Explore the best museums in Dubai

Looking for best museums in Dubai? Are you one of those people who love exploring and understanding the history of certain areas and regions? Then the United Arab Emirates is the right place for you as it has a rich cultural history and background that will keep you entertained. The pre-oil discovery era in the United Arab Emirates was quite different than in recent times and exploring it is quite fun. Here is a list of 11 famous museums that are open to visitors of all ages. We ensure a fun learning experience at these museums for people of all ages from adults to young children. Read this blog to find out more.

RENOWNED HISTORICAL MUSEUMS IN THE CITY:

Let’s look at some of the amazing historical museums in Dubai that are home to some of the ancient artifacts and ornaments found in the UAE as well as marvelous pictures of the ruling family and the city. Visiting these museums will be a great way to learn and understand the history of the pre-oil-discovery era of UAE and see how Dubai was before becoming the center of the world’s business and trade activities.

Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House/Shindagha Museum:

Shingadha Museum is amongst the best museums in the city depicting where the vision of new Dubai was derived from. It is one of the newest museums in the city and features an interactive display of videos, photos, and artifacts that will take you back to the 19th century. The museum also has a separate section called Perfume House where you can enjoy seeing the traditional methods for making various scents and perfumes. Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House which is one of the oldest buildings in the city is also part of this amazing museum. It was also the official residence of Sheikh Saeed al Maktoum. 

Timing:

• Everyday (10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) 
• Fridays (2:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
• Tuesdays (Closed)

Location: Al Shingadha Area, Bur Dubai, Dubai Creek Harbor

Contact: 

• +971-4-515-5336
• +971-4-515-5337

Ticket Price: 

• Students: AED 5
• Adults: AED 15
• Children under the age of 5 and people of determination: Free entry

Dubai Museum:

Dubai Museum is another renowned museum in Dubai located in the Bur Dubai region of the city. The building of the Dubai Museum was built in the year 1787 and has a rich history behind it. This building was home to the erstwhile monarch in the past while serving as a prison and a fort of defense. This monument was opened and renovated in the year 1971 as the official museum of the city. Currently, this museum is also home to original antiques such as weapons, pottery, and tombs. Here you also get to explore different wings reflecting the atmosphere of transitional homes and the markets of the past. 

Timing:

• Everyday (8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.)
• Fridays (2:30 p.m. to 08:30 p.m.)

Location: Al Fahidi St. opposite the Grand Mosque

Contact: +971-4-353-1862

Ticket Price:

• Children (under the age of 6): AED 1
• Adults: AED 3

Saruq Al Hadid Museum:

Saruq Al Hadid Museum is another great museum to visit in the Shindagha area. It is located amidst narrow corridors of historical districts of Dubai and can easily be reached following all the navigational boards around the area. This museum has artifacts from the recently discovered site of Saruq Al Hadid dating back to the iron age. This site was discovered in the year 2002 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as he was traveling in his charter plane over the district of Rub al Khali desert. He saw that a patch of the desert had a slightly different color than the rest of the desert which resulted because of the slag created from smelting iron. The archaeologists found over 8000 pieces of pottery, gold and iron under the ground and are now displayed at the Saruq Al Hadid Museum. 

Timing:

• Daily (08:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m.)

• Friday (4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

Location: Inside the historical district of Al Shindagha area on the Bur Dubai area of Dubai Creek. 

Contact: +971-4-359-56122

Ticket Price: 

• Children (7 to 12 years): AED 10
• Adults: AED 20

Entry is free for senior citizens and children under the age of 7.

History of Cinema Museum at Al Barsha:

History of the Cinema Museum is another amazing museum located in the Al Barsha region of the city. The museum is home to over 300 unique photo and video artifacts that were collected by Lebanese/Bahraini businessman Mr. Akram Miknas 35 years ago. All the items within this museum are from 1730 and provide the guests with an interactive experience in the history of cinema.

Timing:

• Daily (09:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.)

• Fridays (Closed)

Location: 1st floor, MCN Hive Building, Barsha Heights, TECOM C

Contact: +971-4-421-6679

Ticket:

• Children (under 18 years): AED 20
• University Students (with valid ID Card): AED 25
• Adults: AED 30

Bait al Banat Museum (Women’s Museum):

The next museum on our list of best museums in Dubai is the Bait Al Banat Museum located at the Deira area of Dubai Creek. This museum celebrates the lives of women of the UAE and highlights the role played by them for the country. Some of the areas of this museum have the artworks by the female artists of the UAE as well as personal belongings of UAE women of the past. This museum is located in the heart of the Gold Souk. Locate the RAK building and follow thin pathways to the area behind it and you will find the Bait al Banat Museum. 

Timing:

• Daily (10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.)

• Fridays (Closed)

Location: Deira Gold Souk at the back of RAK Bank building. 

Contact: +971-4-234-2342

Ticket: 

• AED 20 per person

Etihad Museum at Jumeirah:

Etihad Museum is one of the newer museums in the city where residents and tourists come to explore the rich history of the UAE. This museum is segmented into multiple interactive pavilions with photos and films of the country between 1968 to 1974. Here you can find snapshots and some belongings of the founding fathers of the UAE. It is located in the heart of Jumeirah at the historical site of the Union House where the first-ever constitution of the UAE was signed in the year 1971.

Timing:

• Daily (10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

Location: Jumeirah Street 1, next to the Union Building Flag

Contact: +971-4-515-5771

Ticket:

• Students: AED 10
• Adults: AED 25

Free entry for children below 5 and people of determination.

MUSEUMS OFFERING FREE ENTRY:

Visiting free museums is one of the best things to do in the city. For all of you who want to save some money, here’s a list of all the free museums in Dubai:

• Coin Museum:

Coin Museum is a great museum in the city offering free entry to visitors. It is located close to the Al Fahidi area. You can see over 470 pieces of rare coins that are of the historical era. Exploring free museums in the city like this one provides you with an opportunity to see the old architecture used in the traditional desert homes in the UAE. 

Timing: 

• Sunday to Thursday (08:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m.)
• Friday and Saturday (Closed)

Location: Bastakiya AKA Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood

Contact: +971-4-225-3312

Ticket: Free

• Coffee Museum:

If you are somewhere around Bastakiya in the Al Fahidi area, do not forget to visit the Coffee Museum located close to the Coins Musem. This museum offers free entry to visitors and guests where you can explore the history of coffee along with various roasting and brewing methods used in the old era. This is amongst one of the best free activities for kids in the city. 

Timing: 

• Sunday to Thursday (09:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m.)
• Friday and Saturday (Closed)

Location: Bastakiya AKA Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood

Contact: +971-4-353-8777

Ticket: Free

• Naif Museum:

Naif Museum is another one of the free museums in Dubai. The building where Naif Museum is located now was built entirely with clay in the year 1939 and was the first-ever police station of the city. Here you can explore the transformation of various police uniforms over the year as well as badges, medals, and weapons of different ranks of police officers of the Dubai Police Force. You can also take a good look at the detention rooms of police where the prisoners were kept. 

Timing:

• Daily (08:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m.)
• Friday and Saturday (Closed)

Location: Deira, Naif Souk

Contact: +971-4-227-6484

Ticket Price: Free

• Dubai Police Museum:

Looking for the history of the police force in Dubai, head towards the Dubai Police Museum located in Jumeirah. This museum is full of vintage pieces of weapons, uniforms and equipment used by the Dubai Police. This museum is located within the Police Academy of Dubai. You can also have a look at some of the very famous police cars parked outside of this museum. A form needs to be filled by visitors and guests at the Dubai Police website to get permission for a full tour of this museum. 

Timing: Daily from 08:00 a.m. to 03:00 p.m.

Location: Umm Suqeim Street

Contact: +971-4-269-2222

Ticket: Free

NEW MUSEUMS IN THE CITY:

Since all of the above museums have become a part of the cultural history of the city, some of the museums are newly established and are ready to make their mark in Dubai. 

• Museum of the Future:

You must have seen this beautiful museum traveling along the Sheikh Zayed Road near Emirates Towers. This museum will not be historic like the other museums but will predict the future of the city. This museum is not only an architectural wonder but also a necessary accessory for the future. This museum is an outcome of the developments that took place for Dubai Expo 2020 and will soon be opened for visitors. 

Location: Next to Emirates Tower at Sheikh Zayed Road. 

This concludes the list of all of the beautiful museums in the city. Apart from these, you can also visit the Museum of Illusions that exhibits amazing optical illusions that will get you insane. Madame Tussauds is also making its way to Dubai and is ready to become the first-ever wax museum of the city. If you have an eye for rich culture and history then make sure to visit all of these amazingly designed historic museums that depict the rich history and culture of the people of UAE before the discovery of oil in the region. All of these museums are best in their own regard and show a different aspect of the rich history of Dubai. If you are looking for museums for children, read this guide about OliOli Museum in Dubai.