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.
Online Resources
Inside Visit Us
Crofthouse Museum
The Shetland Crofthouse Museum is now closed and will reopen in May for the 2026 season.
Read more
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.
Read more
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...
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.
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 moreVisit Us Blog Posts
Online Survey: Have your say on our learning and outreach activities
From exhibitions and workshops to family activities and evening talk, we would love to hear your thoughts on our current offering and ...
Read more
FILM: Lighthouse Lives
An lovely evening of films, readings, talks and an interview with retained Lightkeeper Brian Johnson.
Read more
Summer Maritime Programme
Visit the Shetland Museum this summer as we celebrate our maritime heritage with themed exhibitions, activities and tours.
Read more
From Shetland to Everest – 70 years on
To mark the 70th anniversary of Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary’s expedition to the summit of Mount Everest a new display in the ...
Read more
Coming soon: An evening with Craig Easton, Fisherwomen and Friends
Shetland Museum and Archives are hosting a special social evening to celebrate herring, heritage and art to coincide with the ...
Read more
Fisherwomen exhibition is now open
It was a busy afternoon in Da Gadderie at Shetland Museum & Archives on Saturday (13 May) for the official opening of 'Fisherwomen' by ...
Read more
Bold new photographic exhibition celebrates the significant role of women in the fishing industry
A compelling new photographic exhibition that pays homage to the integral role women have played in the fishing industry will open ...
Read more
A Royal Display
To commemorate the Royal Coronation our curators have been working on a fascinating new display that shows objects that were worn or ...
Read more
The Coronation
The Coronation of 2 June 1953 is a long way away now, in a vastly different world and culture. True, a major war was going on, but the ...
Read more
Celebrating the Buggiflooer Beanie launch
What a buzz we had on Friday evening at the launch event of the new Shetland Week Patron Alison Rendall and her ...
Read more
Our bog butter is going 'home' for the season!
Our bog butter is going 'home' for the season - and will be on display in the Old Haa, Yell as part of their summer exhibition about ...
Read more
A tribute to Ian Bairnson
Ian Bairnson, who died on 7 April, was certainly one of the more remarkable people from Shetland, born here on 3 August 1953.
Read more
Help shape the future of the past at Old Scatness
Shetland Amenity Trust is beginning to gather thoughts and views on the long-term future of Old Scatness and is inviting the public ...
Read more
Research team examines Shetland's Hanseatic ceramic collection
During the global pandemic, we saw the impact that change and disruption caused to international trade and supply of goods, but it was ...
Read more
Immersive new art installation pays tribute to Shetland’s wadmal
Shetland Museum and Archives continues its wide-ranging programme of exhibitions with the opening of a new art installation ...
Read more
Join our mailing list
Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest news, events, exhibitions and behind-the-scenes stories from Shetland Amenity Trust.
Sign up