Eldheimar Museum Tickets
About this activity
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Experience Highlights
Step back in time and relive the eruption that completely transformed the island of Heimaey with your 'queue-free' entrance to the Eldheimar Museum. Housed in the very ruins of a house buried by ash, the centre uses immersive technology to narrate the dramatic night of 23 January 1973 minute by minute.
The museum is located in Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands, southern Iceland) and is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 from April to October; from November to March it is open from 11:00 to 16:00. The tour is self-guided, suitable for all ages, and takes about 60-90 minutes to complete. Audio guides in English, Spanish, Icelandic, German and French included.
- Immediate access by showing your digital voucher at the entrance.
- Immerse yourself in history through 360° projections and original objects.
- Discover how life is reborn on lava in an interactive exhibition.
What’s included
- Shortcut entrance to the Eldheimar Museum
- Multilingual audioguide (English, Spanish, Icelandic, German, French, German, French)
- Access to all permanent and interactive exhibitions
- Free visit to the excavated house and panoramic terrace
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Step by Step
On entering the door, a short film takes the visitor back to the early morning when Eldfell awoke and forced the evacuation of more than 5,000 islanders in less than six hours. Next, the elevated walkway leads to the excavated house, where rooms frozen in time show crockery, toys and clothes covered in metres of ash.
Backlit panels and touch screens explain the advance of the lava flow into the harbour, the struggle of rescuers to divert the magma with seawater hoses and the crucial role of the fishing fleet in the evacuation. The audio guide in Spanish synchronises each stop with original radio sounds and survivor testimonies.
In the main hall, an interactive map projects the island before and after the eruption: click on the red areas to see how the lava flow gained 2 km² to the ocean and enlarged the natural jetty. Archival photographs, personal diaries and fragments of vitreous lava complete the narrative.
The tour ends in the volcanology lab, where 3D models and heat sensors show how flora and fauna returned to the scoria fields. Children can move levers to simulate eruptions and learn about plate tectonics in a playful way.
Before you leave, head to the panoramic terrace: you'll get a privileged view over the Eldfell crater, now covered in green moss, a symbol of the community's resilience.
