Are you ready to roll on the floor with laughter? I’ve been to quirky museums all around the world, but never did I expect to find myself coming face to face with so many penises on my trip to Iceland. That is, until I visit the Phallological Museum in Reykjavik.
With large modern windows and its name crisply printed across the building, you could easily mistake Iceland’s Phallological Museum for being a regular office building from the outside.
It’s certainly a formal appearance for a place containing the world’s largest collection of penises. The collection currently holds over 280 different penises, testicles, phallic-related artefacts, and it’s still growing.
Inside the Phallological Museum
As you pay the 1000 Icelandic Kroner (approx. £5) entrance fee, you are given a booklet that identifies each genitalia and the corresponding animal it belongs to. Naturally, by the end of your visit you feel like quite the penis connoisseur.
While it might be a penis museum, it’s not a place that can be compared to a dingily-lit sex museum in the back alley of Europe. Glass boxes and perfectly polished glass jars line neatly across shelves and in cabinets.
It’s the kind of display you’d expect to see well-preserved relics from history inside, not well-preserved penises in formaldehyde. The subject matter and displays are complete deviation from anything you would usually expect to find in museum. Yet, somehow, this place still feels like a museum, but a very, very cheeky one!
From any direction, I’m greeted with penises big and small, short and fat. Some are curly and some are shrivelled. Some hang down from the walls and some are in photographic form. As I wander around, I can’t but help giggle as though I’m a mischievous 10-year-old school girl peering into the boy’s locker room after PE.
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Without the booklet it would be hard to guess correctly which penis is attached to what animal. For example, take the photo above. I thought it looked more like an elephant’s trunk, but it turned out to be the penis of a Sei Whale.
I have to say, I I think they could have accommodated his size better by putting ‘him’ in a bigger jar. Come on, give the guy some room.
This curly number belongs to a boar!
Who founded the Phallological Museum?
You might be wondering who on earth would open this museum? My jaw dropped to the floor when I read that Icelander Sigurdur Hjartarson was in fact a headmaster when he began his ‘hobby’ of penis collecting. Don’t worry it’s much more innocent than it sounds!
It started in 1974 after he revealed to a group of friends that he owned a bull’s penis as a child and used it as a cattle whip. His friends loved his childhood story so much that they bought him a few more.
Soon enough, more ‘donations’ were given, each time becoming more varied and adventurous. Basically, when it was Sigurdur’s birthday, you knew what to get him. By 1997, he had 62 penises to his name and decided to open up the museum and showcase his collection to the world.
It’s a fabulous story, and partly because this would never happen in England. Can you imagine the headlines? – “Headmaster opens Penis Museum”. The boring brigade would have a field day boycotting this place, as well as taking away his license to work with children.
Luckily, Icelanders are equipped with a heavy dose of humour and overall the museum is considered a bit of a national treasure.
Check out this April Fool’s! ‘Erected by his pupils on April 1st 2009’
Curious objects
Outside of ‘real’ penises, you will also find some curious exhibits that will provide you with a good chuckle. One display is an iron with a phallic-shaped handle. I think if you gave this to a feminist, they’d whack you around the head with it, and rightly so.
Need a toothpick anyone?
Despite all the different types of penises inside the museum, the one which is most familiar to us – the human penis – is yet to be displayed. But on the walls are several letters of willing donors, who wish to bequeath their manhood to the museum. I guess it’s just a matter of who pops their clogs first!
The closest thing you get to a human penis are a collection of silver penis casts from the Icelandic handball team. They won the silver medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and what better way to celebrate? Note the colour is in keeping with winning silver – it’s all about the small details!
Something to remember your trip by…
Finally, as I make my way around the room, I browse through the small shop where you can buy genitalia related novelties. One of these is a lamp shade made from bull scrotum, and as disgusting as it sounds, they’re quite beautiful.
I’m still disappointed I didn’t I have the money to buy one,. However, I laughed upon discovering that they are made by the founder and walk out with a huge smile on my face. This guy has made a business out of collecting penises and he’s doing a good job at it!
So which was my favourite Penis?
I gave my best pose, but I was always going to be upstaged by the penis of a sperm whale!
Website: phallus.is
Want more information about Reykjavik? Further reading:
10 Things You Should Really do in Reykjavik
Quirky Sculptures in Reykjavik & Where to Find Them
20 Awesome Things to do in South Iceland
Stay:
101 Hotel Reykjavik: If you’re looking for Reykjavik’s swankiest boutique hotel, this is definitely it. Recommended for those with a higher budget looking for luxury.
Hotel Reykjavik Centrum: This centrally positioned hotel is located in a beautifully restored historical building with lots of character. The rooms are spacious and the breakfast is superb! Recommended for those with a medium-sized budget.
Would you like to visit the Phallological Museumin Reykjavik? Or are there, erm, too many pricks in one room?
19 responses
Well, the word didn’t catch my attention as “vagina” would have, but still..!
It is very interesting from a biological point of view. A very original idea too.
Haha it wouldn’t surprise me if someone opened a ‘Vagina Museum’!
Yes, it is very interesting, although I think the museum could have been a little ‘heavier’ on the information front. That’s my only criticism, because otherwise, it’s a very entertaining museum – and like you said, a very original one too!
Human penis looks much better than the elephant’s dong, so ugly and so long
For some reason I love this post guess why… hahaha :):) My favourite museum ever! You look stunning x
Haha it’s one of my favourite museum too Agness! It’s difficult not to laugh when you are face to face with the penis of a giraffe!
What’s a pretty little lady like you doing in a place that has so many penises? Nevermind – I just answered my own question. You probably made them all stand to attention!
Actually, just as soon as we can round up the money needed, we will have that big American penis, Elmo, harvested, plastinated, and standing tall in the museum. We hope Elmo The Penis gives people something fun to talk about!
Haha I read about ‘Elmo’ inside the museum – he’s eagerly anticipated, and I’m sure will be the finishing touch to an already eclectic display!
Cor! You and your penises!
Another great find though. We can always rely on you. I wish I had known about this before my friend went there t’other week.
I know Chris, I really need to stop highlighting all the penises I see from around the world – I’ll soon gather the wrong type of readership! But I think they’re too hilarious to keep to myself!
My dad reads my blog… I need to remember that.
Those wrinkly animal penises are so yucky looking! Love the poses thought. I couldn’t have pulled off a straight face standing next to any of that!
Haha I doubt I had a straight face either Marina! Indeed, they were yucky looking, but they are the classic example of something you shouldn’t look at, but can’t help doing!
I appreciate your posts on Iceland and the phallalogical museum! I was there back in 2003 and was just trolling around the web because I would love to return (to Iceland). Thank you for your posts of unconventional travel – that is right up my alley. I kept a blog this last spring while I was in Bali for 2 mos. but I find it hard to keep up. I would like to know more about your comment on working & travel as I would like to attempt that road myself 🙂 Best wishes to you!
Hi Jody! I’m happy that you stumbled across my blog whilst musing over the prospect of going back to Iceland, it really is a place which begs for another visit, isn’t it?? Haha, and make sure you make it to the museum for an ‘educational trip’ and good chuckle! 😉
It’s great that you’ve got a blog, and I know EXACTLY how it feels trying to maintain it, but not always finding the time (or words) to do so. I think it helps to think of your blog as a documentation of experiences or places which you’ll want to remember in 5, 10 or 20 years time, and then write about those areas, instead of trying to cram everything in. I’m not sure if that’s a helpful suggestion… but I hope it helps getting pen to paper, so to speak.
Thank you very much for commenting, and I’ll write some future posts about working and travel!
If you don’t mind me asking, how tall are you?
Didnt get a chance to go here but we drove by about 10 times. Was only there for a week! but its amazing there.
I think that penis,as well as female genital,is the most beautiful part of human being. Just like followers are the most beautiful part of
plants. People plant followers in their gardens, use followers to decorate inside and outside of their houses and buildings. Nobody will
be ashamed for loving followers, aka plants’ genitals. Both penis and follower are part of the nature world, why people treat them so different. As a matter of fact, I tried to visit the Iceland Penis Museum after visiting the Museum of Whales which is only a few steps from
the Penis Museum. I did not get success because that day was a closing day of the week. That happened ten years ago. Its still a pity to me.
LMFAO … U like it too much ( According to the pictures ) 😂😂😂
Waiting for a human penis to be part of it too! Lucky you to be visiting the museum !
I understand that at least one individual (there are probably more) has volunteered to donate his penis to the museum – post-mortem of course!