Tolbooth Museum
Museum in Aberdeen's 17th-century Tolbooth, a former prison, currently closed for building work and due to reopen in spring 2027.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Tolbooth, built between 1616 and 1629 and attached to Aberdeen Town House on Union Street, is one of the oldest buildings in the city. For much of its history it was the town's wardhouse and prison, with 17th and 18th-century gaol cells, and it held prisoners such as people accused of witchcraft and, after the 1745 rising, Jacobite prisoners.
Aberdeen City Council opened the building to the public as a museum in 1995. The displays explain local history and the evolution of crime and punishment, including how prisoners were treated, and they include an early guillotine. A recent restoration of the building received a conservation award from the Aberdeen Society of Architects.
The museum is closed for building maintenance, including electrical work, while some of the historic displays are reinstated and updated. It is expected to reopen to the public in spring 2027.
Highlights
- 17th and 18th-century gaol cells
- Displays on crime and punishment in Aberdeen
- Early guillotine and Jacobite prisoner history
- Turret and the historic Town House setting; the museum entrance is on Castle Street
Permanent exhibition
- Crime and punishment in Aberdeen – Displays in the former wardhouse on local history, the 17th and 18th-century cells and the treatment of prisoners, including Jacobite rebels.
- Founded
- 1995
- Operated by
- Aberdeen City Council (Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums)
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: not available
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The building is not accessible by wheelchair or pram, and the turret steps are tight and steep. There are no toilets on site. Assistance dogs are welcome.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Union Street (buses 1 and 2)
Buses 1 and 2 stop outside the entrance on Union Street.
By car
Paid parking
Pay-and-display parking on Marischal Street, across the road.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
