Tøjhus Museum

The Tøjhus Museum (Danish: Tøjhusmuseet) is a museum of military history and arms on Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located in Christian IVs arsenal Tøjhuset (English: The arsenal), from which it takes its name.

History
Tøjhuset was built from 1593-1604 as an arsenal, part of a new naval harbour constructed by Christian IV. It is 163 metres long and built around a central harbour basin. The building served as an arsenal well into the 19th century but already from the 1680s, it also housed historic collections. In the 1880s the building had become too small and a new arsenal was constructed in what is now known as the district Islands Brygge. In 1926 the current museum was founded in the building.

Outside the Tøjhus building, facing the harbour, stood the Isted Lion which was reclaimed from Germany in 1945 after World War II. It was moved to Flensburg in 2011.

Collections
The collections of weapons are some of the most extensive in the world. More than 8000 swords, pistols, armours, machine guns and other weapons and military attributes are displayed in the museum's Great Gallery and the Canon Galley boasts more than 300 canons dating from the 16th century to present days.