Collection
The David Collection is opposite Kings Park and 850 metres (930 yards) from the Nørreport metro station.
The museum is well signposted from the street, but the entrance is down a small walkthrough.
Davids Collection Address – Kronprinsessgade 30-32, 1306 Copenhagen K
Glyptoteket (Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek) – Free Entry On The Last Wednesday Of The Month
Glyptoteket has permanent exhibitions featuring Roman, Greek and Egyptian sculptures, French and Danish art and sculptures. In addition, it’s the place to see works by Auguste Rodin, Matisse, Degas and Picasso.
Entry to Glyptoteket is free on the last Wednesday of the month and on selected anniversaries. Entry to the special exhibitions, which change regularly, is also free on the last Wednesday of the month.
Even if you aren’t a big fan of art, the magnificent building is worth a look.
Glyptoteket Opening Times
| Open Days | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Tues – Sun | 10 am – 5 pm |
| Thurs | 10 am – 9 pm |
| Monday | Closed |
How To Get To Glyptoteket
Rådhuspladsen, 500 metres (547 yards) away, is the closest metro to Glyptoteket. Copenhagen’s central station is 750 metres (820 yards) away, and Tivoli is just across the road.
Glyptoteket Address – Dante’s Square 7, 1556 Copenhagen V
Thorvaldsens Museum – Free Entry On Wednesday
Thorvaldsens Museum contains the work of Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770 – 1844), along with paintings and antiquities from his own collection.
There’s plenty of written information in English and Danish, but to really enjoy the Thorvaldsens experience take headphones and listen to the stories behind the art on your phone.
Thorvaldsens Museum was Denmark’s first museum and looks as beautiful today as it did more than 150 years ago.
Thorvalden’s best-known sculptures are of Christ and The Apostles at Copenhagen Cathedral (also free entry).
Bertel Thorvaldsen is buried in the museum’s courtyard.
Thorvaldsens Museum Opening Times
| Open Days | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Tues – Sun | 10 am – 5 pm |
| Monday | Closed |
How To Get To Thorvaldsens Museum
Thorvaldsens Museum is 180 metres (197 yards) from Gammel Strand metro. The museum is in the centre of Copenhagen on Slotsholmen, very close to Christiansborg Palace and the Danish parliament.
Thorvaldsens Museum Address – Bertel Thorvaldsens Plads 2, 1213 Copenhagen K
Check out this article for all the completely free things to see and do in Copenhagen. I’ve compiled the best Copenhagen activities you can enjoy without spending a Danish kroner!
The Museum of Copenhagen (Københavns Museum) – Free Entry On Wednesday
As the name suggests, the city is the focus of the Museum of Copenhagen. It features life in Copenhagen from the time of the Vikings to the present day.
Booking.comIronically one of the Museum of Copenhagen’s permanent exhibitions features the 1711 plague and a cholera outbreak in 1853 and what they did to contain the spread of the diseases.
The Museum of Copenhagen’s permanent collections feature –
- 1200 – 1660 A Capital Arises
- 1660 – 1850 A Fortified City
- The History Of The Building
- 1850 – 1950 The Modern City
- 1950 – Debating The City
- Copenhagen Panorama, a large scale model of the city of Copenhagen
All information in the museum is in English and Danish.
The Copenhagen Museum building, inspired by Italian renaissance palaces, was built in 1893 as a Public Trustees office.
Before The Copenhagen Museum moved in in 2020, the building was fully restored and repainted in its original colours, including the fresco ceilings. The stained glass window depicts women and wards of the court who passed through the building in its former life.
The Museum of Copenhagen Opening Times
The Museum of Copenhagen website
| Open Days | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Open Daily | 9 am – 6 pm |
| Thursday | 9 am – 9 pm |
How To Get To The Museum Of Copenhagen
The Museum of Copenhagen is across the road from the National Museum of Denmark and 150 metres (164 yards) from Glyptoteket. Rådhuspladsen Station 350 metres (383 yards) away is the closest metro to the museum.
The Museum of Copenhagen Address – Stormgade 18, 1555 Copenhagen V
Copenhagen Cathedral Museum (Domkirkemuseet – Vor Frue Kirke) – Always Free Entry
Copenhagen’s Cathedral Museum is on the first floor of the Copenhagen Cathedral. It comprises two sections: a light and airy area in the passageway leading to the cathedral shop and a darker area that winds around the back of the altar.
Both are in contrast to the ruins on display in the basement (also free entry). Unfortunately, the ruins are currently closed to the public.
A new exhibition at the Cathedral Museum opens on 23rd May 2023.
Be aware there are two flights of stairs up to the Cathedral Museum and no elevator.
For more information about Copenhagen Cathedral and other churches around the city, take a look at 11 Stunning Churches To Visit In The Heart of Copenhagen.
Copenhagen Cathedral Museum Opening Times
Whilst the opening times below are fixed, the cathedral may be closed at any time for weddings, christenings or funerals.
Copenhagen Cathedral Museum website
| Open Days | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Mon – Thurs | 11 am – 4 pm |
| Fri & Sun | 12 pm – 4 pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
How To Get To The Copenhagen Cathedral Museum
Copenhagen Cathedral (Vor Frue Kirke) and museum is 450 metres (492 yards) from Nørreport station.
Copenhagen Cathedral Museum Address – Nørregade 8, 1165, Copenhagen K
Nikolaj Kunsthal – Free Entry On Wednesday
Nikolaj Kunsthal is a contemporary art centre focusing on Danish and international art.
Housed in a converted church dating back to the 13th century, Nikolaj Kunsthal was the third oldest church in Copenhagen. After one of many fires in Copenhagen, the Tower was rebuilt in 1591.
The exhibitions change regularly, and there’s usually something off the wall to see.
Nikolaj Kunsthal Opening Times
| Open Days | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Tues – Fri | 11 am – 6 pm |
| Sat – Sun | 11 am – 5 pm |
| Monday | Closed |
How To Get To Nikolaj Kunsthal
Nikolaj Kunsthal is 170 metres (186 yards) from the Gammel Strand metro. Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn are 700 metres (766 yards) away.
Nikolaj Kunsthal Address – Nikolaj Plads. 1067 Copenhagen K
Kunsthal Charlottenborg – Free Entry On Wednesday After 5 pm
Kunsthal Charlottenborg is a contemporary art gallery housed next to Charlottenborg Palace (the palace is no longer used as a royal residence). It’s a beautiful building that has housed art since 1883. Exhibitions featuring Danish and international artists change regularly.
Kunsthal Charlottenborg is just across the road from the colourful houses, bars and restaurants of Nyhavn.
Kunsthal Charlottenborg Opening Times
Kunsthal Charlottenborg website
| Open Days | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Tues – Fri | 12 pm – 8 pm |
| Sat – Sun | 11 am – 5 pm |
| Monday | Closed |
How To Get To Kunsthal Charlottenborg
Kunsthal Charlottenborg is 200 metres (219 yards) from Kongen Nytorv metro and across the canal from Nyhavn’s colourful houses.
Kunsthal Charlottenborg Address – Nyhavn 2, 1051 Copenhagen K
The Bank And Savings Museum (Bank- Og Sparekassemuseets Fond) – Always Free Entry
Containing artefacts from banking’s past, the rooms in The Bank and Savings Museum bears a faint smell that transports you back to the days when banks were dark, dull and staid buildings.
The museum features exhibits from when men working in banking had to earn at least 4,500 kr and ask permission to get married, and women had to leave their banking jobs when they got married. Along with all kinds of banking paraphernalia, including piggy banks, savings books, and manual typewriters.
The signs are in Danish and English.
The building belonged to Peter F. Heering, the founder and owner of Heering’s cherry liqueurs. When, in the 1970s, the bottom dropped out of the cocktail and liqueur market, Heering’s went bankrupt, and what is now the Nordea Bank Foundation repossessed the building.
At the end of your visit, you can take a look at the exhibition of liqueur casks in the wine cellar and a film from 1924 depicting cherry liqueur production at Heering’s factory.
The Bank And Savings Museum Opening Times
The Bank and Savings Museum website
| Open Days | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Wednesday | 10 am – 6 pm |
| Saturday | 11 am – 5 pm |
| Sunday | 10 am – 4 pm |
How To Get To The Bank And Savings Museum
The Bank and Savings Museum is 180 metres (197 yards) from Christianhavns metro.
Bank and Savings Museum Address – Heerings Gård, Heering House, Overgaden Neden Vandet 11, 1414 Copenhagen
Booking.comDiesel House – Always Free Entry
Diesel House is an industrial museum spreading over three floors (there’s an elevator) with the opportunity to view from every floor the Burmeister & Wain 2000, which was, until 1962, the world’s largest diesel engine.
Until 2004, the B & W 2000 diesel engine was used as a backup in case of power failure at the power plant. The engine is started up twice a month on the first and third Sunday of the month at 11 am.
Diesel House highlights the history of diesel technology, and with all signage in English and Danish, it’s an enjoyable and educational museum.
Diesel House Opening Times
| Open Days | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 10 am – 4 pm |
| 1st & 3rd Sunday Of The Month | 10 am – 1.30 pm |
How To Get To Diesel House
To get to Diesel House using public transport, take the 7A from Copenhagen’s central station and get off at H. C. Ørsted Værket (Vasbygade), at the Bonus petrol station. Use this Rejseplanen link (in English) for up to the minute timetables and to buy your ticket.
If you’re visiting the museum using public transport, the street entrance to H C Ørsted Power Station and Diesel House is not obvious, nor is the signage once you get inside the gate.
After entering the gate, follow the road almost straight ahead, passing the big white Ørsted building on your left and following the road to the right.
Alternatively, you can take the harbour bus to Enghave Brygge, and from there, it’s a 600 metres (656 yards) walk.
Diesel House Address – Energiporten 8, 2450 Copenhagen SV
Magasin du Nord Museum – Always Free Entry
Magasin du Nord Museum is a tiny, one-room museum just around the corner from the Magasin store at Kongens Nytorv.
The museum may be small, but as long-time ex-employees at the Magasin du Nord, the guides make up for that with fascinating information.
Exhibitions regularly change, so it’s always worth popping in for a look.
Magasin du Nord Museum Opening Times
| Open Days | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Thurs – Fri | 1 pm – 5 pm |
| Sat – Sun | 11 am – 3 pm |
How To Get To The Magasin du Nord Museum
Magasin Museum is just around the corner from the Magasin du Nord store and Kongens Nytorv metro.
Magasin du Nord Museum Address – Vingårdstræde 6, 1070 Copenhagen
The Royal Cast Collection (The Royal Casting Collection) – Always Free Entry
The Royal Cast Collection is a fantastic museum with over 2,000 plaster, bronze and marble casts. The collection dates right back to Antiquity, taking in the Middle Ages and The Renaissance, and is one of the world’s oldest and best-preserved cast collections in the world.
I’ve written two articles about the cast collection, The Royal Cast Collection, Copenhagen: What You Need To Know, which details what to expect inside the museum and how to get there.
And as the Royal Casting Collection is limited in access, the other article, 22 Images Of The Best Cast Sculptures, contains photos of the best sculptures in the collection.
The Royal Cast Collection Opening Times
The Royal Cast Collection website
Unfortunately, The Royal Cast Collection is only open on special occasions (unless you pay for a guided tour), but it’s well worth a look when it’s open.
How To Get To The Royal Cast Collection
The Royal Cast Collection sits alongside Copenhagen’s harbour waters. It’s easily recognisable by the giant sculpture of Michelangelo’s David outside the building.
The closest metro to The Royal Cast Collection is Marmorkirken (The Marble Church), 750 metres (820 yards) away.
The Royal Cast Collection Address – Vestindisk Pakhus, Toldbodgade 40, 1253 Copenhagen
Check out this article for all the free stuff to see and do in Copenhagen. Find out what Copenhagen has to offer without spending a kroner!
Free Museums Outside Copenhagen City Centre
Villum Windows Collection – Always Free Entry
The Villum Window Collection follows a timeline from the iron age to 2020 and contains over 300 windows dating back to the 17th century.
The museum has information on every window in the collection, including the address where the window came from (if known), the date, style, size, glass and fittings.
The photo below shows part of the ‘Wall Of Windows’, which features 68 historical windows loaned from The Brooking, a collection of British windows and architectural details saved and stored by architectural historian Charles Brooking.
All the staff are friendly and more than happy to answer any questions you may have. So if you have the slightest interest in architecture or want to see a museum that’s a little out of the ordinary, pay a visit to the Villum Window Collection; it’s worth it.
Villum Window Collection Opening Hours
Villum Windows Collection website
Villum Windows Collection is closed from 1st – 31st July.
| Open Days | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 10 am – 4 pm |
| Thursday | 10 am – 8 pm |
| Sunday | 11 am – 5 pm |
How To Get To Villum Window Collection
The Villum Window Collection is 11 km (6.8 miles) from Copenhagen’s city centre. Use this Rejseplanen link to plan your journey.
Villum Windows Collection Address – Maskinvej 4, 2860 Søborg
The Immigration Museum (Immigrant Museet) – Always Free Entry
First opened in 2012, The Immigrant Museum, also named the Migration Museum of Denmark, is Denmark’s only museum focusing on the cultural history of immigration. The permanent exhibition spans 500 years, covering many aspects of immigration to Denmark.
In order to retain the museum’s topical relevance, exhibitions are changed regularly.
Unfortunately, the permanent collection is in Danish only. However, you can borrow an excellent book that covers everything in English and is well worth taking the time to read.
The Immigrant Museum Opening Times
| Open Days | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Tues – Sat | 10 am – 4 pm |
| Sun & Mon | Closed |
How To Get To The Immigration Museum
To get to the Immigrant Museum from Copenhagen, take the B train to Farum from any S train station. The journey from Copenhagen to the Immigrant Museum takes 38 minutes. During the day, the S trains run every ten minutes.
The Immigration Museum is 500 metres (547 yards) from Farum station. Use this Rejseplanen link to plan your journey.
The Immigrant Museum Address – Stavnsholtvej 3, 3520 Farum
Ballerup Museum – Always Free Entry
Ballerup Museum features the following permanent exhibitions –
- Lynsmedenshus – The Blacksmiths House
- Skomagerhuset – The Shoemakers House
- Pederstrupgaard – A museum highlighting the history of Ballerup. Pederstrupgaard also features ‘Destined For Ballerup, ‘ an exhibition that tells the story of immigrants and Danes who moved to Ballerup. It includes the story and work of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, who settled in Ballerup after escaping the Russian Revolution.
- Lindbjerggard – Showing the living quarters of an 18th – 19th-century farmer. Unfortunately, this exhibition is closed indefinitely due to renovations.
Most of the signage at the museum is in Danish, but there is a helpful English guidebook available to borrow.
The Pederstrup area is beautiful, and it’s worth having a wander around before you leave.
Ballerup Museum Opening Times
Ballerup Museum is closed Tuesday – Friday in January and February but remains open 11 am – 3 pm on Sundays.
| Open Days | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Tues – Fri | 10 am – 3 pm |
| Sun | 11 am – 3 pm |
| Monday & Saturday | Closed |
How To Get To Ballerup Museum
Ballerup Museum is 18 km (11 miles) from the centre of Copenhagen. To reach the museum, take the C train towards Frederikssund and get off at Ballerup station.
The museum is 1½ km (1 mile) from Ballerup station. It’s a pretty walk if you take Pederstrupstien, a green lane that runs from Ballerup station to the museum.
Alternatively, buses from Ballerup station pass close to the museum. Check Resjeplanen for train and bus times to Ballerup Museum.
Ballerup Museum Address – Pederstrupvej 51 – 53, 2750 Ballerup
Møstings Hus – Always Free Entry
Møstings Hus is a 19th-century house that features several Danish contemporary arts and cultural exhibitions each year.
Møstings Hus is next to Frederiksberg Park (also free entry), so it’s worth timing your visit to see both the park and the exhibitions at the house.
Discover more about Copenhagen’s parks in my article The Best Parks and Picnic Spots in Copenhagen.
Møstings Hus Opening Times
| Open Days | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Tues – Fri | 11 am – 6 pm |
| Sat – Sun | 11 am – 5 pm |
| Monday & During July | Closed |
How To Get To Møstings Hus
Møstings Hus is in Frederiksberg, 2.7 km (1.6 miles) from the centre of Copenhagen. Several buses travel close to Møstings Hus; alternatively, Frederiksberg Metro is a 10-minute walk away.
Use this Rejseplanen link to plan your journey.
Møstings Hus Address – Andebakkesti 5, 2000 Frederiksborg
Like most cities, not all museums are open on a Monday, so take a look at my article, The Best Things To Do In Copenhagen On A Monday. It’s a comprehensive list of museums and attractions open on Mondays year-round and those opening only on Mondays in the summer.
Is The National Museum of Denmark Free?
Entry to the National Museum of Denmark costs 120 kr. There’s a common misconception that the National Museum of Denmark is free, but it’s a myth unless you’re 18 years old or younger.
Most of Copenhagen’s museums are free for those under 18, but there are no discounts for seniors.
Are Copenhagen’s Museums Free With A Copenhagen Card?
Museums and many other attractions are said to be free with the Copenhagen card, but as the cheapest adult card costs 459 kr for 24 hours, it’s not free.