The Akureyri Museum (Minjasafnið á Akureyri) covers the history and culture of northern Iceland from the earliest settlement to the 20th century. Permanent exhibitions focus on the fishing and farming life that defined the region, with particular attention to the social history of the town itself — how a small trading post became the dominant city of the north.
The museum building, a historic house dating from 1850, is one of the oldest surviving structures in Akureyri. The collection is well presented and not overly large — you can see the highlights in 90 minutes. Combined with a walk through the old residential quarter nearby, it gives good context for the town's architecture and development.