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

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.

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Archives Searchroom

The Archives searchroom is a comfortable, quiet space which is open to anyone who wishes to find out more about a particular subject, or just browse books, newspapers or records in the collection.

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Closed: Hays Dock Café

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...

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Galleries

Visit our Museum Galleries and uncover Shetland's rich heritage, where history and culture come alive.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Accessibility

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

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Visit Us Blog Posts

BBC Sound Booth comes to Shetland Museum and Archives

Shetland Museum and Archives is pleased to be taking part in the BBC Listening Project Tour.

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Archaeological Artefacts Return

Over 100,000 archaeological artefacts have been returned to Shetland for inclusion in the Recognised Archaeology Collection of ...

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Shetland's Sunken Treasure - Unveiled!

A new exhibition has been unveiled at Shetland Museum and Archives. The two displays, located outside the archives showcase finds from ...

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Breaking The Mould

After 240 years a rare Fetlar bronze armlet, will return home to Shetland for a museum exhibition from 16 November 2014 to 20 January ...

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Essential repairs commence on Nil Desperandum

Following a successful request for volunteers by the Shetland Amenity Trust, essential repair work has begun at Hay’s Dock to the ...

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Gold Standard Maintained

Shetland Amenity Trust and one of its core services, the Shetland Museum and Archives, have both, again, achieved Gold Standards in ...

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Young Ambassador Project

Shetland Museum and Archives, and Shetland Arts are looking for 12 young ambassadors to take part in an exciting 3-month project in ...

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Writing The North Project Concludes

A year-long project which has explored the historical literature of Orkney and Shetland, and explored continuity with contemporary ...

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ARTIST ROOMS 214 Tour: Don McCullin

Shetland Museum & Archives and Shetland Arts Development Agency will show work by internationally acclaimed photojournalist Don ...

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Grant Award for Migration Study

Shetland Museum and Archives are delighted to announce that they have received a Leverhulme Trust Artist in Residence award, to work ...

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Writing the North

Shetland and Orkney’s literature will take centre stage in a major new project being launched this weekend in Edinburgh. The project ...

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Visitor numbers boosted by Divine Cat visit

The Gayer Anderson Cat Exhibition from September to December attracted over 6000 more visits from the same period in the previous ...

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