Stevns Klint Experience

A gateway into the story of a vanished world

Stevns Klint Experience is the main visitor centre for one of Denmark’s most extraordinary natural sites, where a thin band of clay in the nearby cliffs records the asteroid impact that ended the age of the dinosaurs. Inside this modern museum, you step straight into that deep-time story, moving from a familiar entrance hall into darkened exhibition spaces that echo with distant rumbles and shifting light, as if the Earth itself is remembering what happened here millions of years ago. The centre acts as an introduction to the entire Stevns Klint coastline, a 15‑kilometre stretch of chalk and limestone that has earned UNESCO World Heritage status for the clarity of its fossil record. Here you discover how a single catastrophic event reshaped life on Earth, and how the local landscape still carries the evidence, layer by layer, in its white cliffs and quarry walls.

Immersive exhibitions and a journey through deep time

The heart of the Experience is its interactive exhibition, where fossils, meteorite fragments and models sit alongside films, soundscapes and hands-on installations. One highlight is a cinema presentation projected directly onto a massive block of limestone cut from Stevns Klint, so the story of extinction and recovery literally plays out on the rock that holds the evidence. Nearby displays unravel the distinctive “fish clay” layer that separates the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods, explaining how this slim band of material helped scientists solve the mystery of the mass extinction. For many visitors, the VR experiences provide a memorable leap through time: with a headset on, you glide from a thriving prehistoric sea full of ammonites and marine reptiles to the chaos of impact and the slow, patient return of life. Younger guests can follow the character of Lucky the mammal, a small survivor whose story illustrates just how precarious – and fortunate – our own existence is.

Architecture rooted in an old limestone quarry

The centre’s architecture is deliberately woven into the industrial landscape of Boesdal Quarry. Its angular forms and pale materials echo the quarried limestone walls around it, while large windows frame views of the terraced pit, the Baltic Sea and the distant line of Stevns Klint itself. Indoors, raw surfaces and sculptural volumes create a calm, almost contemplative backdrop for the exhibits, reminding you that this is first and foremost a place about stone, time and change. Step outside and you can wander through the old quarry floor, where the scale of past extraction becomes clear in the sheer rock faces and broad gravel expanses. The building acts as both a cultural hub and a landscape pavilion, encouraging you to move back and forth between explanation inside and direct experience outside.

Café flavours and a locally inspired design shop

Beyond the geology, Stevns Klint Experience also functions as a community and cultural centre. A bright café serves seasonal dishes with a focus on local ingredients, from fresh salads and baked pies to simple snacks you can take out into the quarry. It is an easy place to pause between exhibits and a cliff walk, looking out over the open pit while you linger over coffee. Next to the café, a carefully curated shop showcases design objects and crafts tied to the region. Ceramics, textiles and woodwork often take their colours and forms from the chalk cliffs and coastal landscape. Books, educational games and fossil-themed souvenirs help younger visitors carry the story of Stevns Klint home, extending the experience beyond the visit itself.

Cliff paths, outdoor activities and changing events

Just outside the doors, footpaths lead towards the cliff edge, where you can join longer coastal trails with sweeping views over the Baltic Sea. The immediate surroundings mix raw quarry terrain with grass, sea breeze and open skies, making it easy to combine time in the exhibition with short walks or picnics in the landscape. Throughout the year, the centre also hosts talks, concerts, children’s workshops and nature activities that tie together science, culture and the outdoors. Some events take place in a nearby pyramid-shaped structure in the quarry, reimagined as a venue for performances and gatherings. Between the exhibitions, the architecture and the surrounding World Heritage cliffs, Stevns Klint Experience becomes both a museum and a living introduction to one of Northern Europe’s most compelling coastal landscapes.