King's Museum facts for kids
The Old Town House
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| Established | 2011 |
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| Location | Aberdeen, Scotland |
King's Museum was a small museum run by the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. It was located in a historic building called the Old Town House in Old Aberdeen. This museum showed off amazing items from the university's huge collection.
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Discovering the Museum's Past
The University of Aberdeen has one of the biggest and most important museum collections in Scotland. These collections are so special that they are called a "Recognised Collection of National Significance." This means they are very important for Scotland's history and culture.
The university started collecting these items way back in 1727 at King's College. Later, the collections moved to the Marischal College building. For many years, a museum called the Marischal Museum was open there.
Opening and Moving the King's Museum
The Marischal Museum closed in 2008. But the university still wanted to share its treasures with everyone. So, in April 2011, a new public museum opened at 17 High Street. This new museum was called the King's Museum.
Even though the King's Museum was open to the public, the main collection of items stayed at Marischal College. The King's Museum moved to the Old Town House in 2013. This new location was also on High Street.
The King's Museum often changed its displays. It would show different items from the large collection kept at Marischal College. This way, visitors could see new and exciting things all the time.
Why the Museum Closed
The King's Museum closed its doors in March 2020. This happened during the Covid-19 pandemic. The closure helped support public health efforts in Aberdeen.
As of December 2023, there are no plans to reopen the King's Museum. However, the main collection at Marischal College is still very active. It is used for teaching and research by university students and visiting experts. But it is not open for public visits.
Learning for Schools
The King's Museum had a special service for schools. Primary school classes from Aberdeen City council area and Aberdeenshire could visit. They offered fun workshops on many different topics.
All the workshops were designed to fit with Scotland's "Curriculum for Excellence." This meant that what kids learned at the museum helped them with their schoolwork.
Exciting Museum Events
The museum also hosted evening lectures. These talks happened on Tuesdays during university term time. Experts would share interesting facts about the collections.
The King's Museum also took part in bigger events. These included "Night at the Museums." This event is part of the European Night of Museums organized by the ICOM. It was also part of Museums Galleries Scotland's Festival of Museums. These events allowed people to experience the museum in new and exciting ways.
