About
The Isles of Scilly Museum tells the remarkable story of this small but extraordinarily rich archipelago lying 28 miles off the tip of Cornwall, where human habitation stretches back over 4,000 years and the surrounding waters conceal one of Britain's most dramatic concentrations of historic shipwrecks. Located on Church Street in Hugh Town on St Mary's, the largest of the inhabited islands, the museum occupies a modest but welcoming building that belies the exceptional quality and breadth of its collections.
The archaeological galleries present finds from the islands' remarkable prehistoric past, including Bronze Age pottery, flint tools, and artefacts from the entrance graves and cairns that dot the islands. The Bronze Age burial site at Knackyboy Cairn on St Martin's and the entrance graves on Halangy Down provide evidence of a sophisticated island community connected by maritime trade routes across the ancient world. Roman-period finds include coins and pottery suggesting continued occupation and contact with the wider Mediterranean world.
The maritime galleries explore the islands' intimate and often tragic relationship with the sea. The treacherous waters around Scilly have claimed over 800 recorded shipwrecks, and the museum displays artefacts recovered from wrecks spanning centuries, including items from Sir Cloudesley Shovell's Association fleet disaster of 1707, when four Royal Navy ships struck the Western Rocks with the loss of nearly 2,000 lives. This catastrophe directly led to the Longitude Act of 1714 and the quest to solve the problem of determining longitude at sea.
The social history collections document the unique character of island life through the centuries, from piloting and smuggling to flower farming and tourism, painting an intimate portrait of a resilient island community shaped by its extraordinary maritime environment. Natural history displays celebrate the islands' unique position as a haven for migratory birds, rare plants, and marine wildlife.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Monday, Tuesday, Friday
Busiest: Wednesday, Saturday
💡 Weekday mornings during the main season offer the quietest experience. The museum makes an excellent rainy-day activity on the islands.
💡 Visitor Tips
- The Isles of Scilly are reached by Skybus from Exeter, Newquay, or Land's End airports, or by the Scillonian III passenger ferry from Penzance harbour (approximately 2 hours 45 minutes). Book transport well in advance during summer.
- The museum is located in the centre of Hugh Town on St Mary's, the main island, within easy walking distance of the harbour, shops, and accommodation. No transport is needed on St Mary's.
- Allow about 90 minutes for a thorough visit. The museum is compact but densely packed with fascinating objects. The shipwreck artefacts and Bronze Age finds are particularly noteworthy.
- The museum makes an excellent rainy-day activity on the islands. Scilly can experience sudden rain showers even in summer, so keep the museum in mind as a backup plan during your stay.
- Season tickets are available and good value if staying on the islands for several days, allowing return visits to study different sections in depth.
- The museum shop stocks excellent books on Scilly history, archaeology, wildlife, and shipwrecks, as well as locally made gifts. The archaeological and maritime publications are particularly well-chosen.
- After visiting, explore the Garrison Walk around the headland above Hugh Town for panoramic views and the historic Star Castle, built in 1593 as a defence against the Spanish Armada.
- Consider visiting the museum early in your Scilly holiday to gain context and understanding that will enrich your exploration of archaeological sites, beaches, and wildlife across the islands.
Highlights
Shipwreck Artefacts and Maritime Heritage
The museum's maritime collection is one of the most compelling in the West Country, displaying artefacts recovered from the treacherous waters surrounding the Scilly archipelago where over 800 shipwrecks have been recorded.
Pride of place goes to items from Sir Cloudesley Shovell's Association fleet disaster of 1707, when four Royal Navy warships struck the Western Rocks in fog, drowning nearly 2,000 sailors including the Admiral himself. This catastrophe was a key catalyst for the Longitude Act of 1714 and the eventual solution to maritime navigation.
Cannon, anchors, navigation instruments, coins, pottery, and personal belongings recovered from these wrecks tell haunting stories of maritime tragedy and resilience across the centuries.
Bronze Age Archaeology
The archaeological collections reveal the remarkable prehistoric heritage of the Isles of Scilly, including finds from entrance graves, cairns, and settlement sites dating back over 4,000 years. The Bronze Age pottery, flint tools, and burial artefacts demonstrate that these tiny Atlantic islands supported thriving communities connected by sea to wider trade networks across Britain and beyond.
Finds from Knackyboy Cairn on St Martin's and the extensive archaeological landscape on Halangy Down show a sophisticated island culture adapted to its maritime environment.
The collection places Scilly's prehistory in the context of Bronze Age Atlantic Europe, highlighting the islands' importance to archaeologists studying early maritime communities.
The Pilot Gig Collection
The museum celebrates the unique tradition of pilot gig rowing, which originated on the Isles of Scilly and remains central to island community life.
Pilot gigs were fast six-oared boats used from the 18th century to race out to approaching ships, competing to be the first to offer pilotage services through the dangerous island waters. The collection includes historic gig-related artefacts, photographs, and memorabilia documenting this distinctive maritime tradition.
Today, the World Pilot Gig Championships held annually on Scilly draw hundreds of crews from across Britain, keeping alive a tradition that defines island identity and community pride.
Island Natural History
The natural history displays celebrate the extraordinary biodiversity of the Isles of Scilly, positioned at the convergence of Atlantic and Channel waters and on major bird migration routes. The collection includes specimens of rare visiting birds, marine wildlife, and the unique island flora that benefits from Scilly's mild, frost-free Gulf Stream climate.
The islands are renowned among birdwatchers for rare vagrant species blown off course during autumn migration, and the museum provides context for understanding why this small archipelago supports such remarkable natural diversity.
Geological specimens explain the islands' formation and their relationship to the now-submerged land bridge that once connected Scilly to Cornwall.
Collections
The Isles of Scilly Museum holds comprehensive collections covering the archaeology, maritime history, natural history, and social heritage of this unique Atlantic archipelago. The archaeological collections span from Neolithic and Bronze Age finds including pottery, tools, and burial artefacts from the islands' numerous prehistoric sites, through Roman and post-Roman material, to medieval and later periods.
The maritime collection is particularly strong, featuring artefacts from numerous shipwrecks including the 1707 Association fleet disaster, alongside material relating to piloting, lifesaving, and the pilot gig tradition.
Natural history collections include ornithological specimens, marine life, and geological material reflecting the islands' exceptional biodiversity. Social history encompasses the flower farming industry, fishing, kelp burning, smuggling, and the development of tourism, documented through objects, photographs, and oral history recordings.
Archaeology of the Isles of Scilly
Prehistoric to medieval archaeological finds from across the archipelago, including Bronze Age burial goods, Roman coins, and evidence of early settlement patterns.
📍 Archaeology Gallery
Shipwrecks and Maritime Heritage
Artefacts from the 800+ recorded shipwrecks around the islands, including the 1707 Association fleet disaster, alongside piloting, gig rowing, and lifesaving history.
📍 Maritime Gallery
Island Life: Social History
The story of island communities from flower farming and fishing to smuggling and tourism, documented through objects, photographs, and personal accounts.
📍 Social History Gallery
Natural History of Scilly
The islands' remarkable biodiversity including migratory birds, marine wildlife, rare plants, and geology.
📍 Natural History Gallery
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.