The Exploration Museum facts for kids

The Exploration Museum (which means Könnunarsögusafnið in Icelandic) is a special place in Húsavík, Iceland. It tells the amazing story of how humans have explored our world and beyond. From ancient Vikings sailing the seas to astronauts traveling to the Moon, this museum covers it all.

The museum opened its doors in 2011 and was officially welcomed in 2014 by the President of Iceland. It's located in North Iceland, about 50 kilometers from the Arctic Circle. Inside, you'll find different rooms, each focusing on a unique part of human exploration.

Exploring Our World and Space

Astronaut Training in Iceland

One of the most exciting parts of the museum is about the Apollo astronauts. Did you know they trained in Iceland? This happened in 1965 and 1967. They came here to learn about geology, which is the study of rocks and the Earth. Iceland's landscape was very similar to the Moon!

The museum has many photos from these training trips. These pictures show astronauts like Bill Anders (from Apollo 8) and Owen Garriott (from SkyLab) learning about rocks. In 2015, three more Apollo astronauts, Walter Cunningham, Rusty Schweikart, and Harrison Schmitt, visited the museum. They were there for the 50th anniversary of the first training trip.

A special monument called The Astronaut Monument stands outside the museum. Neil Armstrong's grandchildren helped unveil it. It honors all the brave astronauts who trained in Iceland.

Brave Viking Explorers

Another part of the museum celebrates the Viking explorers. These brave sailors traveled far across the oceans many centuries ago. They discovered new lands and settled in places like Greenland and North America.

You can see pictures of famous Vikings like Leif Ericson, who was one of the first Europeans to reach North America. There are also portraits of Erik the Red, who founded the first Norse settlement in Greenland, and Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir, a remarkable woman who traveled widely.

Race to the South Pole

Imagine a race to the coldest place on Earth! The museum also tells the story of the race to the geographic South Pole. This happened over 100 years ago.

Two main teams competed: one led by the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and another by the British explorer Robert Falcon Scott. Amundsen and his team reached the South Pole first in December 1911. They made it back safely. Sadly, Scott and his team faced terrible weather and did not survive their return journey. The museum displays photos and copies of the equipment they used.

Gallery

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  A real Moon rock from Apollo 17, on display at The Exploration Museum.

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  Inside one of the exhibition rooms at The Exploration Museum.

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  Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders training in Iceland in 1967.

See also

• Age of Exploration
• Apollo program
• Leif Erikson Awards
• List of explorers
• List of explorations
• List of female explorers and travelers
• List of lost expeditions