The Old Cooperative, Breiðdalsvík’s oldest house, is home to the University of Iceland’s Research Centre in Breiðdalsvík. The Research Centre collaborates with the local research and heritage centre Breiðdalssetur to present informative and entertaining exhibitions for the general public.

The permanent exhibition of Breiðdalssetur presents the legacies of two scientific pioneers with ties to Breiðdalur. The Englishman George Walker was one of the 20th century's most prominent volcanologists. He conducted trailblazing research on the geological history of East Iceland, mapped ancient volcanoes (including the Breiðdalur Central Volcano) and gathered evidence that supported the then-new theory of plate tectonics. The linguist Stefán Einarsson, a native of the Breiðdalur valley, was a professor of linguistics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, USA. He was a productive scholar across many disciplines, particularly phonetics and literature, and most likely no one has ever introduced Iceland and Icelandic literature as thoroughly to the English-speaking world.

Auk sýninganna um Walker og Stefán er sett upp ný tímabundin sýning á setrinu á 1-2 ára fresti. Núverandi sýning var opnuð sumarið 2022 í samstarfi við Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands og fjallar um notkun borkjarna til að varpa ljósi á leyndardóma íslenskrar jarðfræði, meðal annars eldgosin í Surtsey og hraunstaflann mikla sem myndar Austurland.

In addition to the exhibitions on George Walker and Stefán Einarsson, a new temporary exhibition is opened every 1-2 years. The current exhibition, opened in summer 2022, explores the use of drill cores to reveal the hidden depths of Iceland's geology, including the volcanic island of Surtsey and the immense sequence of lavas that make up Eastern Iceland.

The exhibition also includes a children’s corner with fun activities for the younger generation. 

Summer Opening Hours (June through August):

Sunday - Thursday from 12:00 - 16:00

Closed Fridays and Saturdays. Entry is free of charge.

Winter Opening Hours (September through May):

There are no fixed opening hours during winter, but staff members are usually on site between 10 am – 4 pm on weekdays, and visitors are always welcome. Visits can also be arranged in advance by contacting mariahg@hi.is. Please drop by!