Odsherred Museum – first step towards a new museum in the heart of Nykøbing Zealand
Welcome to the new Odsherred Museum in the former Grundtvig School. Art and cultural history have moved in with the art exhibition Places Like This and the cultural history exhibition GLIMT, which paves the way for a future with exciting art and cultural offerings in the city centre.
With the opening on October 11, 2024, Odsherred Museum has taken the first step on the journey towards creating a new and modern museum. A museum that unites geology, archaeology, history and art in Odsherred. We are working together with the municipality and other partners to create a new museum, here in the center of Nykøbing. A museum that will also help to lift the city center, so that it becomes a cultural recreational area for the enjoyment of citizens and tourists.
New Odsherred Museum on the way
From vision to concrete project
The work on the new Odsherred Museum has entered a new and more concrete phase in 2026. Together with Odsherred Municipality, Museum Vestsjælland is working to translate the vision into a project that can be realized.
The goal is to create a modern museum in the former Grundtvig School in Nykøbing Sj. Here, archaeology, history, art and geology will come together and tell the story of Odsherred from different perspectives. The museum will have good facilities for both permanent exhibitions, changing special exhibitions, teaching and activities. At the same time, it will be a vibrant place that also invites local citizens inside.
From school to the new museum
A central task is to find the right way to transform the Grundtvig School's existing buildings. We want to preserve the site's history and architectural qualities. At the same time, the buildings must be able to meet the requirements of a modern museum. Both in terms of accessibility, exhibition and experience.
We are therefore working on how the existing buildings can be reused and transformed. We are examining, among other things, the connection between exhibition spaces, public areas, teaching, activities and the practical functions of the museum. The inner courtyard is also an important part of the work. The courtyard should help create coherence between the buildings and provide space for communication, recreation and activities.
The final solutions have not yet been decided, but the current work should provide a good basis for the next decisions on direction.
Photo: The historic garden at Odsherred Museum adorns the former schoolyard with over 200 historic flowers and plants. The garden was created by the Lugekonerne from the garden at Annebjerggård.
Activities and exhibitions as a prelude to the new museum
While we are working on the long-term plan for the new museum, new life has also been created at Odsherred Museum and in connection with Nykøbing Sj. during 2026.
On June 12, the Historical Garden opened in the former schoolyard. More than 200 historical plants have been moved here, and the former schoolyard has become a greener place for recreation, activities and cultural and historical communication. On the same day, the exhibition ME & MY CITY opened at the museum.
Photo: Odsherred's mayor, Hanne Pigonska, opened the Historical Garden and the exhibition ME & MY CITY
During the summer of 2026, work has also been done on art and temporary communication initiatives in the city center. Large natural stones from Odsherred have been placed as landmarks in the streets between the city, the cultural institutions and the museum. The stones have been decorated together with children, young people and artists from Odsherred. The initiatives are part of the work to create life and clearer connections between the museum, the cultural institutions and the city center.
Photo: Here you can see some of the large local stones from Odsherred, which have been decorated together with children, young people and local artists.
The decorated stones are located along Algade and show the connections between the city and Odsherred Museum and the city's cultural institutions. The stones also encourage cozy stays and play.
Photo: The opening of the Historical Garden at Odsherred Museum and the presentation of the many art initiatives in the city center were marked with music and communication in the urban space.
In the autumn of 2026, the former gymnasium was converted into a special exhibition space and on October 8, the first special exhibition opened in the new space. Read more about the exhibition Light on Nordic Rugs.
The temporary initiatives give us the opportunity to already use the area for live communication, to create activities and to investigate how the museum and the city can interact closely.
We look forward to the further work and to continuously share more as the plans become more concrete.
The historic garden
The beautiful garden at Anneberggård had its roots in the original Museum in Nykøbing and was moved to Anneberggård in 2004. But in the spring of 2024, the Nordea Foundation donated DKK 590.308. for the project "The historical garden returns home" - a green urban space at Grundtvigskolen in Nykøbing Zealand.
Museum inspector Thomas Egebjerg Johansen and the volunteer "luge wives" associated with Odsherred Museum have jointly devised the project, where the garden at Annebjerggård was moved to Grundvigskolen.
The project includes, among other things, culturally historical plants in raised beds, “wild” beds around existing trees, tables and benches that are also accessible to wheelchair users, and a greenhouse built from recycled materials. A total of 160 meters of beds will be created. The funds from Nordea-fonden and the museum's co-financing mean that the project is fully financed.
With move-in in autumn 2024 in Grundtvigskolen's building, the garden is taking shape. Our amazing volunteer hatch wives have transformed the gray schoolyard into a fantastic green urban space.
The beds that have been laid out and filled with approx. 175 utility plants. Plants that have been used for medicine, dyeing clothes and in connection with superstitions in the old days.
Drawing: sketch of plans for the museum garden
Future plans for Odsherred Museum ... the first step on the road.
The building that Museum Vestsjælland initially disposes of offers a flexible framework for exhibitions and activities. Unfortunately, there is only limited space and we have chosen to prioritize space and settings for activities in the first instance. We already experienced good demand for our family activities in the autumn holiday 2024 and we are looking forward to 2025, when we have planned a large number of activities in connection with the place. Our new historical city walks in Nykøbing Sj. have also been very well received, all of which have been sold out. We will of course continue with them in 2025.
The building we are in now is only the beginning. Our long-term goal is to establish a new joint museum, with the necessary framework in relation to space, climate control and security – a museum that contains both geology, archaeology, history and art, conveyed with modern, relevant and ambitious solutions.
Odsherred Museum is in the middle of an exciting development process. With the move of the museum's activities from Annebjerggaard to a building at Grundtvigskolen in Nykøbing Sjælland, we have taken the first step towards creating a stronger and more accessible cultural offer. This location brings us closer to the life of the city and important partners such as Geoparken and Odsherreds Theatre.
We are working on those plans together with Odsherred municipality and other good partners - and we are very much looking forward to progressing the process towards creating the right framework, so that we will have the opportunity to present even more initiatives that reflect the area's rich history.
Yours sincerely,
Eskil Vagn Olsen
Director Museum Vestsjælland