Description
The Orkney Museum tells the story of Orkney, from the Stone Age to the Picts and Vikings, and right through to the present day. There is a large collection of old photos and activities to amuse younger visitors. The Museum's collection is of international importance and it has a changing temporary exhibition programme. Our current exhibition is 'George Mackay Brown'.
Service options
On-site services
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Amenities
Toilets
Restaurant
Children
Good for kids
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Reviews
5
The Orkney Museum is absolutely superb; lots of interesting artifacts from ancient to modern displayed throughout. There is also a very well kept garden to the rear which is also a must-see. The museum is free but well worth the suggested PS5 donation.
4
As part of Orkney Islands Council, Orkney Museums care for five visitor attractions within the County. These include; Scapa Flow Museum, St. Magnus Cathedral, Corrigall Farm Museum, Kirbuster Farm Museum and Orkney Museum. The Archaeology Collection has been recognised for its national significance through the Scottish Government's National Recognition Scheme. In addition to managing its own sites and facilities, the service also provides training, curatorial and financial support to local museums and visitor centres, advocacy and strategic development within the public sector and supports local sector exhibition development as well as offering a full and wide ranging temporary exhibition programme within Orkney Museum.
5
Decent small museum that tracks settlement of the Orkneys from the stone age to the present. Free admission with a donation requested. There are knowledgeable employees, and a good historical perspective. Worth a 45 minute visit.
5
Small town museums are always a mixed bag, and the Orkney Museum is a part of that, but all told, it's actually a pretty cool (and extensive) institution. Different parts of the collection clearly show where tranches of funding came in to update those sections, and the closer to the present the collection becomes, the more it feels like "small town / someone's attic" sort of displays. But there's a lot of really good material here on early stuff, including multiple rooms on the Ness of Brodgar diggings, and then other rooms on Neolithic-through-Viking artifacts. Some real hidden treasures here for students of Orcadian history. The whole setup suffers from being in a multi-story building around a courtyard, with strange shifts in narrative room/information directions, stairs up, stairs down, and, ultimately, lots of backtracking to get to the exit / gift shop. But admission is free (though its churlish not to give some donation, or at least buy some bits from the small gift shop), and there's enough for value here to make it worth spending some time (and money) learning more about the Orkneys and their rich history.
5
It is like a Tardis! There are many floors in many buildings, all connected and all of which are amazing historic buildings. They allowed my assistance dog, but normal dogs are not allowed. FREE! they ask for a donation. Great staff and very good gift shop, but a very pricey! Well worth more than one visit!
5
Just brilliant for history lovers! Finally (I say finally as I spent my first few days in Orkney in and around stromness getting confused about the Picts and how they fit in) somewhere that takes history from the excellent Neolithic collection to the modern day. The Viking information is very well presented too. A great place to go before visiting the heart of Neolithic Orkney to put it into perspective.