Cisterns in Søndermarken

The underground Cisterns are really a unique place and art gallery. When we visited, the exhibit was water and ocean related and was definitely a great fit for the ambiance. I believe that is what they are after in general in the exhibitions they select - to connect the art with the unique space.

One of the lesser known museums in Copenhagen but one of the best if you enjoy modern art. Like to visit each time we are in the city with new exhibit every six months or so.

Super cool place. The art exhibition was intriguing and the history on the walls is interesting as it tells the story of how the water supply changed due to sickness and bacteria in the water. The rooms are dark and humid though, so your eyes need some time to adjust.

Loved it, the structure/architecture are amazing and the art installation is cool too. Good way to kill an hour or so! The staff are super helpful and friendly too :)

Stumbled upon this hidden gem whilst walking through the park. Included in the Copenhagen Card. Very very dark, be super careful when walking through the tunnel system.

Beautiful place to visit in Copenhagen. Especially if you have already seen the known attractions. And they have different exhibitions here. The one that we have seen was pretty cool.

What an incredible discovery! Cisternerne offers such a unique and atmospheric way to experience art. We visited during Jakob Kudsk Steensen’s Psychosphere exhibition, and the works were truly brought to life by the space. The immersive soundscape, the low lighting, and the underground setting created a mood that was both haunting and beautiful. It’s also a refreshing escape on a warm summer day — cool, quiet, and completely different from any other gallery experience.

Visited Cisternerne mainly because it was included in the Copenhagen Card and close to Copenhagen Zoo. The underground space is definitely unique and has an interesting atmosphere with art installations. It’s a different experience, though a bit dark and eerie, so not for everyone. Worth a quick visit if you’re nearby!

There are no words to truly put this exhibit into perspective. The current exhibit is truly surreal, and honestly, quite humbling. We went in with a level of excitement but as soon as we made it underground, and away from the light of the entrance, the mood changed and we were completely immersed within another time and dimension. While the architecture and history alone make the space worth visiting, the current exhibit pulls out from within you, emotions and awareness you may not have ever harnessed. It is truly, truly, something you must see! I had researched the Cisternerne for quite some time prior to our trip, and it lined up perfectly with our morning at the zoo, as it was right across the street. The park above the exhibit is absolutely beautiful, and lends no insight to what lies below it.

For a unique experience while in Copenhagen, book the Cisternerne exhibit boat tour. Here's why: 1) History; First of all, the Cisternerne has an interesting history. Built in the middle of the 19th century, this underground reservoir once supplied the entire city with drinking water. Once abandoned, the space is now an exhibition space. 2) Art: My friend and I went when Tomás Saraceno did his "Event Horizon" exhibit. Rowing a little boat through the exhibit, you're asked to remain silent and be present as you go through the water. You'll pass art that creates light and sound adding to the space's darkness. It's so unique! 3) Location: It's right next to the Frederiksberg Palace, a yellow 1735 palace with gardens that are popular with walkers and runners. Take time before or after the Cisternerne to explore the area. If you go, note that rowing is at your own pace. They recommend 40 minutes, but once you reach the end, you're done! My friend and I felt like we were rowing slowly, but it only took us 20 minutes. We felt like we didn't get the full experience. We wished we had stopped at more spots to sit and enjoy the exhibit.

I had researched the museum/gallery prior but not the work. It's hard to Put into words the experience. Visceral. Immersive. Powerful. The cistern itself is part of the art and breathes an experience like none I have experienced whilst being pulled into her pieces. A must see in Copenhagen.

Wow! Wow wow WOW! This place is friggen cool! The underground art and culture space would be awesome on its own even if it just remained an empty former water reservoir for the city of Copenhagen. But it has been transformed in to an underground museum and I am also very ok with this! There is historical information on the Cisterns/reservoir on the wall that is permanent. So you can get the background info on the actual space, always. It is ALSO included with the Copenhagen Card, but I would encourage a visit even if you had to pay separately/out of pocket! The exhibit while I was visiting was topical, large-scale, modern, and immersive. Basically, any one of those things alone would draw me in. All together, they had me chomping at the bit! The 2019 exhibit from the collective SUPERFLEX, called "It is not the end of the world," is a view of a possible future if we do nothing to stop or stem the tide of global warming. The space is partially flooded and visitors put on galoshes (that are provided) and invited to walk around the space and exhibit, which features partially enclosed replicas of the restrooms of the UN building in Bonn being filled with inches of water. There is very little light. Some from in the rooms, and a couple dim bulbs far on the sides of the reservoir, and a big neon sign writing out the name of the exhibit. I took lots of pictures and used my phone as a flashlight...but, particularly with *this* exhibit, be careful about not dropping your phone on the stone floor or in the water! I wish there had been more to the exhibit, only because it would have been a legitimate reason to stay for much much longer! I would 130% recommend any one pay the Cisterns a visit. This was my second favorite museum/cultural spot I visited during my time in the city. And oh man...it is so cool. The Fredericksberg area is a surprising and awesome lesser-known and lesser-visited part of Copenhagen. But you should absolutely make an effort to spend an afternoon exploring the area! It is a little creepy and spooky, it is a LOT-le awesome and interesting.

FYI, I see at least one review mentions the boat tour, but that was linked to a specific exhibit - what's exciting about this historic cistern-turned-literal-underground-art gallery is that the exhibits rotate, allowing for a different experience from year to year. The architecture and history are interesting on their own, but then you add in the creative use of gallery space and it's a wholly unique experience. The exhibit during my recent visit was Multiple Realities, by Chiharu Shiota, and the use of thread and fabric was eerie and beautiful in contrast with the dimly lit, water-filled space. It's a small space, so you don't need to budget much time to spend here, but it's absolutely worth a visit all the same!

We went to The Cisterns without really knowing what to expect. We had a vague idea that it was underground, and that it was maybe like a museum, but were otherwise walking in blind. I'd highly recommend this experience, so here's all you need to know up front: it's open from 11 to 6 every day except Monday, when it's closed, and Thursday, when it goes until 8; single adult tickets are 70 DKK; and the current exhibition runs until November 30. If you find yourself in Copenhagen before then, do yourself a favor and go go go. The Cisterns is part of the Frederiksberg Museums, which I guess is a cluster of museums in the Frederiksberg area. The entrance is built into the lush green lawn of Søndermarken Park, a slick architectural flourish like the entrance to the Louvre, or one of those creepy Westworld labs. Once you go in, you buy your ticket and head downstairs into an enormous dripstone cave, hidden right there in the city. It's a dark, damp, underground space, an old concrete reservoir that once contained Copenhagen's supply of drinking water, glittering with stalactites and stalagmites. The space is incredibly cool, and it's used as a venue for art exhibitions and apparently other events, though I can't quite imagine it's popular for holiday parties or weddings. There seem to be annual installations, more or less, site-specific exhibits that take incorporate the atmosphere and unique characteristics of The Cisterns. The 2018 exhibition is by Danish artist Jeppe Hein, and it's called IN IS THE ONLY WAY OUT. The message isn't especially subtle--"You must confront the darkness to be able to see the light," per the catalogue--but who wants subtle when you can have an immersive sensory experience inside a spooky, beautiful cave. It's hard to describe what happened down there in a way that does the installation justice. There was a loud, massive flame that roared to life whenever anyone approached it; there was a room full of round hanging mirrors rotating lazily while we walked among them. The deepest part of the exhibit was a dark room with several Tibetan singing bowls standing on lit up pedestals. All around them was a track of balls on strings, which ran so they hit the bowls with varying degrees of ferocity, creating a wild, resonant chorus. I guess the balls move in reaction to sensors, which go off as visitors come in, so that the concert crescendoes as more people enter. The whole thing was strange and disorienting and truly amazing. The space was small enough that we could've gone through in ten minutes, but we ended up hanging out for a while, just taking it all in. I don't know what The Cisterns has in store for future exhibitions, but I'll definitely come again if I find myself back in Copenhagen. This visit was one of the highlights of our trip.

In the 1850's, a water reservoir was built in Søndermarken Park to hold clean drinking water for the city of Copenhagen. Once an open pool, it was later enclosed, forming an underground cistern that served the city until the 1930s, when the city's growth outpaced its capacity. Once drained of water, the Cisternerne is perennially cool, humid, and dark. The cavernous space is filled with supporting arches and columns, accented by decades-long growths of stalactites and stalagmites. What to do with an abandoned space like that? For the Danish, the answer was repurposing the Cisternerne for art, first as a museum for glass art, but better still in the past five years, to showcase rotating modern art installations. Such a clever way to use the space, if the works can properly take advantage of its unique atmosphere. The Danish art group Superflex is currently exhibiting their work, an inquiry about humanity and earth, climate change and future possibilities, interwoven with water. As had been done with other exhibits, the cistern is partially flooded with water, so one first descends into a brightly lit area to change into waterproof boots (or bring your own), before heading in to explore the echoing, hauntingly lit space, punctuated by a distorted, ambient soundtrack, culminating in the billboard-like sign declaring "It is Not the End of the World," its neon reflection shimmering, distorted, in water. Whether you interpret that statement as defiant, hopeful, or ironic, exploring this exhibit makes one feel like a visitor at the end of the world. Brilliant and absolute must-see if contemporary art is an interest. Your mileage may vary but the actual time to explore the exhibit should not take more than an hour. Be mindful that it is cool and humid year-round; dress accordingly. The topside entrance is through glass pyramids that jut out of the central landscaped lawn in Søndermarken Park, opposite the Frederiksberg Castle and the Zoo. Entry fee is included in the Copenhagen Card, or 70 DKK (~$10.50 USD) for one adult. Closed Mondays.

Old water cisterns repurposed as an art exhibition space. You'll visit the underground environment with 3 separate compartments, two of them with some water inside, temperature is around 17C with a nearly 100% humidity. The exhibition rotates every few months, so you'll likely see something different few months from now.

My boyfriend thought it was overpriced and not so exciting. But I found it absolutely cool. And for some reason, no one even knows about it. So it's not filled with tourists. So we had the place to ourselves and I took so many cool pictures.

The Ingvar Cronhammar exhibit is SO COOL. Checking it out is an excellent use of DKK 50. Walking through the exhibit is delightfully creepy and beautiful. The sound of the water falling and the use of lights and the background music create a wonderful experience. When I visited there were just the right amount of other people visiting such that there were not too many times when one had to pass someone on the walkway. The cisterns with this exhibit is definitely a space that the Phantom of the Opera would inhabit.

This is a hidden gem in Frederiksberg Park. The glass pyramid is the entrance into the old water reservoir where the museum is located. The exhibits of various glass pieces (vases, bowls, sculptures, paintings etc) and sandstone statues from castles around Denmark are both fascinating and unique. The location inside the reservoir adds to the atmosphere and is cool in itself. I would definitely recommend stopping in the museum for a neat experience. Be sure to wear a jacket and shoes that can get wet (the ground is damp) because it can be chilly down there.