Business Details
30 Years
experience
Oban War & Peace Museum
Oban War & Peace Museum was established to advance the education of present and future generations by collecting, maintaining, and exhibiting items of historical and cultural interest relating to the Oban area during peacetime and the war years. Our museum achieved Full Accreditation status following a three-and-a-half-year project funded by the Esme Fairbairn Foundation, meeting national standards for collections care, governance, and public service. In 2011, we were honoured to receive The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, recognising our outstanding contributions to community heritage preservation. The museum is a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee, managed by a volunteer Board of Directors and over 60 dedicated volunteers who contribute more than 7,000 hours annually. Our collection includes artefacts and photographs depicting Oban's fishing, maritime, and railway industries, local sports, and the town's strategic role during World War II.We rely entirely on visitor donations, Friends scheme memberships, and local fundraising as we receive no government funding. The museum occupies the ground floor of the Old Oban Times Building since 2006, providing expanded exhibition space for Oban's rich history. Our facilities include wheelchair access, a disabled toilet, and educational resources for school groups. We welcome over 30,000 visitors annually from the UK and worldwide, offering guided tours and outreach programs. Our Patron, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, KCVO, CB, supports our mission to preserve and share Oban's heritage for future generations.
Services
Museum Admission
School Visits
Group Tours
Volunteer Opportunities
Friends Scheme
Details
- Year established: 1996
Highlights and features
- We offer professionally accredited heritage preservation with national recognition
- Our volunteer team contributes over 7,000 hours annually to maintain collections
- We provide educational resources for schools and community groups
- Our wheelchair-accessible facility ensures inclusive visitor experiences
- We maintain Scotland's only museum dedicated to both wartime and peacetime history
Associations and certifications
- Museums Galleries Scotland
- The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service
What people say
Educational experience
Friendly volunteers
Unique artefacts
Family-friendly
Well-maintained
Services
Museum Admission
Free public access to our permanent collection featuring wartime artefacts, maritime history, and local cultural exhibits. Donations welcome to support conservation efforts. Open March-November with extended summer hours.
School Visits
Curriculum-linked educational programs for primary and secondary students. Guided tours with optional outreach visits by museum speakers. Group size restrictions apply during regular opening hours.
Volunteer Opportunities
Front-of-house and behind-the-scenes volunteering roles available March-November. No prior experience required for watchkeeping positions. Flexible shifts and remote opportunities available for skilled volunteers.
Group Tours
Tailored visits for community groups with flexible scheduling options. Evening and seasonal winter visits available subject to volunteer availability. Donation-based admission applies.
Friends Scheme
Annual membership program supporting museum operations through 10 subscriptions. Benefits include newsletters, event invitations, and direct contribution to collection preservation efforts.
Questions
Is admission to the museum free?
Yes, entry is free but donations are welcome to help cover operational costs.
What are the museum's opening hours?
Open daily 10am-4pm March-November, except Fridays closing at 2pm.
Can I volunteer at the museum?
Volunteers are welcome March-November for front-of-house and behind-the-scenes roles.
Does the museum support school visits?
Yes, we offer guided tours and outreach programs for primary and secondary schools.
How is the museum funded?
We rely entirely on donations, Friends scheme memberships, and local fundraising events.
Is the museum accessible for disabled visitors?
Yes, we have wheelchair access and a dedicated disabled toilet facility.
Videos
Reviews (7)
Brian Simpson
Oct 24, 2021
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Popped in to see the artefacts and found the place to be full of Information and helpful staff. Please leave a generous donation as even though it's free they survive on donations.
Gordon
Dec 08, 2019
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An amazing collection of artefacts and photos tell the story of Oban. Well laid out in sections of history, military, railways, aviation, etc. The volunteers who were there when I visited were very helpful and knowledgeable and the railwayman gave an insight into the local workings. It's on the front, it's free, why not visit!
Nicky Touray
Aug 22, 2019
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We went to this museum with my dad who is 88 considering he was in The Royal engineers and in the bomb squad my dad is very proud of his service. My dad told the staff this. Then Bill the staff member then was talking about my Dad and laughing about my dad saying pardon a lot as he's a little deaf and couldn't hear what he was saying. also he said to his friend that he didn't know what regiment he was In but obviously he knows as he was in it so I thought it was a bit rude and disrespectful considering what muesem it is about.
Lorina Dallas
Jul 22, 2019
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Visited this place with children. They have learned lots of things about history of war. How people made Oban a port of travel and built this place into tourism. Some things can find here from world war 1.
Julesgirl
Jun 15, 2019
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This is a great little find on the waterfront. It has lots of information about Oban and surrounding areas during wartime. The museum is free, but they do ask for donations to keep it running. I will preface this that I don't generally enjoy museums. I find them a little boring. We walked past this one and decided to walk in. I am SO glad we did! We were immediately greeted by one of the volunteers, Paul. He showed us all of the places to look at and about the free video that is shown there. He had so many interesting (and funny) stories to share! He has a great sense of humor and I love the banter
Neil Stevens
Aug 11, 2017
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A real gem great museum, excellent exhibits and very friendly and helpful staff, recommend it highly.
Susan Lonnen
Oct 16, 2015
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The volunteers were fantastic with the children. They really enjoyed the quiz and the certificate they got for complete it. Great little collection too!
