Visit Aberdeen's Maritime Museum and discover the city's rich seafaring history and maritime heritage. From the earliest days of trading, fishing and shipbuilding, to offshore energy and life in the industry, and Aberdeen’s place today as a leader in global energy transition, your voyage of discovery starts here.

Outside the Museum, stop to admire the Aberdeen Fishing Memorial. Made by sculptor David Williams-Ellis and unveiled in 2018, the bronze figures commemorate the major contribution fishing and fishing folk have made to the city.

Aberdeen Fishing Memorial

Inside, the Museum displays are arranged thematically over four floors, in the historic 16th-century Provost Ross’s House and the ‘church’ building with its beautiful painted ceiling. The modern ‘link’ building between the two is dominated by the astonishingly detailed scale model of the Murchison platform. This might be as close as many of us get to life offshore – can you spot the tiny divers?

What can I see?

Rich and varied displays of objects and artworks tell the extraordinary story of Aberdeen’s maritime heritage. Highlights include beautifully detailed ship models from 1689 to the present day, including the Aberdeen-built tea clipper Thermopylae, the celebrated rival of the Cutty Sark. Marvel at a complete lighthouse lens assembly, admire the lost figurehead of the Star of Tasmania, see the impressive propeller from the steam yacht Fox, which set sail from Aberdeen in 1857 to discover the fate of Sir John Franklin’s 1845 expedition to find a route through the Northwest Passage.

Shipping

Around 3,000 ships were built in Aberdeen between 1790 and 1989. The importance of the industry to the city is reflected in the many objects that make up the maritime history collection. The displays include ship plans relating to Aberdeen-built vessels, such as the Jho Sho Maru, one of the first warships in the modern Japanese navy, also models, paintings, tools, documents and photographs. Together they tell us a great deal about the business and the stories of individuals who worked in the industry.

Aberdeen Harbour

From the top floor of the Museum, enjoy fantastic views over the bustling Aberdeen Harbour - the oldest existing business in Britain has a history that has spanned almost 900 years. Discover the harbour’s story through objects that reveal Aberdeen’s global trade links, including rare archaeological finds excavated just a stone’s throw from the Museum.

Location
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Shiprow
Aberdeen
AB11 5BY

Telephone 03000 200 293

Maritime Museum Virtual Tour

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