The Orkney Museum

Name: The Orkney Museum
Address: Broad St, Kirkwall, Scotland
Telephone: +44 1856 873191
Rating: 4.60

Exhibits & artefacts on the area's history from the Stone Age to present day in a 1570s townhouse. People often mention museum, visit, Orkney, history,

Address

Broad St, Kirkwall KW15 1DH, United Kingdom

Website

www.orkneymuseums.co.uk

Contact

+44 1856 873191

Rating on Google Maps

4.60 (135 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

Wednesday: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM, 1:30 to 5 PM
Thursday: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM, 1:30 to 5 PM
Friday: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM, 1:30 to 5 PM
Saturday: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM, 1:30 to 5 PM
Sunday: Closed
Monday: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM, 1:30 to 5 PM
Tuesday: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM, 1:30 to 5 PM

Featured Reviews

Frequently mentioned in reviews: museum (11) visit (10) Orkney (8) history (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.

4/5 Together We'll Face The W. 1 year ago on Google
Free entry, great amount of exhibits for all the periods of Orkney history
84 people found this review helpful 👍
4/5 ian b. 1 year ago on Google • 548 reviews
Typical local museum. A history of Orkney from the neolithic to today, plus some local history of the previous owners of the property the museum is in. There's no admission charge but donations are welcome. If you haven't done your homework as to what and where to visit before coming up here this should be your first stop.
5/5 Joseph K. 2 years ago on Google • 508 reviews
Wander round Tankerness House which houses the museum. Three floors of exhibits covering a very long history of the area. Pictish stone was my favourite. Had an exhibition about women at war on the island. Lots to see so set aside some time. Just be aware of Orkney lunch time lasts 2hours 12 till 2pm.
1 person found this review helpful 👍
5/5 SARAH B. 1 year ago on Google • 497 reviews
Free to enter. A must see. Alot bigger inside then I expected. Loads to see. Really does educate people on the history, culture and life in Orkney. Great gift shop to. Nice gardens out the back.
1 person found this review helpful 👍
5/5 Lorna K. 5 years ago on Google • 61 reviews
What a fantastic museum to visit! There is just SO much to look at and read. Extremely well presented. Not a place where a short visit will do. Be prepared to spend an hour there. Interactive for children too. And it is all free!
1 person found this review helpful 👍
5/5 Struan R. 7 months ago on Google • 62 reviews
Fascinating museum of Orkney life from 5,000 years ago to the current day. Twelve separate rooms each covering a time period. Enjoyed ever room but my favourite was on the Viking Earls. Great nicknames that I wanted to adopt. I wanted Skullsplitter but my wife suggested "the Stout" - more accurate, if a bit mean!
5/5 Samantha D. 6 months ago on Google • 61 reviews
A must visit... could have stayed here until closing. Interesting, well displayed and cover a broad selection of topics. Only negative was condition of gardens st back found some very unsavoury rubbish I think the gardens may need a gate at night time.
4/5 Alessandro R. 6 years ago on Google
A tiny museum just opposite St Magnus Cathedral. You can find many interesting things about life on Orkney since prehistory till nowadays. It's definitely worth a visit if you are in Kirkwall. It's free of charge but you may leave an offer.
2 people found this review helpful 👍
5/5 Team t. 4 months ago on Google • 34 reviews
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!
5/5 Robin G. 1 year ago on Google
This is a great museum! With objects dated from Neolithic up to 20th century. Nicely arranged by date & use. There were also some interactive displays. I can’t say enough about how impressed we were.
4/5 Carolyn K. 2 years ago on Google
Orkney's rich heritage is well displayed at the museum, well worth a visit and FOC
5/5 Hans van der V. 9 months ago on Google
What a nice and interesting exhibition they have here. Certainly worthwhile to spend some time here.
5/5 Georgina M. 6 months ago on Google • 19 reviews
Not very accessible, but wow, amazing exhibition.
5/5 Katie P. 1 year ago on Google
Free entry. Really nice museum, had a lot of info about Orkney and easy to wander around. We spent about an hour or so in there. Stuff from a variety of different periods.
4/5 Simon 1 year ago on Google
Free museum, worth to visit before heading to the historic sites like Skara Brae. Take 20mins to learn about the houses. Next to that, see how the Orcadians lived in the last centuries. Up until today, the Uppies and the Doonies play the ball sport ‘Ba’
5/5 Jennifer L. 8 months ago on Google
Fabulous museum that reveals room after room of treasure! Far bigger inside than I expected. It's free to enter, but I was more than happy to leave a donation. Great place to visit.
5/5 Kevin B. 2 years ago on Google
An amazing building, full of character and intriguing corners, telling the complex history of Orkney in an engaging and accessible way. Well worth a visit.

Call +44 1856 873191 Open on Google Maps

Amenities

Accessibility
- ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
- ✓️ Wheelchair accessible restroom

Trends

Last updated: 6 March, 2024

Similar places

Similar Tourist attractions nearby

St Magnus Cathedral

Cathedral

Soaring, multi-hued sandstone originally founded by the Vikings, Britain's most northerly cathedral.

4.70 (1.4K reviews)

Scapa Beach

Tourist attraction

👍 Nice short walk along the beach and past Scapa distillery. The HMS Royal Oak memorial is worth a visit - reminds you of the senselessness of war. The views of Scapa Flow are amazing.

4.70 (462 reviews)