Tour And Details

The Aberdeen Maritime Museum can be found just off Union Street and houses exhibits to show the history of Aberdeen's long association with fishing, the oil industry, the North Sea and the exploration of the Sea.

Admission to the Aberdeen Maritime Museum is free and also gives you access to parts of the Provost Ross House. This was built in 1593.

There are plenty of interactive exhibitions which include DVD and Video showings. Other exhibits allow you to step onboard displays such as The Duthie Deckhouse steamer original frame and wooden interior or take control of an oil platform.

Provost Ross House Shiprow

Each display has an information board. This includes quoted reminiscences of fisherman who describe their working and living lives through the years. This extends to quotes from their wives.

The original Rattray head lens apparatus is on display. This was still in complete working order until the lighthouse was automated in 1982.

Other displays include the Newt Diving Suit, whalers' harpoons, oil rigs, platforms, 14th Century jugs from Holland, Elephant tusks which were thought to have been Mammoth tusks and the names of all the ships built in Aberdeen.

Scattered throughout the building are original oil paintings with some beautiful pictures of the harbour throughout the years. There are also some remarkably accurate models which include clipper ships.

The top floor offers visitors some great views of the harbour and Torry areas.

There is disabled access with a lift to each floor and ramps. Visitors with hearing difficulties can utilise the induction loop system in the auditorium. Toilets and a disabled toilet can be found on the second floor and on the ground floor.

There is a shop on the way out which sells a range of nautical gifts, souvenirs and books. Beside this is the Leading Lights Cafe which serves a range of hot and cold snacks, drinks and fresh home baked cakes. The cafe is named after the navigational towers at Torry.

Contact Address And Telephone Number

Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Shiprow
Aberdeen
AB11 5BY

Tel: (01224) 337700

Opening Times And Hours

Aberdeen Maritime Museum is closed on a Monday and the opening hours are:

Tuesday to Saturday: 10am - 5pm

Sunday: Noon - 3pm

How To Get To The Maritime Museum

Directions from Union Street: Take the lane called Adelphi. At the end turn left and follow the ramped pavement to the end which will bring you directly to the Museum.

Directions from the harbour: Walk up the Shiprow and the Museum can be seen just next to the Vue Cinema.

There is an NCP car park at the Shiprow, though if you intend to stay in Aberdeen to visit other Museums or for a bit of shopping you could use the Park and Ride at Bridge of Don. There is a bus stop near to the Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

More Aberdeenshire Museums.

We also run the www.findextrawork.co.uk website where there is information about earning more money from a range of part time and full time jobs which can be done at home or out and about. Visit for more information.

2009 Exhibitions

The following 2009 Exhibitions take place at the Aberdeen Maritime Museum:

14 March - 28 June YOUR OCEAN - An exhibition from the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich about key issues facing the marine environment in the 21st century. At Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

Wednesday 20 May 12.30-1pm A HISTORY OF PHARMACY - A talk by Jenny Brown, Assistant Keeper (Industry) Aberdeen Maritime Museum Admission free. Booking essential on 01224 337714 At Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

Wednesday 6 May 12.30-1pm THOMAS BLAKE GLOVER, JAPAN AND IMPERIALISM - A talk by Chris Croly, Assistant Keeper (Research) Admission free. Booking essential on 01224 337714 At Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

11 April – 11 July ABERDEEN SUPPORTED - Ships portraits of offshore support vessels by Robert Andrew At Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

10 January 2009 - 5 April 2009 - MARINE PAINTINGS BY JIM POTTINGER: Aberdeen related ships connected with the offshore industry, fishing and North Boats. At Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

Until 4 April JIM POTTINGER - Marine paintings of historic Aberdeen fishing vessels and the North Boats. At Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

Wednesday 11 March 12.30-1pm BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE MUSEUM – THE RESERVE COLLECTIONS: A talk by John Edwards, Keeper (Science and Maritime History) Admission free. Booking essential on 01224 337714. At Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

Until 1 March 2009 - WIRELESS: Radio technology has changed the way we see the world, how we use the space within our homes and what we do with our spare time. This exhibition traces the history of the wireless using highlights from the museums’ collections and contributions from the BBC. At Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

Wednesday 28 January 2009 - Wireless: An introduction to the radio collection: By Jenny Brown, Assistant Keeper (Industry) 12.30-1pm Admission free Advance Booking essential Tel 01224 337714 At Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

Wednesday 25 February 2009 - Aberdeen, The Civil Wars and the Marquis of Monrose: A talk by Chris Croly, Assistant Keeper (Research) 12.30-1pm. Admission free Advance Booking essential Tel 01224 337714 At Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

Wednesday 21 January 2009 - Excavations at City Wharf, Shiprow Virginia Street: A talk by Alison Cameron, Assistant Archaeologist 12.30-1pm Admission free Advance booking essential Tel 01224 337714 At Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

Until 4 January 2009 - HAROLD WYLLIE: Harold Wyllie followed in the footsteps of his father, the marine painter W. Lionel Wyllie, in his love of the sea. His works depict famous naval engagements, racing yachts and shipping in the 20th century. At Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

Wednesday 3 December 2008 - GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR SURVEY AT ST NICHOLAS KIRK: A talk by Carmen Cuenca-Garcia 12.30pm and 2pm Admission free. Advance booking essential Tel 01224 337714 At Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

16 August - 18 November 2008 - Ship Models - Marine model making has been an essential part of shipbuilding for hundreds of years. These superbly crafted ships in miniature provide an insight into the shipbuilding process and a testament to the skill of their builders and range from the clipper era to the last ship ever launched in Aberdeen. Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

Wednesday 20 August - free lunchtime talk - Standing Building Surveys Dalhebity House and Rosewell Gardens by Alison Cameron, Assistant Archaeologist at Aberdeen Maritime Museum from 12:30 to 1pm.

10 May to 16 August - Ben Boats: Watercolours of George Wiseman at Aberdeen Maritime Museum - George Wiseman was a pierhead artist who painted many of the trawlers of the 1950s and 60s built in Aberdeen for the Richard Irvin trawler fleet. Irvin named most of their vessels after Scottish Mountains, hence the familiar name given the fleet as "Ben Boats".

29 March to 2 August - Deeper than Light at Aberdeen Maritime Museum - An international exhibition of life on the mid-Atlantic Ridge. Prepare to meet Creatures of the Deep eye to eye in this exciting series of displays recreating the life and habitation of the volcanic mountain range in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean known as the mid-Atlantic Ridge. The exhibition is based on the work of the international research project, MAR-ECO, in which scientists from 16 nations, including Aberdeen’s Marine Laboratory, took part. Produced by the Bergen Museum in collaboration with MAR-ECO

Wednesday 21 May 2008 - Crime and Punishment in Medieval Aberdeen at Aberdeen Maritime Museum from 12.30-1pm. Chris Croly, Assistant Keeper, Research, explores the different courts which dealt with offenders in the late medieval and early modern periods in Aberdeen. Booking essential - phone (01224) 337714

Until 5 May - Changing Port at Aberdeen Maritime Museum - The museum’s collections of artworks by George Mackie documents the changes in Aberdeen’s Harbour over the past fifty years.

19 January to 4 May 2008 - Changing Port exhibition at Aberdeen Maritime Museum. The museum’s collections of artworks by George Mackie documents the changes in Aberdeen’s Harbour over the past fifty years.

Saturday 3 May 10am - 4pm, Monday 5 May 10am-4pm - Show Scotland at Aberdeen Maritime Museum - Discover the world of puppets at the Aberdeen Maritime Museum with this hands on family event. Gain a fascinating insight to storytelling and performance through the art of puppetry! A range of activities, including puppet workshops and daily theatrical performances from professional puppeteers, ensure the whole family can get involved to design, craft, interact with the puppets and improve their puppeteering skills.

16 April 2008 - 16th Century Building Uncovered In Shiprow: Assistant Archaeologist, Alison Cameron, presents an illustrated talk from 12:30 to 1pm about a building, similar to Provost Ross’s House, which she excavated during a development in Shiprow. Booking is essential – phone (01224) 337714.

29 March to 2 August - Deeper than Light at Aberdeen Maritime Museum - An international exhibition of life on the mid-Atlantic Ridge. Prepare to meet Creatures of the Deep eye to eye in this exciting series of displays recreating the life and habitation of the volcanic mountain range in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean known as the mid-Atlantic Ridge. The exhibition is based on the work of the international research project, MAR-ECO, in which scientists from 16 nations, including Aberdeen’s Marine Laboratory, took part. Produced by the Bergen Museum in collaboration with MAR-ECO

Wednesday 19 March 08 - New discoveries below the Bon Accord Centre at Aberdeen Maritime Museum from 12.30 -1pm. Judith Stones, Keeper of Archaeology, gives a brief illustrated review of the exciting excavation undertaken in 2007. Booking essential – phone 01224 337714.

Wednesday 23 January 2008, 12.30-1pm - Ponderings on a Pier - Lunchtime Talk at Aberdeen Maritime Museum. Admission is free. Archaeologist Stewart Buchanan talks about the finding of a possible wooden pier at James Street in the context of other waterfront discoveries during archaeological work in the Aberdeen Harbour area. Booking is essential – phone (01224) 337714

From 6 October 2007 to 12 January 2008 - Harold Wyllie: Harold Wyllie followed in the footsteps of his father, his works depict famous naval engagements, racing yachts and shipping in the 20th century at Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

Coast Workshops

On the 9 and 10 August 2007 at 10 am until 6pm there were series of free Coast Workshops run by the BBC2 series and the Open University. These were held during the school summer holiday and were aimed at families. Activities included boat building workshops.

The presenter of Coast on BBC2, Hermione Cockburn, chaired a discussion on the 9 August at 6pm. This discussion after the Coast workshops was about local Aberdeenshire issues that will affect the North East coast of Grampian.

Aberdeen White Star Line

Until 26 August the Aberdeen Maritime Museum will have the exhibition. Aberdeen White Star Line. This exhibition features the museum's collection relating to George Thompson Junior's Aberdeen Line. This company was known for its fine clippers and elegant steamships. Items on display include paintings of ships such as Phoenician and Sophocles. There is also material relating to life aboard White Star sailing ships. Much of this is drawn from a recently donated collection relating to John Pirie, master of the Walter Hood. It is particularly appropriate that this exhibition is on display in 2007: the 100th anniversary of the sinking of Thermopylae, the most famous Aberdeen built clipper.

Thomas Telford

From the 2 June to 30 September the Aberdeen Maritime Museum will have the exhibition Thomas Telford which marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of one of Britain’s most influential and prolific engineers this display of plans and photographs shows Telford’s work in Aberdeen and the immediate area. In conjunction with the Aberdeen Association of Civil Engineers.

15 December 2007 to 16 March 2008 - A Surgical Thread at Aberdeen Maritime Museum. Since 1743, long before the invention of anaesthetic, tens of thousands of patients have been operated upon at Aberdeen Infirmary. This exhibition – featuring objects on view to the public for the first time - looks at some of this history such as bloodletting, knocking patients out with ether, "cutting for stone", examining the body with "scopes" and stitching with catgut.

From 8 September to 2 December 2007 - Energy: North Sea Portraits by Fionna Carlisle. From a variety of different countries, backgrounds, disciplines and companies, Carlisle's subjects range from geologists and platform workers to the doctor and chaplain who provide care to workers both on and offshore. sponsored by TOTAL E&P UK Limited together with the National Galleries of Scotland and is supported by an Arts and Business New Partners Investment at Aberdeen Maritime Museum.