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.
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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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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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Treasure Trove Comes to Shetland
Members of the public are invited to come along with their ‘treasures’ and meet experts from Scotland’s Treasure Trove Unit ...
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Bold exhibition featuring photography by legendary Diane Arbus opens at Shetland Museum and Archives
A new display of powerful and iconic photographs by Diane Arbus, one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century, opened ...
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Shetland Museum and Archives Launches New Online Archive Catalogue
A new online Archives catalogue has been launched today (Tuesday 8 August) at the Shetland Museum and Archives.
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CLOSED: Friday 12 noon - Sunday 12 noon
Shetland Museum and Archives will be closed from 12 noon on Friday 21 July until 12 noon on Sunday 23 July, due to a private ...
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A celebration of Shetland’s maritime heritage at the museum
Shetland’s maritime heritage will be at the heart of Shetland Museum and Archives’ summer programme, with a series of themed ...
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Preparing for the herring – photos from the archives
George Gen and Sarah Mackintosh, members of our Visitor Experience team have pulled together a selection of photos from our online ...
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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 ...
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FILM: Lighthouse Lives
An lovely evening of films, readings, talks and an interview with retained Lightkeeper Brian Johnson.
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Summer Maritime Programme
Visit the Shetland Museum this summer as we celebrate our maritime heritage with themed exhibitions, activities and tours.
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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