Spring has sprung and the sea monsters are coming!
Monsters of the Deep: Science Fact or Fiction
Aberdeen Art Gallery
17 May - 26 October 2025
Take a deep breath and plunge into the murky depths as we seek to explore legends, myth and modern-day science. Sort out the fact from the fiction, learn about what really lurks beneath the waves and understand why tales of monsters persist.
Find out how stories of unexplained sightings, such as the shapeshifting Selkies of Scottish folklore, continue to capture imaginations and survive in science fiction books, comics and movies. Examine eerie deep-sea specimens and see the technological tools scientists use today to explore the bottom of the ocean.
Look out for details of our school programme starting in August 2025.
Book now
Monsters of the Deep - Teachers Preview event
In advance of our school visit programme starting in August, please join us for a teachers preview event of Monsters of the Deep. This unmissable exhibition will inspire teaching and cross-curriculum learning for upper primary and secondary pupils.
Places are free.
Thursday 12 June, 16:15-17:30
Email AAGMLearning@aberdeencity.gov.uk with your name and school to confirm.
Self-guided visits at our venues
Teacher-led class visits to our venues are a great way to engage with the collections and learn about creativity, local heritage and people from the Northeast of Scotland who have shaped the city and changed the world.
Information on organising your visit to our venues can be found on our website here.
Tall Ships in Aberdeen Harbour (detail) © Nigel Grounds
Tales from the Tall Ships
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
The spectacular Tall Ships Races will visit Aberdeen for four days in July as part of this major international sailing event. The ships dock in Aberdeen from 19 to 22 July following a 430-mile nautical mile trip from Dunkirk. To celebrate the arrival of the fleet, this exhibition of paintings, ship models and photography highlights some of Aberdeen’s historic and cultural ties to these iconic, fast-sailing vessels, from shipyard construction to racing and competition.
To book your self-guided visit, email AAGMLearning@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Information on organising your visit to our venues can be found on our website here.
Aberdeen: Trade and Empire
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Between the 1700s and early 1900s the high demand for sugar, cotton, cocoa, tea and gold resulted in enslaved people being forced to work to satisfy consumer tastes. This exhibition highlights the role of ships owned and built in Aberdeen in the development of Empire and Colonialism.
Check out this new learning resource for schools from Museum of the Highlands and answer The Big Question on the British Empire
https://museumofthehighlands.org/project/should-we-apologise-for-the-british-empire
Teaching resources about cocoa production and modern slavery with The No Project
https://www.thenoproject.org/slavery/cocoa-slavery/
Provost Skene’s House
From the beginning of April to the end of October 2025 Provost Skene’s House will have revised opening hours.
It will be open to the public five days a week, Thursday to Monday 10:00 – 17:00 and on Sundays, 11:00 – 16:00.
