A Day Out to The McManus – Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum

While in Dundee, I went to The McManus – an art gallery and museum with a big focus on Dundee throughout history. There are a total of eight galleries within this museum, that explore both the history of Dundee and the art that has been created there. This museum was originally built as a memorial to Prince Albert, but over the years has been added to and changed.

This museum has a big focus on the local area, with an entrance that talks about what a museum is and talks about how this specific area came to be and what their goals are. I’ve not previously been to a museum that has the goal of just showcasing the local area so strongly, which was very interesting throughout the McManus, especially as someone who had never been to Dundee before.

The first area that I went through was Landscape and Lives, which showed the natural landscape around Dundee over years and years. There were tons of different taxidermy animals, preserved forever in time. Many were in movement above you, which was really stunning to see. Along with the animals that were once around, there is also a showcase on the lives of the people who settled in the area and how they lived.

The next area that I explored was one I had heard about previously. This was the modern Dundee area, which showcases a bunch of boxes of grouped items, from the 1850s to now, that all helped shape the city. There are boxes on culture, on the school systems there, and on general life. The Lemmings box was one I had been recommended to see, as one of the people I was traveling with had donated a lot of the items that went into that showcase. These showcases were moments in time from around the first two world wars to a few years back. There was also a giant showcase of brands and how they’d change over time, with a plaque about how the idea of the super market has also changed over the years.

The next area that I explored as Dundee and the World which talked about the relationship Dundee has had with the greater world. There are a bunch of different objects from other parts of the world that all made their way to Dundee, and it’s in the most beautiful, stain glass decorated room. My favorite part of the museum was in this area; there was a big showcase that talked about women journalists who were sent all over the world, as there were so many male journalists who had written about their experience seeing the rest of the world, but no women who had done so. It was very interesting to hear their thoughts and opinions, especially on coming back home!

The McManus also had a huge – and I am talking massive – Scottish oil paintings section that just is wall to wall of stunning oil paintings. This hall is absolutely packed, Everything in this room is breathtaking and it’s clear there is a lot of history and talent as well. There is also a gallery full of ceramics and ceramic art which was also stunning. The McManus is a fantastic showcase of the history of this old city, and I really did enjoy the way each of the areas were presented. Especially those boxes that showed different moments and areas of time for the city. There is really a ton to see and a lot of history to observe here.

You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!