Dubai Museum

Tear yourself away from the glitzy Dubai Malls and soak up a couple of hours of learning at the Dubai Museum.  Housed in the 19th century Al Fahidi fort, which at the time was used as the ruler's palace, a prison and then a garrison or military post,  the Al Fahidi Fort is considered to be the oldest building in Dubai city and in 1970 opened its doors as the renovated Dubai Museum with a huge collection of life-size exhibits and working models of what early Dubai life was like such as souks, family homes and mosques.  Artefacts and collections of the pearl merchant’s scales, sieves and weights all give an insight into the early trade of pearl diving, before the rich days of oil.  There are also galleries depicting marine life, the desert, date gardens, general infrastructure success and more.

Dubai Museum is also home to a military section  where weapons of war such as curved daggers, swords, spears and shields made of sharkskin are displayed. Other than that, the museum also displays a great collection of artefacts from ancient history made out of alabaster, mud, copper, etc. All these historic finds and precious items are carefully preserved and permanently housed in the Dubai Museum for all to see. There is also a model of the wind tower room which shows photographs and diagrams of various types of wind towers.
Points of note

• If you want to see more after visiting the Dubai museum then you can visit the Miraj Islamic Art Centre which houses a huge number of antiques from the Middle East and you can also buy art and craft work made by local artists and craftsmen here. The art centre is located on the Jumeirah Beach Road and you can visit at any time between 10 am and 6.30 pm on any day.
• Be sure to check out pictures of the rapidly developing Dubai as well as ancient maps of the Gulf of Emirates at the entrance.
• Interested in visiting an exhibit about local boats? Then go to Narish Khyma which is situated very close to the Dubai museum.

When – If you are planning to visit the museum on Friday then the timing is from 2 pm to 7 pm. On Saturdays-Thursdays the museum opens at 8.30 in the morning and closes at 7.30 in the evening.
How long – One can literally spend a good couple of hours here at the Dubai museum because of the sheer number of attractions the place offers. So if you are planning to visit then make sure you have the whole day available so that you can  visit other points of interest near the museum. Maybe it can be your history of Dubai day 
Location – The Dubai museum is located at the Al Fahidi Fort in Bur Dubai. Just ask the taxi driver to drop you off at the famous Al Fahidi Fort and it shouldn’t be a problem since the fort is extremely famous. Going back to your hotel will also not be a concern because there is a taxi stand within walking distance from the museum. Or, hailing one is extremely easy.
Cost – The cost of visiting the Dubai museum is very cheap. At only AED 3 per head this is great value.
Booking – Booking isn’t required but you can contact the museum directly in case you have any queries 
More info – Unfortunately the Dubai museum does not have an official website but if you have any queries you can directly contact the museum on +971043531862.