The Museums at AU Campus

Cold sunny winter weather calls for walks in the fresh air, and what better place to stretch the legs and rose colour your cheeks than the University Park. Aarhus University Park is Denmark’s biggest oak park and is a perfect breathing space after a long day at work.

The University Park is a living museum of plants, art, architecture, and animal life. If you find your toes freeze up before you make it all the way around the park, then consider exploring the museums around the University Park instead. AU Campus houses 3 museums: The Steno Museum, the Museum of Ancient Art, and the Natural History Museum. In this article, we’ll have a quick look at what they have on display, and why you may like to pay them a visit.

The Museum of Ancient Art

The Museum of Ancient Art is located left of ‘Solgården’ (the Sun yard next to the Aula) and down the stairs. The museum houses around 4000 antiquities from the early Bronze Age to the Roman Empire days, and more than 500 casts.

Here visitors can explore the classic Greek sculptures and view a large selection of Greek Antiquity like the beautifully decorated Corinthian pottery. Visitors can also view the large Egyptian and Near-Oriental collection, which includes the mummy of the temple singer Ta-bast, clay figurines and bronze bowls.

On February 25 a new exhibition called Pleasure Garden opens, which gives visitors an insight into the historical Greek gardens.

So, if you want to learn more about the cultural history of some of the oldest Mediterranean cultures then the museum won’t disappoint, and best of all its free entry.

The Steno Museum

From the Museum of Ancient Art, walk South among the beautiful oak trees at the University Park to get to the Steno Museum.

The Steno Museum is one out of 4 science museums, and here you can immerse yourself in the world of science and learn about everything from planets to plants. Currently, the museum has the following exhibitions:

• “DNA Chips and Dental Care” – Learn about how the Danish Healthcare system has developed during the last 100 years.
• “Dear Body, Difficult Body” – An exhibition about body perceptions, and how our surroundings affect those. As part of this exhibition, the display “The Body as Data” invites us to reflect about what we share online and how the data we share shapes a new online version of ourselves.  
• “Epidemics. A treat to human existence” – Learn about epidemics and why they will always appear.  
• “Profession and Passion” – An exhibition where science and passion are in the spotlight. Learn about humans’ desire to gain knowledge.
• “The Inquisitive Mind” – Explore how our curiosity has led to numerous inventions and discoveries.
• “Worldviews” – Learn about different worldviews from the antiquity and up to the 1600s when the world was believed to be flat.

Visitors can also explore the “Astroteque” a 3D book about our neighbouring planets and galaxies.

“Every weekend, visitors can come and watch the stars…”

If stars, astronomy, and space fascinate you, then the Steno Museum’s planetarium has lots to offer. Every weekend, visitors can come and watch the stars – during the day! Lean back in the chairs while a guide explains constellations, distant galaxies, and many other fascinating astronomical phenomena. You can also book a ticket to the ‘Full Moon at the Planetarium’ event, where you can learn more about space and astronomy.

It is impossible not to be captured by the wealth of knowledge hidden inside the Steno Museum. Even outside the building’s yellow brick wall you can explore an herb garden, home to over 250 different plants and herbs used in medicine.

The Steno Museum also includes the Ole Rømer Planetarium located in the suburb of Højbjerg. However, the planetarium is currently undergoing a 17 million kr. renovation. It is expected to open in June this year and will also include a Science Park with outdoor overnight cabins and an exciting list of activities, events, and research opportunities.

The Steno Museum is free for all AU employees, just remember to show your AU card at the entry.

The AU Herbarium and Botanical Gardens

Not a star person, but more of a plant person? The science museums also include the AU Herbarium, which houses about 750,000 specimens of dried and pressed plants. You can find the database online.

If you prefer to explore plants that are alive, then the Greenhouses and the Botanical Garden (located a 10-minute walk from at AU Campus) give you the opportunity to explore 4 different climate zones and all the amazing flowers and plants that comes with it. The Greenhouses and Botanical Gardens are part of the 4 AU science museums.

Natural History Museum

Across and left from the Lake Auditoriums, is the Natural History Museum. Here you can dive into the history of the natural world and explore the fascinating collections and exhibitions about the world we all share.

At the Natural History Museum, you can currently explore the following exhibitions:

• “Dragons and other mystic creatures” – Mermaids, unicorns and dragons welcome you in this fascinating exhibition where science meets fantasy. The exhibition is on until April.
• “The Global Backyard” – Explore an impressive collection of animals from all over the world and leave curious about all the lifeforms we still don’t know anything about.
• “Animals of the African Savannah” – get close to the wild animals of the savannah in this authentic exhibition, which also shows the museum curators hunting expedition in Kenya in 1947.
• ” Anniversary Exhibition: What is it worth?” – This exhibition celebrates the museum’s 100 years anniversary by exploring the value of the Danish natural and cultural heritage
• “Vores Natur” (Our Nature) – explores the natural history of the Danish landscape from the ice age to now.

“…on the weekend when so-called ‘nature geeks’ tells stories about nature and the world around us.”

The Natural History Museum also hosts special events for kids on the weekend when so-called ‘nature geeks’ tells stories about nature and the world around us. The museum often hosts exciting events so it’s worth keeping an eye on their website.

As part of the Natural History Museum, you can also visit the Mols Laboratory, located in Mols Bjerge National Park. The Mols Laboratory offers nature guidance, field-based learning and course facilities and accommodation.

The Natural History Museum offers a discount on entry tickets to AU employees.

“With so much to learn and discover, we encourage everyone to pay the museums a visit.”

So, if you need a break from the cold weather, there are many things to explore inside at the museums around AU Campus. With so much to learn and discover, we encourage everyone to pay the museums a visit. Find more information about the museums here. On this site you can also read more about the AU affiliated museums Moesgaard Museum and Den Gamle By, which are not located on campus but most definitely also worth a visit.

We look forward to seeing you around.