Fun and fascinating museums
National Museum of Costume, Shambellie House
Enjoy an entertaining and educational afternoon with the whole family in some of Dumfries & Galloway’s friendly museums.
Discover the finest private collection of crystals, minerals, gemstones, rocks and fossils in the UK with a visit to the fascinating Gem Rock Museum in Creetown. Be dazzled as you wander through the beautiful Crystsal Cave to see magnificent minerals and crystals displayed in a realistic setting, with the luminous display giving off a colourful glow.
Enjoy the interactive experience, use the rock activity bench, read informative displays and question the experts before testing your knowledge with one of the fun quizzes. The highlights of the museum are the ‘Maverick’ gold nugget, one of the largest gold specimens on display in the UK, and the new Cave Bear Fossil, ‘Olga’.
Travel back in time when you visit the National Museum of Costume at Shambellie House and spend the afternoon following fashion from the 1870s - 1950s. As you explore the picturesque country house you will find that each room uses models to show the social functions where the outfits were originally worn.
In the drawing room you’ll see a display depicting a family, gathering before dinner in the mid 1890s, dressed in smart evening wear ready for a formal meal. Head upstairs to find the bedroom set out as if it is September 1945. Here a grandmother and granddaughter are getting dressed for a local ball to celebrate the end of British military action in the Far East.
Children will love to dress up in the costumes in the museum’s Corset and Costume corner and there are adult-sized options too so you can join in the fun. After exploring, relax in the immaculate grounds and enjoy some food on the picnic benches or a snack in the tearoom.
Admire impressive aircraft at the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum and see the restored control tower of the former WWII airfield in Dumfries. Look around the displays at the large collection of aircraft and personal artefacts relating to aviation past and present.
See the re-creation of a WWII living room with an assortment of memorabilia from the Parachute Regiment & Airborne Forces including photographs, uniforms, weaponry and parachuting equipment.
The museum organises many events for families such as exciting air shows, reunion days where you have a chance to meet the pilots who flew some of the planes in the aircraft collection as well as seasonal activities.
With many more museums to visit in the region, an entertaining and educational afternoon for the whole family is guaranteed in Dumfries and Galloway.
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