The modern Ordrupgaard Art Museum and park with Finn Juhl’s House are a popular excursion destination to the north of Copenhagen.
The main attraction at the Ordrupgaard Art Museum is usually the major temporary art exhibitions staged in the museum’s modern wing designed by Zaha Hadid and the newly completed new exhibition sapce. However, the permanent collection includes one of the best selections of French impressionist paintings in Scandinavia, as well as Danish golden age paintings that are displayed in the original mansion. A few modern artworks are in the large park while Danish designer Finn Juhl’s House may also be visited on the same museum ticket.
Ordrupgaard Museum near Copenhagen
The Ordrupgaard Museum opened in 1953 in the stately home of Wilhelm and Henny Hansen. They left their mansion, built in 1918, and extensive collection of mostly French impressionist and Danish golden age paintings to the Danish state. The old house is still used to exhibit part of the permanent collection of the museum, which includes works by amongst others Cezanne, Monet, Renoir, Gauguin, Matisse, and Hammershøi. The impressionist collection is often regarded as one of the best in Scandinavia.
However, it is the large temporary exhibitions that really draw visitors to Ordrupgaard. These are held in the modern wing designed by Zaha Hadid. Like the permanent collection, the art is mostly from the late 19th, early 20th century but not exclusively European – Frida Kahlo previously featured as did impressionist heavyweights such as Monet, Matisse, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Munch.
A mostly underground extension design by the award-winning architect firm Snøhetta opened in 2021 to almost double the available exhibition space of the museum, which allows a far larger part of the permanent collection to be displayed while simultaneously increasing the space available for temporary exhibitions.
The park is open freely and has a few further modern artworks on display that children are allowed to touch and play with.
The very pleasant café serves drinks and small meals but, as is customary at most similar venues in Denmark, picnicking in the garden is allowed (and very popular).
Finn Juhl’s Huset in Ordrupgaard Park
Nearby is the house of Danish designer Finn Juhl at Kratvænget 15. Although mostly famous for furniture and interiors, Finn Juhl was a trained architect and personally designed the house and virtually all items in it. (In contrast to the furniture, his crockery and cutlery designs never went into production.) He lived here from 1942 until his death in 1989.
The house is furnished and decorated as it was left by Finn Juhl and his partner Hanne Wilhelm Hansen. In addition to the furniture designed by Juhl, many art works from especially the 1940s to 1960s are on display.
Admission to the Finn Juhl House is included in the Odrupgaard Museum ticket but note that opening hours are shorter.
Visiting the Ordrupgaard Art Museum and Park
Admission Tickets for the Ordrupgaard Museum
Admission to the Ordrupgaard art museum is DKK120 for adults. This includes admission to the permanent and temporary collections, as well as to the Finn Juhl house (if open). Admission to the park is free.
Admission is free for children under 18 years.
Admission for students is DKK100.
The Copenhagen Card is accepted.
Opening Hours of Ordrupgaard Museum & Park
Opening hours for the art museum depend on the expected popularity of the temporary exhibition. Opening hours are at least Tuesday to Friday from 13:00 to 17:00 (closing at 21:00 on Wednesday) and weekends from 11:00 to 17:00. Closed on Monday (but often open if a public holiday).
Opening hours for the Finn Juhl House are weekends from 11:00 to 17:00. During July and August, the house is also open Tuesday to Friday from 11:00 to 17:45, closing at 20:45 on Wednesday.
Opening hours for the park are daily from 8:00 to 19:00 (closing at 21:00 from Wednesday to Saturday).
Transportation to Ordrupgaard
The Ordrupgaard Museum, Vilvordevej 110, 2920 Charlottenlund, is around 10 km north of central Copenhagen. It is easiest reach by car but public transportation is also an option.
On public transportation, it is simplest to use the train from Copenhagen to Lyngby or Klampenborg and then bus 388 to stop Vilvordevej, which is very close to the museum.
Other Art Museums near Copenhagen
Modern art lovers need to travel a bit further north of Copenhagen to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art – one of the most important museums of its kind and one of the most popular day-trip destinations from Copenhagen. The Arken Museum of Modern Art to the southwest of Copenhagen also has large temporary exhibitions.
In Copenhagen itself, art lovers may enjoy the vast collections of the National Gallery of Denmark (Statensmuseum) and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (amongst others French impressionists and Danish Golden Age paintings and statues), and the Design Museum of Denmark.