The Art Memberships Every Cultural Traveller Needs in Copenhagen

Every traveller should check out Copenhagen Card before visiting Denmark’s capital. Culture lovers planning to see every exhibition in the city will be thrilled to know that the card offers free admission to 79 museums and attractions, as well as free transport by train, bus, harbor bus and metro in the entire Copenhagen Region. This includes return journeys to the airport and discounts on restaurants, attractions and entertainment. Amalienborg Palace, The Workers Museum and Experimentarium are only some of the museums that card holders can visit for free. Among others, discounts are offered to DGI Byen, Copenhagen Tours, Copenhagen Bicycles and the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde.

A 24-hour Copenhagen Card costs DKK389 (US$55), DKK549 (US$78) for 48 hours, DKK659 (US$94) for 72 hours, and finally a 120-hour card costs DKK889 (US$127).

Louisiana Museum is definitely a must-visit not only for its great selection of modern and contemporary art works but also for its special location which offers a panoramic view at Øresund Coast. The world-renowned museum houses paintings by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, as well as a great collection of Alberto Giacometti’s sculptures and Yayoi Kusama’s Gleaming Lights of the Souls. Members enjoy special benefits including invitations to exhibition openings, free and fast track entry and entrance to lectures, debates and films that take place from Tuesday to Friday until 10pm. Moreover, they get a 10% discount in the Louisiana Café and Louisiana Shop and free entry to KUNSTEN and Utzon Center in Aalborg, HEART in Herning, and the Munchmuseet, Henie Onstad Kunstsenter and Nasjonalmuseet in Oslo.

The price for one person is DKK490 (US$70), while for those who want to visit the museum with a friend it’s DKK595 (US$85). For a business membership (1+3), entry will set you back DKK845 (US$120). Finally, for 18–27 year olds, it costs only DKK135 (US$19).

Get the Tivoli annual card and take a stroll in the magnificent gardens of Copenhagen’s amusement park in all three seasons of the year (Summer, Halloween and Christmas). Tivoli is one of the main tourist attractions in Denmark and its extreme rides are not the only reason. A walk through The Pergola Gardens, the Nimb Water Fountains or the Parterre Gardens offer some moments of relaxation away from the city’s hustle and bustle, while the myriad fairy lights that decorate the place during Halloween and Christmas create a unique atmosphere that locals and tourists love. It’s not without reason that H.C. Andersen was inspired to write the fairy tale The Nightingale in Tivoli’s exotic gardens. Aside from free entrance to the spectacular gardens, annual card holders have access to some of the unique music and entertainment shows that take place in the theatre.

Not all the concerts and plays are free, but a simple membership card costs DKK330 (US$47) for one person, while for unlimited access to rides, buy the Wild Card for DKK900 (US$128).

Gain access to six of the most interesting museums in Copenhagen with the Parkmuseerne ticket. Discover the Golden Age with The Hirschsprung Collection, get a glimpse of Christian IV’s residence at the 400-year-old, renaissance Rosenborg Castle. Explore one of the greatest art collections in the National Gallery of Denmark and learn about the solar system and the earth at Natural History Museum of Denmark. Considering that the individual entrance fee for most of the above is DKK100 (US$14), paying DKK195 (US$28) for the joint ticket is a real bargain. Plus you get 10% discount on publications at The David Collection and a free cinema ticket to ordinary film screenings at the Cinematheque.

One of the reasons the National Gallery of Denmark is one of the most famous in Scandinavia is its great collection of paintings from the Danish Golden Age, European art from the 14th to 18th century and their collection of French art from 1900 to 1930, including 25 works by Henri Matisse. The annual pass offers free access to the museum’s collections and special exhibitions, as well as a 10% discount in the museum’s café and bookshop.

The pass costs DKK245 (US$35) for one person and DKK395 (US$56) for two. The price for people 18–30 years old is DKK145 (US$21), while the mini annual pass is ideal for families as it includes two adults and two children and costs DKK495 (US$70).

Every year in October, Copenhageners look forward to that one night where the city’s museums and galleries open from 6pm to midnight. Culture Night offers locals and tourists the chance to attend more than 700 events for all ages and types. The Round Tower, Copenhagen Cathedral, Royal Danish Theater and Thorvaldsen’s Museum are some of the participating venues. If you want to attend Culture Night in October, make sure to buy your Culture Pass from any of the city’s 7-Elevens, libraries and cultural institutions before the event. This year’s event takes place on October 13, 2017.

With a great collection of more than 10,000 works of Danish and French art from the 19th and 20th centuries and antiquities from the beginning of history in Mesopotamia, Pharaonic Egypt, Ancient Greece, Etruria and the Roman Empire, Ny Carlsberg Glyptoteket has rightly earned its recognition as one of the best museums in northern Europe. If you’re travelling to Copenhagen for just a few days, keep in mind that the museum offers free entrance to its visitors every Tuesday. If however, you want to gain access to the museum’s collection and special exhibitions for one year,get the season ticket for only DKK245 (US$345).