After more than 130 years at Øster Voldgade, Natural History Museum Denmark will welcome visitors for the last time on Sunday 1 November 2026. In the months leading up to the opening of the new Natural History Museum Denmark on 6 March 2027, the museum will focus on completing the eight new exhibitions and preparing the new museum building to welcome visitors.
Since 1893 there has been a museum at Østervold, when a new building was constructed to house both the Mineralogical Museum and the University’s Chemical Laboratory. A few years later, the first exhibition galleries opened to visitors. In 1962, the entire building became the Geological Museum, and generations of visitors have since come to experience natural history.
– The museum at Øster Voldgade has been a place where generations of visitors have encountered nature, science and the museum’s collections. The building is an important part of the museum’s history. That is why it will also be bittersweet to close the doors when the last visitors leave on 1 November, says Nina Rønsted, Museum Director of Natural History Museum Denmark.
– At the same time, the closure marks the beginning of a new chapter for the museum. Now we can focus all our efforts on completing a new museum that will give even more people the opportunity to experience the diversity of nature in entirely new ways, Nina Rønsted continues.
This also means that the autumn break and the final weekend before the museum closes will be among the last opportunities to experience exhibitions such as Wild Wonderful World and the Mineral Hall before a number of the iconic specimens are moved to the new museum building.
As always, the museum has planned a range of exciting autumn activities for the whole family, while museum hosts will also be on hand with additional activities during the final weekend before the closure.
During the autumn break, Natural History Museum Denmark invites the whole family to explore the fascinating world of nature.
The museum’s public engagement staff will present skulls, jaws, skins and other specimens from the collections, and visitors can take part in a treasure hunt and test their knowledge with quizzes.
On Wednesday 14 October, the museum’s popular Teddy Bear Zoologists will return. Children can bring their stuffed animals along for a visit, have them identified and receive an official Latin species name.
At the Botanical Workshop, the whole family can also explore the world of plants. Visitors can plant cuttings, make herbarium sheets and draw flowers. The workshop will be open at the Public Engagement Greenhouse in the Botanical Garden from Tuesday to Friday during the autumn break.
Alongside the Wild Wonderful World exhibition, the historic Mineral Hall, with its unique collection of beautiful and impressive minerals, will also close. In addition to the familiar activities in Wild Wonderful World, museum hosts will be present in the exhibition throughout the weekend, where visitors can take part in activities, hear more about the stories behind the minerals and touch some of the fascinating specimens.
This will be an opportunity to say farewell to the museum at Øster Voldgade before the exhibitions are dismantled and the museum prepares for the opening of the new museum building and its eight new exhibitions.
The Botanical Garden, including the Palm House and Butterfly House, will remain open throughout the autumn and winter of 2026/2027.
Get Up Close to Natural History
Treasure hunts, quizzes and fascinating specimens from the museum’s collections.
Every day from 10:00–17:00 at the Natural History Workshop.
Experience the Museum’s Exhibitions One Last Time
See Wild Wonderful World and the Mineral Hall before Øster Voldgade closes to visitors.
Every day during the museum’s opening hours until and including 1 November 2026.
Meet the Teddy Bear Zoologists
Have your stuffed animal identified and give it an official Latin species name.
Wednesday 14 October, 10:00–16:00 at the Natural History Workshop.
Get Green-Fingered at the Botanical Workshop
Plant cuttings, make herbarium sheets and draw beautiful flowers.
Tuesday 13–Friday 16 October, 10:00–15:00 at the Public Engagement Greenhouse in the Botanical Garden.
Dates: 10–18 October 2026, everyday during the museum’s opening hours.
Location: Natural History Museum Denmark, Øster Voldgade 5–7, 1350 Copenhagen K
Read more: https://snm.dk/en/arrangement/autumn-break-whole-family
Dates: 31 October and 1 November 2026, 10:00–17:00
Location: Natural History Museum Denmark, Øster Voldgade 5–7, 1350 Copenhagen K
