Visit Us

Shetland Museum & Archives is open. Drop in and visit us, no booking is necessary.

Free to visit - As always, entry to the Museum and Archives is free but now more than ever we need your support - please consider making a donation.

View our full opening times

Inside Visit Us

CLOSED

It is with regret that we announce the closure of 'Hay's Dock by The Dowry', which was operated by Beervana Ltd. Unfortunately, despite efforts to remain open, securing the necessary staff has not been possible which has resulted in a mutual end of t...

Read more

Tours

Make the most of your visit with us and join us on a tour to ensure you see the highlights of our museum and our Recognised Collections.

Read more

Crofthouse Museum

Head down to the delightful setting of Dunrossness and step back in time as you enter the traditional 19th century thatched crofthouse - open for the 2025 season from 1st May to Sunday 3rd October.

Read more

Galleries

Visit our Museum Galleries

Read more

Archives Searchroom

Visit the Archives searchroom

Read more

Gift Shop

Our gift shop offers a range of products which are inspired by the Museum and Archive collections, and reflect and celebrate Shetland's unique culture and heritage.

Read more

Activities

Whatever your reason for visiting us at Shetland Museum and Archives, there are a range of activities on offer to ensure you can make the most of your time with us.

Read more

Hay's Dock

Shetland Museum and Archives sits on Hay’s Dock; the last remaining area of original dock on the Lerwick waterfront, which is now category B listed. This is a perfect setting to highlight the strong heritage connection with the sea, and display just some of the traditional Shetland boats in the collection.

Read more

Public Art

Shetland Amenity Trust commissioned over 60 individual artworks as part of its Shetland Museum and Archives Public Art Project. These are on show throughout the building and dock, some even appearing alongside the artefacts and documents in the galleries and Archives.

Read more

Accessibility

We want to make sure we continue to offer an excellent experience for all visitors with additional needs .

Read more

Visit Us Blog Posts

Opening event of Ron Sandford’s new exhibition draws a big crowd

We’re delighted to announce that Ron Sandford’s exhibition, Spirit of Places, is now on display in Da Gadderie. There was a real ...

Read more

VE80 - a night to remember

We had the most incredible evening at the museum on Thursday 8th May, marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day in style and spirit.

Read more

Ron Sandford’s ‘Spirit of Places’ opens this weekend at Shetland Museum and Archives

The Shetland Museum’s Gadderie space will be transformed by Spirit of Places, a wide-ranging exhibition by Yell-based artist Ron ...

Read more

VE Day Celebration at Shetland Museum and Archives

To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Shetland Museum and Archives will host a special evening event on Thursday 8 May, inviting the ...

Read more

Up Helly Aa 2025 Round Up

The Shetland Museum & Archives was full of activity last week as we celebrated Up Helly Aa. There is always such a lively atmosphere ...

Read more

Expressions of Interest - Lease of Café at Shetland Museum and Archives

Shetland Amenity Trust is seeking expressions of interest from experienced operators to run a café in Hay’s Dock at Shetland Museum ...

Read more

Up Helly Aa events at the Shetland Museum

Join us at the Shetland Museum & Archives as we celebrate Up Helly Aa with extended opening times, Viking tours, a food and drink ...

Read more

Shetland Amenity Trust’s unveils Up Helly Aa 2025 events

The fiery season will soon be back and Shetland Amenity Trust is putting together a packed schedule of events and extended opening ...

Read more

Holiday Greetings from Shetland, 1942

By chance, in searching for something else in our Art Collection, I came across a large, humorous, and unusual holiday greeting card ...

Read more

Winter preparations at the Crofthouse Museum

Last month’s cold snap and the crunch of snow underfoot, followed by the battering of Storms Bert and Darragh, have likely made many ...

Read more

Public view sought on redevelopment of Shetland Museum and Archives’ galleries.

Shetland Museum and Archives has plans to update its galleries to coincide with its 20th anniversary in 2027 and is inviting the ...

Read more

Rounding up a busy week

During the winter months, our team at Shetland Museum and Archives dedicates a lot of time to community engagement connecting with ...

Read more

Fun Friday night at our Skekler Social

What a fun Friday night we had at our Skekler Social, there was making, yarning, music, stories and even a bit of dancing too!

Read more

Shetland Amenity Trust secures successful funding for maritime heritage project

Shetland Amenity Trust is delighted to announce that it has been approved funding of just under £97,000 from the Coastal Communities ...

Read more

Film: Taking a closer look at Allover

Chris Morphet shares his inspiration behind the iconic photography of 1970s Shetlanders and their knitwear.

Read more