The exhibition is based on research done by Steinunn Kristjánsdóttir, professor of archaeology at the University of Iceland and the National Museum of Iceland

The Rainbow Guide is a queer guide to The National Museum of Iceland's permanent exhibition, Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland. It deals with queer history in Iceland. The term queer refers to sex, gender and sexuality that don't coincide with the traditions and customs of a particular time period, including people who would today be called trans, intersex, non-binary, or homo-, bi-, pan- or asexual. The Rainbow Guide is created by The National Museum of Iceland and Samtökin ‘78, The National Queer Organization of Iceland, to mark Samtökin's 40 year anniversary.

Jón was Iceland’s leader in its struggle for an independent union with the Danish king and an exemplar for the independence struggle of later eras. The home, often lively and crowded, was the site of Icelanders’ most important political meetings in Copenhagen.

Óravíddir – orðaforðinn í nýju ljósi er innsetning á myndrænni birtingu íslensks orðaforða í þrívídd sem unnin er upp úr Íslensku orðaneti eftir Jón Hilmar Jónsson.

The sculpture Ganymede is by the Icelandic/Danish artist Bertel Torvaldsen (1770-1844) and is from the collection of the National Gallery. Thorvaldsen made the original in Rome in 1804, which makes this marble sculpture among the oldest works in the National Gallery's collection. It is on view in the Treasure space at the Culture House.

The Family Room is for families, school groups, and other visitors to the Museum. It is an adaptable space that can be changed from a lounge to a classroom or a laboratory as required. 

At Hofstaðir in the district of Lake Mývatn, north Iceland, extensive archaeological excavations have been carried out over the past three decades. The site includes remains from the Viking Age to the 20th century. A huge Viking-Age structure was excavated: a hall or longhouse where people gathered on social occasions, with other smaller buildings around it. The hall is one of the largest structures ever excavated in Iceland. In addition, a churchyard was excavated at Hofstaðir, which is one of the oldest churchyards unearthed in Iceland. Whole families were laid to rest in the cemetery, and their bones yield evidence about their lives. The face of one of the women buried at Hofstaðir has been reconstructed using DNA technology, and a drawing of her is included in the exhibition.

A page was turned in world history when Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was elected to the presidency of Iceland in 1980 – the first woman in the world to be democratically elected as a head of state.