Collections Unit
The McManus Collections Unit is the home of Dundee's fascinating archaeology, world cultures, history and natural history collections.
Originally the Central Reading Rooms, this magnificent building was opened in 1911 by businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. It was Dundee’s fifth Carnegie library. With the opening of the new Central Library in 1978 in the Wellgate Shopping Centre, the building became a dedicated Natural History Museum until 1998.
Today, it houses the City’s archaeology, world cultures, history and natural history collections. Like most museums, only around 5% of our collections are on display. The collections in store are available for research, may be lent to other museums and are used for our temporary exhibition programme.
Location
Opening Hours
We can provide access to specific parts of the collections by appointment Mondays - Fridays. Please contact us to arrange a visit to see an object in store.
We also offer group tours of the building for a charge. These tours last an hour and take you around the collections store, offering an insight into how we care for our varied collections. Please contact us to discuss your requirements or to book a group visit.
The Collection
The City’s collections are open to everyone. You can discover more about the objects we hold by browsing or searching our Collections Online. Contact us to arrange a visit to see an object in store, or to find out more about areas of our collections that relate to your interests.