nice art work in paintings and photography by local artist julie with some great art exhibitions…read moredue later in the summer

Not my thing really, not what I would call innovative, some good work but not outstandingread more

I visited Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura on 18 July 2019 while on a walking tour of Dumfries…read more When I arrived I was informed about a potential camera obscura show, though whether we would get to see it in use would be dependent on the weather as the technology is weather sensitive. I attended the use of the camera obscura with another group (a dad and two kids). The camera obscura worker was clever and creative in showing us how the technology worked and descriptive in providing societal context of how it was received and distributed across Scotland. We were stopped early due to weather, however, we were able to see it in use, which was very cool. Had a crisper image than a lot of even the nicer cameras these days. A variety of exhibits were well laid out and easy to navigate. Some provided background about Scotland and the Dumfries area. Others covered more global events and topics. All of the ones I perused had informational placards and straightforward displays that made reading, learning, and contextualizing approachable. Gifts and other items were on sale near the entrance. I found a card I loved with a female harvest mouse holding onto blades of grass. As a rodent-adorer (I had pet mice, rats, and hamsters growing up) it melted my heart on sight and I had to get it, so I did. All of the workers I interacted with were friendly and helpful.

If you're visiting dumfries, pay a visit to the museum, its an old windmill that sits on higher…read moreground on the maxwelltown side of the river nith. The exhibits havent changed a great deal over the years, but are of a pretty high standard in my opinion. The building itself is really cool, and theres one of the few remaining working camera obscuras in the uk, so its worth it for that alone.

In the words of the Centre's website: "This award winning visitor centre [sic] tells the story of…read morethe connections between Robert Burns and the town of Dumfries. The well-researched exhibition is illuminated by many original documents and relics of the poet." That's all accurate, although I'm not sure what the awards are. The museum is more in-depth than the Burns House, but then again, the two establishments are apples and oranges. Basically, this Centre tells the story of Burns' relationship with Dumfries, and shows you a few cool artifacts along the way, such as Burns' sword, which he was entitled to wear as a member of the Royal Dumfries Volunteers. Admission is free, so this is definitely worth thirty minutes or so to hear the story of Dumfries' most famous resident. There is an audiovisual presentation for a nominal fee, but I skipped it.

A great place to visit for anyone even remotely interested in the works of Robert Burns and, for…read moresomeone like myself, who loves his poetry and was brought up on some of his best-loved songs, it's a real treat. In particular, it tells the story of his last years which were of course spent in Dumfries. A nice modern building with much to see, including original manuscripts, an audio-visual presentation, and a well-stocked gift shop as well. Admission is free too! In the evenings, the centre is a film theatre. I'd love to go back to spend more time there as, the last time I went, we didn't have very long.

The Old Bridge House is located on the western end of the Devorgilla Bridge by a shared parking…read morearea. I visited not long after the house opened for the day on 18 July 2019 as a starting point for a walking tour of Dumfries. The worker(s) were very kind and knowledgable about the history of the building and the locality in general. Different exhibits throughout the house preserve a variety of artifacts helping to contextualize what life has been like during the operation of the house. Technically, the house is still in operation in the sense of serving as a place for Devorgilla Bridge travelers to learn about the bridge with or without traversing it. More of a museum these days, though the functionality of the house has changed over time.

Fell over the Old Bridge House in Dumfries whilst trying to find the Burns Centre. Lucky for us, as…read moreit's quite a sweet, if brief visit to a 17th century house, without toilet or running water, that was occupied until 1959 (last occupant raised 6 kids on one floor of the house, then split into two flats). Originally built to house a cask maker, it is built into the bridge that crosses over to Dumfries itself from Maxwelltown (?). I know this because a remarkably helpful man told us all of this and more when we wandered in (we also had a right royal moan about the Edinburgh trams, but then again who wouldn't?). The items on display are a little mind boggling - no description cards and for some reason, there are displays of childrens toys from the last century, dentistry and living quarters. Just not sure why here and what the intent is? If I understood the meaning of the displays, this would definitely go up to a 4 star. It's free too and definitely something to support remaining so.