Shetland Museum facts for kids
The Shetland Museum and Archives is a museum located in Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland. It was officially opened on May 31, 2007, by Queen Sonja of Norway and then Prince Charles and Camilla, who were the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay at the time.
Contents
A Look Back: The Old Museum Building
Before the new museum, there was an older building in Lerwick. It opened on June 29, 1966. This building was shared with the Shetland Library. It served the community for many years, but it was much smaller than the new museum.
The New Museum: A Big Step Forward
The new Shetland Museum is a much larger and more modern building. It cost about £11.6 million to build. A big part of the money, £4.9 million, came from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Building work started in 2004.
The new museum has five times more space for exhibits than the old one. It even has a special three-storey hall just for boats! The building also has a modern place to keep old records and a special room for people to look at them. There's a large hall for talks and a cafe that serves local food.
In 2008, the museum won two awards from the Wood Awards. It won the "Commercial & Public Access" award and the top "Gold Award."
Exploring the Galleries
The museum has two floors filled with interesting displays.
Ground Floor: Shetland's Early History
The ground floor has a large area for exhibits. It focuses on the history of Shetland up until the 1800s. You can learn about the land, how early people settled on the islands, and how they farmed and fished. There are also displays about early boats and the rich stories and traditions of Shetland.
First Floor: Modern Shetland
The first floor tells the story of Shetland from the last 200 years. Here, you can see how the culture, politics, and population have changed. It also shows how industries like knitwear grew. Shetland's strong connection to the sea is also explored through exhibits on fishing, whaling, and shipping.
The museum's collection includes many different items. Some are very old and important to history. Others might not be old but are very special to Shetland. You can see everything from delicate lace shawls to entire boats! The Shetland Archives also holds old records from the 1400s to today, plus a big library of local books.
Hay's Dock: A Living Exhibit
The museum building sits right next to Hay's Dock. This dock is a historic place, built in 1815. It's like a giant outdoor exhibit! As part of the museum project, the dock area was cleaned up and fixed. The dock is now home to the museum's floating exhibits, which are boats that float on the water.
The Crofthouse Museum
The Shetland Crofthouse Museum is located in Dunrossness. It's a traditional old house from the 1800s with a thatched roof. It shows what a typical farm house (called a crofthouse) looked like back then.
See also
In Spanish: Museo de Shetland para niños
