Shetland Museum and Archives

Shetland Museum and Archives

Shetland Museum and Archives
5
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
Shetland Museum and Archives is located on Hay's Dock, which was restored during the building of this award winning visitor attraction. Discover the islands' many secrets through the exhibits and displays. Also be sure to visit Da Gadderie, the museum's temporary exhibition area which hosts a diverse range of exhibitions throughout the year.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • Marianne C
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Shetland Museum Trip
    The museum was excellent at presenting the history of the area from a geological and cultural point of view. There was so much information and so many historical artifacts. The staff was great and so friendly and welcoming. It was a great experience.
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written June 4, 2023
  • Roger F
    49 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Time well spent....on a very stormy day, but worth it any day.
    I initially made the error of mistaking the theatre/cinema for the museum entrance...but was redirected. A very, very well presented and informative museum, outlining just about everything about Shetland from the year dot. I spent almost three hours here. If you have the time, visit here at the start of your visit rather than the end, to get a true 'feel' of Shetland history.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written July 17, 2023
  • jbkansas
    Lawrence, Kansas45 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Exceptional museum of Shetland
    Our first day in Lerwick was the rainiest day we had in Shetland, so we ran to the museum! What a great visit we had there, with a small cafe and lots of local history that gave us a greater appreciation for the history and life here. I particularly loved the photo exhibit of the fisher women on display. I would highly recommend this museum and a walk around the harbor when visiting.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written August 17, 2023
  • Barry and Nicol... G
    Reading, United Kingdom1,075 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must see museum.
    Its well worth visiting the Shetland Museum to get a view of how it was and how it is to live and work in Shetland. A lot of history to absorb. So much to see on the 2 floors and its free. Free car park across the road.
    Visited August 2023
    Written August 27, 2023
  • Elizabeth S
    Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom62 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A comprehensive museum
    We visited the museum on our first day in Shetland, and it was really useful to get a good overview at that stage of the geology, geography and history of Shetland. We also got ideas for different places to go. The museum is packed with really good displays and an interesting range of objects. I found the history of the knitting industry particularly interesting. We can thoroughly recommend.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 11, 2023
  • Debbie G
    Guiseley, United Kingdom165 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fascinating
    This is a fantastic local museum full to bursting with information and artefacts relating to Shetland life. And there's no entrance fee! We had two visits just to make sure that we'd seen everything that we wanted to. It's especially good for a visit on a less than sunny day. The staff are great too
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written September 12, 2023
  • Marie P
    Crete, Greece15 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth a visit
    A wonderfully curated local museum. Geology of this world geo site excellent, lifestyles from stone age till present imaginatively presented. The Hays dock boats and voice guides are very clever. Very worthwhile.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 18, 2023
  • wales65
    Liverpool, United Kingdom181 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    World ranking museum
    We have been to many museums around the World ,from major cities to quirky out of the way places and this has to rank as one of the best we’ve been to. It covers every aspect of Shetland and is thoughtfully presented. We actually went twice to make sure we covered everything.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 25, 2023
  • Chris M
    Wetherby, United Kingdom1,302 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent displays and setting
    This is an excellent museum with a modern interior over two floors in a renovated building. As well as covering Shetland history, the exhibits also include items from the past that are seen in some other museums. The exhibits are excellently laid out with clear supporting information. Some are very large including a lantern from a lighthouse. The museum also has additional limited time exhibitions and during our visit there was a display of interesting photographs of period American life by Diane Arbus. The museum also has a shop selling Shetland gifts and goods. The museum is well worth a visit
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 1, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles1,005 reviews
Excellent
812
Very good
176
Average
11
Poor
1
Terrible
5

David R
York, UK76 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Solo
There is so much information and I only had an hour, so I intend to return.
Everything is explained so well and worded so its interesting.
There are two floors, so it takes a long time to do the museum justice.
The staff were very pleasant and helpful, but it is a shame the cafe was closed as I’m sure this would attract many more customers
Written July 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello David, Thank for taking the time to leave us a review, it's very much appreciated. We're pleased to hear that you intend to return for a visit, we look forward to seeing you again!
Written July 15, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Rachel F
Manchester, UK34 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Family
Lots to look at, informative and well lit, all a museum should be really. When we went there was a little viking trail for the children, I have twin 3 year olds and they loved looking for the Vikings from the sheet. They are a bit too young to appreciate the things in the museum, though they did like the boats and the animals. My dad loves history so loved it. Definitely worth a look if you are interested in the local history and things ..
Written July 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

amandawasilewski
Newark-on-Trent, UK39 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020
Fascinating museum, loved our visit, highly recommend. Very friendly and helpful staff, and well organised to be Covid safe.

Learnt so much about the islands from the museum, from geology, to history and the impact of North Sea Oil (loved the film!)
Written September 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lindsey C
Marrakech, Morocco35 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Family
We visited this just after COVID restrictions were being lifted and had a fabulous time. We only had an hour slot and wore masks but the staff were incredibly helpful and reassuring so we felt comfortable throughout our visit. The museum itself is an absolute wealth of informaton; laid out in an interesting, attractive and interactive way. The staff had gone to great lengths to make sure that the interactive parts still worked without physical contact for children. A totally brilliant enterprise and worth at least a half day in normal circumstances
Written July 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ali O
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
We booked for 10am and were there promptly, we were welcomed and talked through what to expect and what Covid safeguards they have in place. The staff were very helpful.
We really enjoyed the museum, discovering information about the geology, natural history as well the heritage and culture of the islands.
Written July 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your kind review, it's very much appreciated. The safety of our visitors and staff is one of our top priorities. We're pleased to hear that you enjoyed your visit and hope to see you again.
Written July 29, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Paulina J
22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Couples
Unexpectedly fun museum. We spent two weeks on shetlands and decided to leave museum visit for a rainy/ bad weather day. As it turns out, the displays are very informative and varied. From geology and marine life to way of living through ages. There is even a library with wide selection of books.
We enjoyed ourselves so much, we visited twice.
Highly recommended.
Written February 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Museums are fun! Thanks for visiting (twice)!
Written March 29, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Hamish T
London42 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
This place is an absolute gem. The layout of the museum and the range of exhibits are world class. A first rate job has been done by the curators and the manner in how the visitor is guided through the displays is masterful. There is so much to see but the overview of how island life has evolved from the 17th century to the present time is truly outstanding. A must visit for any visitor to the islands and preferably to do this at the start of the visit so you can experience just how challenging life on the Islands has been for the earlier generations. And the cafe is good too!
Written May 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the fantastic review, these kind of comments put a smile on our faces!
Written June 1, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jo B
Northallerton, UK40 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Family
What a great place to visit. So much to see and I’m not sure we did it justice. You could spend hours there, the exhibits a are diverse and fascinating walk through the life and times of Shetland and the people who lived across the islands, right through to contemporary times. Great for a wet or dry day. A good 1.5-3 hours depending on how you’d like to linger.
Written August 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the excellent review Jo! We're really pleased you enjoyed your visit and good luck on your travels, VEA team
Written August 17, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

vc1
12 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
A fantastic museum which is obviously run by highly skilled curators and staff. - It gives a timeline of the Shetlands from it's early geological formation through to the 20th century.
It has some marvellous artefacts (I especially liked the Pictish broaches) and enough information to educate but not overwhelm and certainly sparked my interest to find and read some books on some specific parts of it's history.

A credit to the islands.
Written October 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for leaving your kind review, it's made our day!
Written October 18, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Wendy C
20 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
We were actually looking for a cafe with room for two when we pretty much fell across the Museum and were pleasantly surprised. Giving it four for content and presentation is actually a good score for me as I'm not a great fan of museums and have to be grabbed, in this case I was. We can recommend the cafe too which does an excellent haddock soup and fruit scones.
Written June 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review!
Written June 8, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Shetland Museum and Archives - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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