Spent almost 2+hours at this site. Very informative and  showcased the history, culture and lifestyle of past Iceland. Buildings were well-managed and located at a very nice site. Had a great walk around despite the drizzle nearing end of the tour. English explanation at most of the sites though some were not translated. There are also tours available. Highly recommended!

We were drawn here by our desire to see and photograph the turf church. We were amazed to find so much more. We thoroughly enjoyed the many other historical buildings inside, as well as getting to know more history of Iceland and its people. It was easy to get to and am glad we incorporated it into our time in Reykjavik.

This was a great find and worth making the effort to go out of the city on a local bus (which was included in our Reykjavik pass). The old Icelandic buildings were displayed in an interesting and informative way. I would definitely recommend.

We enjoyed a couple of interesting hours at Arbaer, on a mild summer's day in Reykjavik. All the old reconstructed buildings have been moved to the site over about 50 years and provide a good overview of how the Icelanders lived in the past. Most of the buildings are set up as a snapshot in time, as if the family had just stepped out. This time period varies for the buildings, and there are good explanation boards. We loved the turf roofed farmhouse especially. It had a roofed tunnel into the barn area for the animals, necessary in the winter, I'm sure. Staff wearing old fashioned clothes wander around and can answer many questions. The cafe is set in one of the old buildings and had delicious cakes for sale. There is a small shop at the entrance to the site, as well as a lolly shop selling among other things yummy licorice. The site would be fun for families, there were a number of children while we were there and they appeared to be having fun with the provided toys and playground.

One of our first stops in Reykjavik and the one we enjoyed the most in all of Iceland. Used the Reykjavik card (good deal) and got there around the time it opened and were able to join a tour. Our guide was great. Learned much about Iceland's history (it's very rich and intricate).

This is my second favourite museum in the Reykjavik area after Perlan. Essentially the Reykjavik City Museum has created a village out of old houses from Reykjavik over a period of a few hundred years, moved out here. Nearly every building is accessible and they are laid out in their historical condition. In addition to some lovely houses with their time period furnishings and personal effects there is an old garage and a building devoted to the work of legendary Icelandic weaver Karólína Guðmundsdóttir, one of only two steam locomotives used in Iceland and one of the buildings is given over to a history of consumer consumption in Iceland. I spent a few pleasant hours here. There are several wc facilities but unfortunately the cafe was shut during my visit. The museum opens at 1300. If you don't have your own transport or if you don't want to pay the taxi fare I would suggest that you take buses 12 and 16. (Get off the 12 bus at the stop called Vogar then catch the 16- after 4 stops get off a the stop called Laxakvisl and walk east for about 5 minutes. On the way back you can get a bus back into town from the bus stop not far out in front of the museum. Entrance to this open air museum is free with the Reykjavik City Card,

Despite not having high expectations, the museum truly surprised me since many of the buildings were open and not only the facades but also the interior and everyday objects could be seen. Some of them I saw for the first time in my life! A very insightful and educative place to visit, in addition, some of the bigger buildings also have exhibitions about how everyday life changed for Icelanders throughout time.