10 Best Things to Do in Copenhagen in Autumn

Celebrate Halloween at Tivoli Gardens

Halloween at Tivoli Gardens is a magic time of year when the entire estate is transformed into a spooky wonderland complete with Halloween decorations and costumed staff members roaming the grounds. This fairly new tradition rivals other Halloween celebrations in the region.

Activities include a zombie dance show, a haunted hotel, fun rides, and even a pantomime theater ideal for the event's younger attendees. You'll find traditional fall foods at the concession stands like dishes made with game, mushrooms, and pumpkin.

The activities at Tivoli Gardens run from mid-October to early November, so if you happen to be visiting at that time take full advantage of this amazing opportunity to celebrate Halloween in true Copenhagen fashion.

Explore the Open Air Museum

Only open three times a year with specific days and hours, the Open Air Museum is located a little outside of Copenhagen. This living history museum is especially fun in autumn when you can find harvest activities and traditional fall foods. One of the largest and oldest open-air museums in the world, Frilandsmuseet, as it's known in Denmark, encompasses 86 acres and more than 50 farms, mills, and houses that were constructed between 1650 and 1940.

Here you will find a historical market recreated to look like the markets of the 18th century, international circus performers, and old-fashioned treats. You can also learn about early cooking methods and honey-making as well as participate in a craft day.

Venture Through Esrum Abbey

Located just a 50-minute drive from Copenhagen, you'll find wonderful cultural events offered at the Esrum Abbey several times throughout the holiday season. The abbey itself, originally built in 1151, is a beautiful stone structure that once was home to Cistercian monks who were renowned as sheep farmers and producers of fine wool.

Now, you can make wool yarn with your family using old-fashioned tools just as the monks did and even partake of medieval cuisine such as pancakes made with quince and apples.

Learn About Nature

You can spend an entire day exploring the Natural History Museum of Denmark, which features a variety of special exhibits each year. Anyone with a curious nature will no doubt enjoy a visit to the Zoological Museum where you'll find out interesting things such as Narwhals and Beluga whales can interbreed.

You can expect to see attractions such as huge dinosaur skeletons, unique specimens and artifacts from around the globe, and fascinating oddities like the heart of a Greenland whale, preserved in spirits. The museum also houses permanent exhibitions such as their mammoth installation and is open Tuesday through Sunday.

Learn Danish History

Located north of Copenhagen in Frederiksborg Castle, the Museum of National History provides visitors with a chronological look through the history of Denmark. The museum is open daily year-round, but hours vary slightly from November through March.

On weekends from April 13 to October 20, the Museum offers guided tours (some in English) of the Castle’s opulent rooms and the rich collection of history paintings, portraits, furniture, and art. Take a break by the Castle Lake and have a Danish lunch or snack at the Restaurant Leonora.

Take Part in a Night of Culture

Known locally as Kulturnatten, The Night of Culture is an annual celebration in Copenhagen where over 250 institutions in the city representing art and culture keep their doors open all night long. This annual event is an absolute must for any visitor to the city and takes place from 5 p.m. on October 11 to 5 a.m. on October 12, 2019.

Even public transportation is free during this time with a Culture Pass, which is a badge that offers access to all the activities and can be purchased online or in selected stores.

Discover the Royal Danish Arsenal Museum

Featuring everything from samurai swords to artifacts of the war in Afghanistan, this museum encompasses over 500 years of Danish military history starting in the 1500s with a special focus on the history of war. Located inside King Christian IV's arsenal, which was completed in 1604, the Danish War Museum features an array of permanent and special exhibitions covering the arms and technology of wars fought by Danish soldiers throughout history. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday.

Visit the Deer

Fall is a great time to get out of the city and visit the deer in a lovely historic setting. Dyrehaven (the Deer Park), 20 minutes north of Copenhagen, is a place where you can take a walk in the woods and enjoy the lush forest, small lakes and open meadows. More than 2000 free-range deer live in this beautiful setting—you're certain to come across them peacefully grazing.

The park is ideal for picnics, jogging, biking, and horseback riding. You can even take a tour of the terrain in a majestic horse-drawn carriage. In 2015, Dyrehaven was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site—the land was once used for hunting by the Danish royalty who hunted on horseback following a pack of hounds. The Hermitage, the King's impressive hunting lodge is located in the heart of the park.

You can ride a train from Copenhagen's city center to Klampenborg Station to get there.

See the National Aquarium

On a rainy fall day, duck inside a world of exotic marine life, fish, and plants. The National Aquarium Denmark, Den Blå Planet, is Northern Europe's largest aquarium and is built to give the visitors a feeling of being underwater. The aquarium building has five "arms" radiating out from the center of the aquarium. You'll see the huge Ocean Tank where hammerhead sharks swim with rays and moray eels. At the Coral Reef exhibit, colorful fish and crustaceans dart in and out of the coral. There is an exhibit with Amazon butterflies and birds and you'll see a waterfall with a pond of piranhas.

The aquarium is open daily and you can purchase a ticket online.

Go Tasting at the Market

You'll find Danish delicacies, local vegetables, fresh fish, and Italian pasta at Copenhagen's Torvehallerne marketplace near Norreport Station. There are over 80 stalls, shops, and places to eat in this bustling marketplace including a tea purveyor and chocolatier. Go wine tasting or learn about Danish cheeses and stop by when they open to get your morning coffee and freshly baked bread.

Throughout the season, fall produce is for sale, cooking and food classes are scheduled, and in early November, look for mulled wine.