1st & 2nd floor - Rooms 179-172 + 271-273
The Arctic is brutal, breathtaking, and bitterly cold. Step into the world of the Inuit, where people have adapted to a life on the ice.
For centuries, the Inuit have read the ice, hunted seals, kept warm in cold water, and illuminated the night sky with portable lamps. Explore the world's largest collection of stories, inventions, and artifacts from the far north.
Arctic discoveries and inventions
1.
A leap for life in the gut parka
The whale struggles. The hunter balances on the edge of the boat with the spear in a firm grip. He waits. At the perfect moment, he must leap onto the whale and plunge the lance straight into the blowhole.
The hunter must be careful. If the whale doesn't kill him, the ice-cold water will. That's why he's wearing a wetsuit, a drysuit made of gut, sealed with blubber. And with a bit of air inside, it can keep him afloat, dry, and warm in the icy waves.
Image gallery
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Magic and mother's love
The mother has selected 80 amulets for the outfit. Each one to invoke certain animal powers and spirits that could protect her 5-year-old Arsulik Tertâq.
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The powers and abilities of animals
Strong as the polar bear. A keen eye like the raven. Each animal had unique abilities. And by attaching an amulet to Tertâq's hide clothing, the animal's powers could help him through life.
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He bought it with a lock of his hair
Knud Rasmussen bought the suit in 1923. Because he was European and Inuit, he could navigate both worlds. From the hair, the Inuit made an amulet for Tertâq, which could summon Knud's abilities.
3.
The little heroine on the world's longest sled journey
Without her, Knud Rasmussen would never have returned home with the world's largest collection from the Arctic. Arnarulunnguaq, 'The little woman', was a multitalent. She repaired clothes, cooked food, led the dog sled, and could hunt and fish. She was instrumental in ensuring the expedition's survival as they traveled from Greenland across Canada and Alaska. A total of 18,000 km. over three years.
Included in the travel goods was brand new knowledge. Namely that the Inuit, despite great distances, were connected by common ancestry, language, culture, and stories. A narrative that will continue to live on our banknotes when Arnarulunnguaq herself appears on them in 2028.
Arnarulunnguaq in a fur suit, The Bellows
4.
An elderly Inuit woman
The Inuit world is tattooed on her face
The first lines will be tattooed when she's an adult. The next ones when she becomes a mother. If she get's 11 tattoes, she is a wise woman. For 4,000 years, women in the Arctic have had their faces tattooed to summon the help of spirits and the abilities of animals, and as stories of rituals and communities.
The old custom has been given new life today. More young people are getting tattoos precisely to keep traditions and culture alive in a society that must rediscover itself after centuries of colonization.
An elderly Inuit woman
5.
Learn Greenlandic with the language machine
Try your hand at Greenlandic in our language installation Greenlandic for Beginners. Here, language becomes a sensory experience as you listen, repeat, and test your pronunciation of Greenlandic words – and discover how the machine responds to how they are actually spoken. Greenlandic is known for its long, compound words and precise sounds that reflect life and nature in the Arctic. Developed in collaboration with language researchers, the installation offers an introduction to the sound, rhythm, and structure of the language. The aim is not to make you fluent, but to give you a sense of a language that is a central part of Inuit cultures, past and present. The language installation is a permanent feature of the exhibition and can be explored by both children and adults.
Open today
10:00 - 17:00
Admission ticket
- Adult150 DKK
- Adult (buy online)135 DKK (10% discount when you buy your ticket online)
- Under 18 years oldFree
- Group (10+ persons)135 DKK
The ticket is valid for 1 year from the date of purchase. Tickets can be purchased at the museum ticket desk or online. Online purchases receive a 10% discount on admission.
English guided tour
Meet Inuit in Greenland
Join our English tour of the museum's Arctic collection. Travel 300 years back in time and discover the tools and traditions Inuit created to survive. See the mobile blubber lamp, a gut suit for floating, snow goggles, outfits to withstand the cold, and much more...
From paddles to pastries
Sweeten your visit when you and your family stop by our restaurant and café, Smör. There’s something for every palate - whether it’s just a drink or a full meal. Please note! We are renovating to make way for a new café, opening in mid-March. You can grab refreshments from the stall in the foyer.
