Thorvaldsens Museum Tours and Activities

Opened shortly after the death of Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen in 1844, the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen is the only place in the world to see all of his works of art. The first public museum building in Denmark, the museum features Thorvaldsen’s sculptures, sketches, letters, books and personal objects, as well as contemporary art, antiquities, paintings and graphic art. The ground floor is home to Thorvaldsen’s own plaster and marble sculptures, while the first floor displays a collection of paintings and Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiquities. 

The building itself is known to be one of Denmark’s most beautiful buildings. Inspired by ancient Greek architecture, it was built around an inner courtyard where Thorvaldsen is buried. With brightly colored walls inspired by the colors and patterns found in Pompeii and Herculaneum, mosaic floors and decorated ceilings, the museum building looks today just as it did more than 150 years ago. Outside, a frieze wraps around the building that tells the story of the arrival of Thorvaldsen’s sculptures to Copenhagen.