Denmark Opens The First Ever Happiness Museum

September 5, 2020

Denmark is now home to The Happiness Museum, an institution dedicated to the idea of happiness and how it has been perceived and discussed over the centuries.

Photo via CNN

"The aim of the Happiness Museum is to create a small museum about he big things in life," says Meik Wiking, the museum's CEO."We hope to inspire people, make people happier, and also make the world a better place."

Created by the Happiness Research Institute, an organization that studies the science of happiness, the museum contains seven interactive exhibits to explore happiness from different perspectives.

The Geography of Happiness

Finland is the happiest country in the world. But so is Paraguay. How does your country fare on the atlas of happiness?

The Politics of Happiness

Bhutan has been measuring Gross National Happiness since the 1970s, but how are other governments around the world adapting well being as a goal for society?

The Happiness Lab

Where in our brains do feelings of joy come from? How does happiness change with age?

The Anatomy of Smile

Can you recognize a fake and a genuine smile? Why is laughter contagious?

The History of Happiness

How has our understanding of happiness changed over 2,000 years?

Nordic Happiness

It rains, on average, 170 days a year in Denmark - so why do Denmark and the other Nordic countries consistently rank among the happiest in the world?

The Future of Happiness

Will artificial intelligence become emotionally intelligent? Will our phones know how we feel?

People from around the world have also sent in artifacts of happiness -- things that represent joy to them -- which form a large part of the display.

The Happiness Museum officially opened on July 14. It can be visited in the Danish capital from Tuesday to Sunday between 11am and 5pm local time.