Redevelopment Plan for St Andrews Heritage Museum

St Andrews Heritage Museum & Gardens first opened in 1981 at our premises on 12 North Street, a charming 17th century fisher house at the east end of North Street, and a place that is unique within the Town.

The Museum Redevelopment Plan

The Museum & garden will undergo its first-ever major redevelopment over the next two years to modernise our building and secure our long-term future. Situated in the heart of St Andrews between the cathedral and castle, our house will become a welcoming place for all to experience the fascinating social history of the Town.

The redevelopment will:

  • Improve exhibitions by focusing on the history of the building, its occupants and the ‘Ladyhead’ area, the traditional fishing community of St Andrews;

  • Provide essential facilities (including visitor toilets!) and make essential repairs to our historic building;

  • Provide better physical access to our building and collection;

  • Help us to achieve greater environmental and financial sustainability;

  • Support us in creating stronger bonds with our local community through an annual programme of co-operative exhibitions and events, volunteering opportunities and outreach activities;

  • Create an outdoor exhibition space, allowing us to exhibit more of the 27,000 items in our collection.

National Lottery Heritage Fund logo. Crossed fingers on blue background.

Thanks to National Lottery players

Our Redevelopment Journey

The entire project is costed at around £1.5 million. In 2022 we secured funding for the development stage of the project from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Museums Galleries Scotland to develop our plans and begin the fundraising process. We are working hard to make this exciting project a reality, and while we have secured significant funding from major donors, every penny counts. To join us on our journey in preserving the social history of St Andrews, you can make a donation directly to the project, or even sponsor an artefact that is of special interest to you.

Would you like to help?

As well as raising the necessary funds, the project can only happen if we have a diverse team offering a variety of skills and experience. We are fortunate to have a valued team of volunteers who dedicate their time and knowledge to the museum and its future plans. If you would like to get involved with our fundraising efforts, or if you would simply like to find out more about becoming a project volunteer please contact museum@stapt.org.uk.