A hidden gem in the heart of Aberdeen city centre is the Maritime Museum. In fact to stereotypical Aberdonians it is a "real treasure", excuse the pirate pun, as it is free to get in and we all know that Aberdonians do not like parting with money unnecessarily! As with many maritime museums it is close to the sea, in this case it overlooks the harbour, down on Shiprow.
The exhibits are spread over many floors, there is a lift if you don't like stairs, It has many wonderful artifacts from through the years, given Aberdeen's offshore industry it does have a large model oil rig spanning several floors. When my son was little we took him with his grandfather who used to work on the rigs, and he pointed out where they slept, where they worked and the crane that he worked on. It really brought his tales from work alive for his grandson.
Over the years they have had many different enjoyable events and exhibitions, my family and I have attended a pirate workshop where you could craft yourself a hook and a Christmas evening with crafts and face paints for grown-ups. In 2016 there was an exhibition of childhood toys, so we were able to show our son what we spent our youth playing with! We had a lovely trip down memory lane looking up all the My Little Ponies and Amstrad Sinclairs.
Last year the Maritime Museum reopened after some major renovations, unfortunately it no longer has the ROV machine that you could operate because that had to go back to Robert Gordon University. It does have a lot of exhibits including interactive ones such as a house that you have to make the electricity to light it, and a fun kids quiz that will help entertain them on their way around. The iconic oil rig still dominates every floor as it goes through the middle of the building. It is fascinating to see the different levels of it as we move up and down the museum. There is also a section about Thomas Blake Glover, known as "The Scottish Samurai" and his fascinating life back in the 1800s.
My favourite exhibit is in a set of a Drawing Office, on the desk at the back of the room is an old Bakelite style rotary dial telephone that you can actually use to make a call. Although you get through to a recording of someone explaining about their life in whatever role they did, there are several to chose from. Such a blast from the past to actually have to put your finger in a hole and turn a dial to make a phone call, and a great thing for youngsters that have never had that privilege to get to try out and experience. The script for the talking telephone is also available in a folder next to the phone for those who cannot hear well.
Conveniently central and with lots to see and experience, this is definitely a museum to visit multiple times. My own son used to ask to go there and once when I needed to kill some time with my niece and nephew I took them there. I thought they would moan about being bored but instead they were fascinated by everything and enjoyed doing the quiz together. A brilliant look into life around the city's historic harbour, including the fishing and offshore industries which operate from there to this day.
Further information: https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/AAGM/plan-your-visit/aberdeen-maritime-museum
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Maria Robertson is an academic librarian by day and a concert reviewer by night, she also loves spending time with her family and they all enjoy visiting museums. Reviews published at: https://www.5d-blog.com/?s=maria+robertson