SMK – Statens Museum for Kunst

A true cultural highlight in Copenhagen I visit SMK – The National Gallery of Denmark – quite often, both privately and when guiding guests through the city, and it never disappoints. The mix of classical masterpieces and bold contemporary art makes it one of the most inspiring museums in Copenhagen. The layout is airy and welcoming, and I always appreciate how well the museum connects historic Nordic art with modern expressions. If you’re interested in Danish artists such as Hammershøi or the Golden Age painters, this is the best place to experience them. The museum café is also worth a stop – it’s a peaceful spot overlooking the park, perfect for a break during your visit. My tip: arrive early and visit on a weekday if possible, as it’s a popular cultural attraction. Whether you're an art lover or simply curious about local culture, SMK offers a deep and beautifully curated insight into Denmark’s artistic heritage. Highly recommended.

The layout is brilliant: moving from the older European masters into the bright, airy modern extension feels almost like walking through time. You go from deep, dramatic Renaissance colors to the clarity and openness of contemporary Danish architecture in a single step. It’s beautifully done. The museum also has a knack for showing familiar themes - nature, identity, power - in ways that feel fresh and relevant, even if the artwork is hundreds of years old. One of my highlights was how well the museum integrates Danish Golden Age paintings with international works. It gives you a real sense of Denmark’s place in the broader art world. The café overlooking the garden is a perfect break spot. If you’re in Copenhagen and want more than just a quick museum visit, SMK is absolutely worth the time. It’s thoughtful, spacious, and surprisingly moving - an ideal place for anyone who wants to feel both inspired and grounded at the same time.

this museum is definitely worth visiting! it has a huge selection of european art and nordic art. the curation of the halls was excellent and in some halls there were some nicely placed walls for some of the more valuable exhibits. the staff was professional and helpful. the museum had a lot to offer, i even got some catalogs for a very low price! i had a wonderful experience in this gallery even though i had less than an hour.

I really enjoyed my visit to SMK, especially the impressive collection of classic art. The Danish Golden Age section was a true highlight for me — the works by Eckersberg, Købke, and other 19th-century masters beautifully capture both the mood and light of the time. It’s a must-see if you appreciate finely detailed, skillful painting rooted in tradition and national identity. However, I have to be honest: the upper floor, which houses a lot of modern and contemporary art, wasn’t my cup of tea. Some of it felt extremely bizarre. Much of it felt overly abstract and strange, and didn’t resonate with me at all. Still, that’s a matter of personal taste — if you're a fan of experimental modern pieces, you may feel differently, I presume. Overall, a wonderful museum for classical art lovers, especially if you want to dive into Denmark’s rich artistic heritage. Just be prepared for a very different vibe upstairs (to say the least)!

Great and very large museum. Walk through various galleries including a large collection of Danish, French/ European artists. They have renaissance and modern spaces. With pieces by many masters. Plan on spending at least two hours. They also have a good size gift shop and a café.

Tremendous collection! Definitely worth a visit. The building in itself is a beauty. Temporary exhibit focused on surrealists which was interesting. The lightning all throughout was very well done. Highly recommend.

I visited the museum on a weekday right after it opened and it was so calm and relaxing. Great exhibition on different eras of Danish art (mostly paintings) and how it is related to general art movements in Europe at the time. A few really breathtaking pieces.

Lovely artworks, some famous ones and a lot of Danish paintings. The outline of the museum was confusing and I felt like there was a lot of wasted space in the courtyard. There are some lockers downstairs when you can store your stuff. Staff was nice but the lady at the entrance counter was a bit moody. It’s nice enough but if you have to pick between this one or Glyptoteket (or any other museum) I’d say go there instead.

Wonderful free museum in Copenhagen. The museum itself is absolutely lovely and gorgeous. If you have kids it's definitely worth a visit on weekends where they serve an amazing brunch and have a children's work shop where the kids can use clay, paints, glu guns and you name it! There's even an academy educated employee to help the kids in their project. You can't bring your pram, but they have complimentary Stoke prams/strollers. But come early to be sure to get one. On the first Sunday in the month they have a kids project on the scene. It can be an art instillation with yarn or make your own home with cardboard boxes. My 3 years old loves it. The brunch is wicked and homemade from scratch and very nordic. Admission to the museum is free but the kids workshop costs 45 kr.

The lady selling the tickets was great. The art was fascinating.BUT the security guards were abismal. Sure they stopped me for having a water bottle. Ok, I can understand that. But they reminded me 3 times that they were closing at fifteen minutes before the hour. And one of them made it sound like it was closed when it was still 5:38 pm (the museum closes at 6pm, but the exhibits want everyone out at 5:45pm). So I went up to him and said there is still 7 minutes before you close (early). It was so annoying. Borderline racist? Idk but I felt unwelcome. Like if you don't want to work through your shift, don't. Or if you don't like tourists, don't work at tourist attractions. The lady selling tickets was so great and welcoming that I still think this is worth visiting.

So...shamefully, I never intended to visit this museum during my visit. My mistake! I happened to be in the general area, wanting to go to a specifically contemporary art museum that was *supposed* to be open but definitely was not. I was cranky about it, but just started heading back towards the city center on foot to see what the world might have in store for me. And what it had in store for me was all of the National Museums! Since I was planning on a museum any way, wanted to snag some WiFi, and it was included with my Copenhagen Card that expired that evening...I mean, why not check it out!? There was a great variety of artistic styles and time periods represented here. So, no matter what kind of art you like, you will find something that you enjoy here. I personally enjoy modern and contemporary art, and since I had been on the hunt for that earlier, that is where I focused my attention. They have a very nice contemporary collection. Visually appealing, colorful, and things I haven't seen before! I really enjoyed everything I got to see, both in the contemporary areas and the rest of the museum. And after wrapping up my art-ing, I got a bite to eat and a very good cup of coffee in the museum restaurant. I had a much nicer time here than I expected to, and should have had this on my must-see list earlier in my visit. Don't make my same mistake!

The state art museum in Denmark, this is an easy three hour visit with lots of art to look at. Nicely organized and well separated, it is not just Danish artists but European masters as well. I arrived just as the museum was opening for the day, so I was alone with many of the exhibits for a good piece of time. This was great to be able to see and enjoy the art. A wooden sculpture of a bishop from the 14th century. Great art from Bosch, Rubens, Matisse, Picasso, Laurens, Strindberg and lots more. So easy and approachable. Photographs are permitted, as long as your flash is disabled. A free cloakroom for storing bags in the basement, clean bathrooms and a free wifi. Sure, the museum isn't free anymore but I found it well worth the cost of admission. One star off for the gift shop which had no prints of the art in the museum and barely even a few postcards of the exhibits.

free admission for most exhibits! Good to spend a few hours here checking out the art.

Not worth coming to. They have free exhibits but they make you check your bag even if it fits into the bag bin. I mean as a tourist you usually have all your things with you like money and passports. You can carry all that around in a tiny plastic bag outside of your purse or backpack if you want or trust them to hold onto it. Both are awful choices because you'd really need three little plastic bags in order to hold much of anything and I wouldn't trust anyone with my passport frankly. They're pretty unreasonable about it, even if your bag fits into their little checker they claim you can't bring it. My bag fits, but they were pretty unreasonable and rude and unpleasant about it. I think it's pretty ridiculous they have this rule especially if you have to pay to see things and let go of your essentials.

Free museum?? I'm there. But WOW. The permanent collection is phenomenal. To view the permanent collection takes a few hours so you can make a day of it if you want to see the current exhibit as well (paid entrance). But wait this place is an amazing building, architecturally and an optimal space view art for a newbie or an experienced art lover. On top of that, if you came here and had no idea about Danish Art history (like moi) the representative art here tells a compelling story about the different movements of Art and Danmark's great artists. The Art history of Danmark is all over the walls described in such informative progression, you come away....... appreciating. For example, I didn't know the Danes were one of the first to give women artists professional acceptance. Super Cool. They were also one of the first cultures to use the common person (vs. royalty) as main or prominent subject to paintings. Very Cool. Modern art installations outside juxtaposed with the gardens were also awe inspiring. Visits: 1 Tip: Aamanns (Aamanns smørrebrødsdeli) for really well made Danish open-faced sandwiches is two blocks down, an easy walk for lunch. The permanent exhibit is free and the paid side will let you back with your paid ticket, if you wanna break for lunch.

Why didn't I know this museum is always free? You can just go for a coffee and then enjoy some of the galleries at the same time! How cool is that? And if you re into not spending too much money check billigkbh.dk where you can see all sort of things that are cheap or free around copenhagen. Regarding the museum, it's medium size and it has Danish and international art. The art is from the 1300 until the 1900. Some of the modern made me feel a bit uneasy but there were some cool exhibits too. Plus I am not so good with modern art so maybe you shouldn't consider my opinion about it. I also saw some paintings from the famous Rembrandt and Rubens which was nice. However we didn't have time to see everything as it was closing but hey, I can go back anytime for free. I loved the building and the cafeteria has a beautiful view over the park. So it's worth going! I wish they would have plugs so I could go study there! I would definitely go back now that I know it's there!

A really cool museum overall. It wasn't as big or extensive as Louisiana but I think that it's central location and the neat building that it is in, plus the cost (or lack there of) makes this a pretty great destination. I'm not super into classical art, but the early modern Danish collections were pretty interesting to me, and of course the modern and contemporary galleries were great too. I did like that they had quite a few nooks devoted to video art installations too. This was the first place I went basically the morning after I arrived in Copenhagen and it ended up being a great to spend most of that first (sleeting/rainy) day! The cafe is really neat and worth visiting, though I didn't eat there or anything, just had a drink. Also, they made sort of a glass walkway along what would be part of the old outside of the building, which is really neat. When I was there they had statuary on display there, so it was pretty cool, almost like an indoor garden of sorts.

Although the museum itself is very large, the collection felt limited somehow. To be fair, I didn't visit either of the two special exhibits, which you have to pay to enter (cheapskate alert!). My favorite things were the room of Rembrandts and Rembrandt-esque portraits (the room with burnt orange walls you can see in the Yelp photo gallery), and a 2003 installation called "Please, keep quiet!" You can read about it here, but it kind of ruins the surprise: http://www.smk.dk/en/explore-the-art/highlights/michael-elmgreen-and-ingar-dragset-please-keep-quiet/ I think that if I'd planned out a whole day to come here, I would have been a little disappointed. It's certainly a nice facade, and I can't complain about the admission (free). Nevertheless, I think I would have preferred to spend the time I used wandering around SMK's mazelike halls at a different museum or even strolling through the nearby botanical garden. Overall, there are some nice pieces here, but don't feel bad if you have to miss it!

I'm sorry to say this, but this museum is no longer free. BUUUH! Gigantic buuuh to the party who made that decision, because it means that there is one less place in Copenhagen to hide from the world and be surrounded by beauty just because you've passed and you have an hour to kill and you need to get away and art calms you. Now it takes consideration and if there's one thing I don't care for, it's spontaneity taken away from me. Come again, SMK! However, there is a reason for this disappointment. It's because being in here gives a certain sense of home and peace. Old art. New art. Paintings. Installations. It's here and there's a lot of it. There's also something for YOU in here. I promise. Now you just have to pay a pretty penny to get in and this cheapskate is not happy. But she sure is happy that such a museum exists in her city. That, she loves.

I think this is one of the most beautiful museums we have in Denmark, the entrance, standing outside is breathtaking. Likewise if you step on to the stairs of the entrance, you can se many of the old significant buildings in Copenhagen. Inside is amazing as well, the old and new extension building goes well together. I come here once every 4-5 month and have been lucky with the exhibitions the museum have showed, all very very good. They always create a good atmosphere and perfect environment to showcase the art at its best. If in Copenhagen I would suggest you go here, just to see the building from the outside as it is breathtaking. Plus it´s very close to other great sights and it´s free to go in, only the special shows they charge. Moreover, I keep an eye on their special events - they sometimes have great speakers coming, also for people like me who aren´t artsy per say.

Pros: - Free everyday of the week - Free use of lockers - it says to pay 10DKK but it is just a deposit - Very convenient - the stop after Norreport - Art museum - great place to pictures - Bathroom is right across from the locker room - in the basement - Swing exhibit - you can sit on it! - Small museum - you can cover it in about 2 hours Cons: - The front of the museum is still under construction so it looks ugly right now BUT it will get better

I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of art museums *gasp* but SMK has some interesting Danish collections that are a must-see for foreign tourists. After all, you don't get to see/hear many Scandinavian masters these days and although SMK is not quite in comparison with Rijksmuseum or Louvre, it's pretty much the art museum to go when you're in Copenhagen (if you're into classic and not modern, that is -- otherwise go to Louisiana). Once in a while, they would have a cool special exhibition and last time I was here to see Japanomania (Japan fascination in the Nordic countries in the 1700s). The exhibition was cool, albeit too short. They have also a cool museum shop right where you pay for entrance and a big locker area in the basement. It's sad that now you have to pay entrance to SMK and I wish everyone has free access to SMK like it used to, but times have changed, I suppose and that's how it's going to be.

A lot to see here and plenty of new names to add to your list of modern and historic artists as well as the established ones you'll already have heard of. I wandered around for 3+ hours and the permanent collection drained me so I never took in the limited period exhibitions before I had to leave to meet a friend.

This visit was well beyond expectations for the Danish and Nordic collection alone. I was so happy to see work that is very new to me beautifully presented in a quiet and unhurried visit. It was a week day but the number of people in the museum was a relief, especially after trying to see anything in museums in New York or DC or Amsterdam. I would like a more expansive museum shop, less emphasis on books and more on Danish art and design. The cafe was a disappointment. The space was interesting but the selection was limited and came with a little lecture on the flaws of producing decaffeinated coffee...... But the artwork!!!

Very nice art museum with a great mix of both modern and traditional art pieces. I saw some Picasso and Matisse in there. The cafe is also really nice with very good coffee. The gift shop is awesome and was able to find some nice postcards there. The museum is free and it also has free lockers down there to stow anyway your stuff. Definitely worth a visit for first time visitors to Copenhagen.

Statens Museum for Kunst or The National Gallery of Denmark enticed me because it houses Danish art and art from around Scandinavia and the Netherlands. Being in another country, visiting a museum which displays the best of the best in their history was a must. The museum is in a subdued part of town and is the spectacle of the area. The building is enormous and gorgeously built, almost as if it was the makings of a castle or another prominent government upscale structure. The inside was a stark contrast to the outside. Smaller than I had imaged and entirely white. Perfect I felt to display art in all its glory. We paid the admission and were handed neon pink clips to prove we were supposed to be there. In the basement there is a locker room. By inserting a coin you can lock your belongings into a locker and take the key. If you'd like, you can simply hang everything up for free on the coat rack. Different floors had art that ranged from the mid-16th century to contemporary art. Like most museums you are lead through room after room until you loop around. It was a pleasure to view pieces that were distinctly of Denmark and surrounding countries. I was lucky enough to encounter a Carl Bloch painting called "In A Roman Osteria". It was magnificent, intricate enough to look like a photograph not created out of paint. The looks from the subjects, two women, a man, and a cat, make you feel as if they are peering into your soul. I found one of my new favorite paintings. Statens Museum for Kunst was a treasure. I caught a glimpse of the creative minds Denmark has produced.

The brunch isn't very good... Their selection is mainly Danish sandwiches. The museum's atmosphere is fantastic, but the restaurant -where the brunch is located- misses the grandness and charm of the museum! I will probably not be coming back to the brunch, but definitely will come back to the museum!

So you sit alone here on a Friday and just want more excitement in your life, a little more hipster cool and a little less boring suburb? So get your trendy fashionable clothes on and get going to the State Museum of Art! Yeah, SMK - as it is popularly called - opens up on Fridays where you can chill with a glass of wine and listen to cool lounge-y DJ beats, while a guy who looks absolutely horribly much like Gaddafi (really strange) opens up a couple of nice food stalls with chai chicken and street pizza. You can take your food, wine and your cool and just relax to an art film on the Spanish Steps, or take a tour through the rest of the museum and hear the different ART talks (book readings and debates), enjoy art pieces, chat with strangers - it's actually really nice. People are quite fashionable, so it's also a good place to come for people watching. Tip: the cafe is usually opened, so do yourself a favour and buy a piece of the chocolate mousse cake - h-e-a-v-e-n!

A must see, when visiting Copenhagen, the art collection is outstanding and the settings are perfect, its free at charge, grab a bite in the restaurant, enjoy the day at: Statens museum for kunst!

I visited the Statens Museum for Kunst today and was impressed by the architecture of the building and permanent collection (especially because it is FREE to view the permanent collection!). There are so many rooms to explore and so many wonderful spaces to sit and reflect, draw, or journal. Many of the exhibits have interactive screens with videos describing the art, which are wonderful for kids and those who wish to learn more about a specific artist. I didn't get a chance to view all of the rooms, but I plan to go back several times during my stay in Copenhagen. The only reason I gave the Statens Museum for Kunst a 4 instead of a 5 is because of the cafe area. The acoustics down in the cafe area are terrible, and it is decorated with ghastly purple and green chairs that don't work with the minimalist furniture in the rest of the museum. I know that this may seem petty, but after sitting in a Kartell ghost chair while viewing paintings I really expected more from the cafe!! If you're in Copenhagen there is no reason NOT to visit Statens Museum for Kunst! Especially because it is free!!

A surprisingly great museum. Lovely collection of art, well presented, the building is nice. We especially enjoyed French and Danish artists. Our two kids enjoyed the visit: convenient booths right in the middle of the rooms with activities for kids really helped a lot!

Beautiful museum and a lovely cafe - worth a visit!

another great freebie to add to the list, the galleries are really nice here and its close to the city center. worth checking out if youre on your way to osterbro. great day trip.