This modern museum begins with an introductory film to the island's 10,000-year history and then races through it, making various stops including Viking gold and silver, the history of the Tynwald, the island's internment camps during WWII and the famous TT races. Also part of the museum is the National Art Gallery, which has works by the island's best-known artists including Archibald Knox and John Miller Nicholson. Overall a fine introduction to the island.
Manx Museum & National Art Gallery
Isle of Man
Nearby Isle of Man attractions
1. Lonan Old Church
2.89 MILES
The wheel-headed cross at Lonan Old Church, just north of Douglas, is the island's most impressive early Christian cross.
2. Great Laxey Wheel
6.11 MILES
It's no exaggeration to describe the Lady Isabella Laxey Wheel, built in 1854 to pump water from a mine, as a 'great' wheel: it measures 22m across and…
3. Tynwald Hill
7.15 MILES
A four-tiered hill that is one of the island's most distinctive landmarks, Tynwald Hill is where, on July 5, the annual open-air meeting of the parliament…
4. Rushen Abbey
7.42 MILES
From Viking kings to ’70s disco, this abbey has lived its fair share of history. Founded in 1134, it was one of the island's most important centres of…
5. Nautical Museum
8.84 MILES
This small museum displays, among other things, its pride and joy, Peggy, a schooner built by politician and occasional smuggler George Quayle in 1791 and…
6. Old House of Keys
8.9 MILES
The former home of the Manx Parliament (lower house of the Tynwald) has been restored to its 1866 appearance – a key date in island history as it was then…
7. Castle Rushen
8.91 MILES
Castletown is dominated by the impressive 13th-century Castle Rushen, one of the most complete medieval structures in Europe. You can visit the gatehouse,…
8. Old Grammar School
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Built as a church around 1200, the building was converted in 1570 to a boys' grammar school. The building was extensively restored in 2016 and 2017 and is…