Iceland’s Phallological Museum: For Peen Lovers Only
Wow. You’re still here. Thanks for sticking around.
After arriving in Reykjavik, I had a few hours to kill before I could check into my room. And while I had a Reykjavik city pass and access to the city’s most famous landmarks, there was one museum that I wanted to hit up right away:
The Iceland Phallological Museum.
Or as I called it, the Peen Museum.
Having heard about the museum a few years ago on a Most Unusual Museums in the World list, I knew I had to drop in and see just how weird this place was.
It turned out the museum was just around the corner from my hostel. I quickly found it, paid my 1,000 ISK ($8) entry fee, and strolled into the first room…finding myself surrounded by penises of all shapes and sizes.
There were shelves upon shelves of penis accessories as well.
Not enough for you?
So, how does a place like this come into being? I got to speak with Hjörtur Gísli Sigurðsson, the son of the founder and the current curator.
In 1974, his father, Sigurdur Hjartarson, was given a bull’s penis, also known as a pizzle. (Note: in Iceland, bull more or less always refers to a male whale, not a cow.) He was working as a headmaster at the time, and as a joke, his teachers began bringing him more mammal penises. (Okay — as an American in the year 2012, I couldn’t even imagine that happening today!)
By 1980, Hjartarson had 13 specimens in his collection. By 1990, he had 34. And in 1997, he had 62: enough to open his museum.
Today, the Phallological Museum is far more popular with foreigners than with Icelanders. It’s frequently mentioned in pieces about unusual museums and attractions in Europe. While the museum moved north for a few years, it didn’t receive the same stream of visitors that it did in Reykjavik, and so they moved it back to the city.
After all, furry penises and bony penises need to be shared with the world!
The museum is tiny, and if you’re an average viewer, you could spend less than half an hour looking at the specimens. If this sort of collection is your bag, baby, I’m sure you could find a way to stay much longer.
Particularly if you want to take a picture of yourself with the biggest penis in the room: the sperm whale penis.
I rarely buy myself souvenirs, opting for pictures of myself in memorable places instead. This picture is the one souvenir I would ever want from Iceland! Many thanks to Hjörtur for snapping the pic for me.
And so, having received everything I had hoped for, I left the Phallological Museum happy and satisfied. But not before checking out the gift shop first:
I still can’t believe this place exists.
At age 26, I quit my job to travel the world alone. I spent six fantastic months in Southeast Asia and turned my travel blog into a full-time business. Today, I travel full-time, going anywhere that sounds wacky or beautiful or interesting. My goal is to show YOU how you can travel the world on your own -- easily, safely, and adventurously. 
Haha I’m SO glad you went here, Kate! I didn’t even know about it when I was in Reykjavik, and was super bummed when I learned about it a couple weeks after I got back.
this is awesome. totally made my Iceland bucket list!
That museum is crazy (and kind of awesome!), but that T-shirt is to die for! Love it!
I am going to be in Reykjavik this summer. I wonder if there is a way to get the tee shirt without going to the museum, Frankly it seems a little creepy. NOT THAT THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT!
I’m most definitely a peen lover ifyouknowwhatimean mmmmkkkkkkkk!
No, seriously, THIS is the Iceland post I’ve been waiting for ever since you posted that sperm whale pic to Twitter saying you were there.
I’m trying to figure out what the hell most of those penis accessories can be used for, though?! Some of them could only be downright painful, that’s for sure!
I knew you would love this post.
Wow. In all the Iceland-related blog posts I’ve seen in the past few months this is the first mention of this place! Good to know you left ‘satisfied’
And that is what she said.
Aaaaand that is a gilded penis.
Indeed it is.
Fantastic and hilarious! Thanks for sharing the peen, Kate!
This museum was located in Husavik until November last year – we missed out on visiting it by just a month when it returned to Reykjavik! It looks hilarious!
haha love it. There is an ‘amusement park’ in Jeju Island in South Korea that is very similar. It’s called Love Park I think and lots of very interesting statues there!
I have to ask my bud Waegook Tom about that one!
Ummmm I don’t really know what to say other than wow!?!
Haha, the picture with the sperm whale penis is awesome… awesomely terrifying!
Damn, that’s a lot of penis, must visit if I get the time.
Haha, what the hell? That’s ridiculous. That whale penis is HUGE! I reckon that’s a picture to frame and give to the parents…
LOL! I can see their faces now…
Ok let me just say that I absolutely LOVED this post. You had me at the picture of what looked like a small field of golden penises and it just got more outlandish and amusing from there. I’ve never thought of Iceland as a “must-see” kind of place, but now I HAVE to go, if only to visit this museum!
Hahaha, I’m glad you liked it!