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Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

An iconic modern art museum where glass pavilions, sculpture gardens and seaside views weave art, architecture and Danish coastal light into one seamless experience.

4.6

Perched above the Øresund coast in Humlebæk, the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art fuses cutting-edge collections with Danish seaside serenity. A low-slung modernist complex threads through gardens and glass corridors, revealing works by Kusama, Giacometti, Picasso and Hockney alongside rotating blockbuster exhibitions. Beyond the galleries, a sculpture park, a sea-facing café and a superb design store make Louisiana as much landscape experience as museum visit.

A brief summary to Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

  • Gl Strandvej 13, Humlebaek, 3050, DK
  • +4549190719
  • Visit website
  • Duration: 2 to 4 hours
  • Mid ranged
  • Environment icon Mixed
  • Mobile reception: 5 out of 5
  • Tuesday 11 am-10 pm
  • Wednesday 11 am-10 pm
  • Thursday 11 am-10 pm
  • Friday 11 am-10 pm
  • Saturday 11 am-6 pm
  • Sunday 11 am-6 pm

Local tips

  • Aim for a weekday late afternoon visit and stay into the evening; extended hours Tuesday to Friday allow you to explore after tour groups leave and see the sculpture park in changing light.
  • Book or buy your entry ticket in advance during busy seasons to minimise queuing, especially for access to popular installations like Kusama’s infinity room, which often operate with timed entry.
  • Allow extra time for the sculpture park and bring layers; the coastal breeze can be cool even on sunny days, and some of the best views are from exposed spots near the water.
  • If visiting with children, factor in a dedicated stop at the Children’s Wing, which offers creative workshops and spaces designed for younger visitors to experiment and play.
  • The Louisiana Store and café both require a valid museum ticket, so plan any design shopping or meal breaks as part of your visit rather than as separate stops.
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Getting There

  • Regional train from Copenhagen

    From Copenhagen’s central area, take a regional train on the coastal line toward Helsingør and get off at Humlebæk Station; the ride typically takes 35–40 minutes with departures several times an hour. From the station it is an easy walk of around 15 minutes through the town to the museum gate, on mostly paved, gently sloping paths that are manageable with a stroller but may feel long for very young children. A standard adult single ticket on this route usually costs in the range of 60–80 DKK depending on ticket type and discounts.

  • Car from central Copenhagen

    Driving from central Copenhagen to the museum usually takes 35–50 minutes depending on traffic, following the main coastal route north through several suburbs to Humlebæk. The museum offers on-site parking that can fill up at peak times; overflow spaces are available in larger public car parks nearby within walking distance. Fuel and any potential parking fees mean this option is typically most practical for small groups or families sharing a vehicle rather than solo travelers.

  • Bicycle from nearby coastal towns

    For a scenic approach, you can cycle to the museum from nearby towns along the Øresund coast such as Nivå or Espergærde, with typical journey times of 20–35 minutes each way. Dedicated cycle paths run beside much of the coastal road, but expect some stretches alongside traffic and mild inclines. This option is weather dependent and best in late spring to early autumn; city-style or touring bikes are sufficient, and there is bicycle parking near the entrance once you arrive.

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art location weather suitability

  • Weather icon Any Weather
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Art by the Sea in Humlebæk

Set on the gentle slopes above the Øresund Strait, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art feels more like a cultivated coastal retreat than a conventional gallery. A former villa expanded into a network of glass corridors and pavilions, it blurs the line between indoors and outdoors, using light, views and greenery as integral parts of the collection. At every turn, windows frame beech trees, lawns and glimpses of Sweden across the water. Founded in 1958, Louisiana has grown into one of Scandinavia’s leading museums for modern and contemporary art. Its name comes from the original owner’s three wives, each called Louise, but today it is synonymous with ambitious exhibitions and a distinctive blend of architecture and landscape.

Modern Masters and Contemporary Voices

Louisiana’s collection focuses on works from 1945 to the present, spanning painting, sculpture, installation, photography and video. Highlights include the atmospheric Giacometti Hall, where elongated bronze figures stand in a long, daylit space, and dedicated rooms that spotlight key Nordic and international artists. Permanent displays are regularly re-hung, so familiar names often appear in new dialogues. Alongside the core collection, the museum stages several major temporary exhibitions each year. These range from retrospectives of influential modernists to boundary-pushing contemporary projects that take over whole wings. Sound, film and immersive installation are common here, making Louisiana a place where you move through experiences as much as you look at individual works on the wall.

Kusama Lights and the Sculpture Park

One of the most talked-about works is Yayoi Kusama’s "Gleaming Lights of the Souls", an infinity room that uses mirrors and suspended points of light to dissolve your sense of space. Entry is timed and brief, but the effect lingers long after you step back out into the corridor. Elsewhere, intimate galleries showcase pieces by artists such as Picasso, Warhol, Louise Bourgeois and David Hockney, among many others. Outside, the sculpture park cascades down towards the sea, dotted with more than 60 works in lawns, groves and along paths. Large-scale pieces by modern masters share space with more recent commissions, and the shifting coastal light becomes part of each sculpture’s character. On clear days, the combination of art, clipped grass and horizon line is particularly striking.

A Coastal Campus for Culture

Louisiana functions as a cultural campus, with spaces dedicated to talks, screenings and events that explore art, architecture and ideas. A Children’s Wing offers hands-on workshops and creative activities, making the museum engaging for younger visitors as well as adults. Seasonal programs ensure there is always something new happening, from artist-focused series to cross-disciplinary collaborations. The café, located along a glass wall overlooking the water, is a destination in itself. Here you can linger over classic Danish smørrebrød, salads or cakes while watching ferries and cargo ships move across the strait. Nearby, the two-level Louisiana Store showcases Scandinavian design, books, prints and objects, extending the museum’s aesthetic into everyday life.

Atmosphere Across the Seasons

Louisiana is open year-round, and the experience shifts with the season. In winter, the museum’s warm interiors, low lighting and picture windows create a cocoon-like refuge above a grey sea. Spring and summer invite slow walks in the park, pauses on benches and perhaps a detour to the small nearby beach after your visit. Whether you spend a focused couple of hours or an unhurried afternoon, the defining impression is of a place where art, architecture and landscape are woven tightly together. Rather than a single star attraction, Louisiana offers a series of carefully composed encounters, from a quiet painting in a side room to a sudden view of the horizon that turns the Øresund itself into part of the exhibition.

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