Designmuseum Danmark in Copenhagen

A little while back I shared my visit to Kirkland Museum here in Denver, and it got me thinking about our visit to the Designmuseum Danmark in Copenhagen way back in 2017.  Despite being one of my favorite places we visited in Copenhagen, I’m still yet to share it here on the blog. In fact, there’s still a lot from our Copenhagen trip that I still need to share in general, so stay tuned for a little bit of playing catch up.

I’m a huge fan of mid century modern design, and no one does it better than the Danes, so visiting a museum full of famous Danish designs was such a treat. Designmuseum Danmark features examples of some of Denmark’s most famous industrial design, including furniture, lighting, household goods, toys, graphic design, and so much more. 

Let’s check it out…

Designmuseum Denmark, or Danish Design Museum in English, has been open to the public since 1895. It was original housed in a new museum building, but moved to its current location, a former hospital, in 1926. The former Royal Frederik’s Hospital was built between 1752 and 1757, and is one of Copenhagen’s finest rococo buildings. It was renovated and adapted for museum use in the 1920s. I love the juxtaposition of the ornate stone facade of the building against the modern and light interior. 

Like most museums, the exhibitions on display vary from time to time, however, the permanent collections feature iconic Danish designs with a major focus on furniture and industrial design. Danish chairs play a large part in the museum’s exhibits and you’ll find plenty of them on display. An entire wall full of cubby like shelving features Denmark’s most iconic chair designs, with a pull of information board between each one. Danish ingenuity is on full display with pieces made from unlikely materials, such as an arm chairs and ottomans made of cardboard, a cork television, and wooden bikes. 

One of my favorite things about Designmuseum Danmark is that there are plenty of opportunities for hands on fun. Visitors of all ages are able to interact with various exhibitions, including fun furniture designs that fold and twist to create multiple pieces, modern rocking toys, spinning light installations, and so much more. 

The museum features a Design Workshop that offers various classes throughout the year in which visitors can get creative with hands on craft activities. We visited in the lead up to Easter and made our own decorated eggs. Hours and prices vary.

Designmuseum Danmark is home to Format, a cafe featuring a seasonal menu. It’s a great place to enjoy lunch or a coffee break while exploring the museum. Format features both indoor and outdoor dining in the museums garden space. 

Designmuseum Danmark is located in Copenhagen’s historic center at Bredgade 68, Copenhagen.

Designmuseum Danmark is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10am - 6pm (8pm on Thursdays). Closed on Mondays.

Entry is 140DKK for adults, 90DKK for students ages 18 - 26 (with valid student ID), and free for children 17 and under.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at https://designmuseum.dk/en/

Copanhagen has fantastic public transit and the museum is easily accessed by Metro lines M3 and M4 with the closest stop being Marmokirken. By train, the closest station, Østerport is just a 5 minute walk away.

The ground floor is wheelchair accessible, however the building does not have elevator access to the first floor (second floor for Americans) where the museum’s ceramics collection is housed. Private strollers are not allowed in the museum, however the museum does provide small folding strollers for older babies that are able to sit up. For younger babies, a baby carrier is recommended.