# National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah > The National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah fills Al Hisn, the old fort that was home to the emirate's rulers. It opens Tuesday to Sunday — 8:00–18:00 in winter, 9:00–19:00 in summer — and closes on Mondays. Entry is AED 5, children aged 5–13 pay AED 2. Allow an hour or a little more. Web page: https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/ras-al-khaimah-national-museum - City: [Ras Al Khaimah](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah), United Arab Emirates - YesGo score: 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 15 min - Opening hours: Tue–Sun: winter 8:00–18:00, summer 9:00–19:00; closed Mondays; some sources give Friday as 14:00–20:00 only; hours change in Ramadan and on public holidays - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: AED 5 for adults, sold at the museum ticket desk - Children: AED 2 for ages 5–13, under-5s free - Free entry: People of determination plus one carer - Winter hours: Tue–Sun 8:00–18:00 - Summer hours: Tue–Sun 9:00–19:00 - Monday: Closed; also closed on the first day of Eid - Friday: Some sources say 14:00–20:00 only; the museum's own plan lists no separate Friday hours - Time needed: 1–1.5 hours - Parking: Free, outside the entrance - Access: Ground floor is wheelchair and stroller friendly, with an accessible washroom - Coordinates: 25.79439, 55.94520 - Facts checked: 03.11.2026 ## Key facts - **AED 5** — adult entry; AED 2 for children aged 5–13 (source: Museum floor plan, Visit Ras Al Khaimah; The National) - **Until 1964** — the fort was home to the ruling Al Qasimi family (source: English Wikipedia; Visit Ras Al Khaimah) - **1987** — the year the fort opened as a museum (source: English Wikipedia; The National) - **≈ 7,000 years** — age of the oldest finds, Ubaid-period pottery (source: Visit Ras Al Khaimah; The National (objects from around 5000 BC)) - **≈ 4,000 years** — age of a date-palm seed from the Bronze Age site at Shimal (source: English Wikipedia; RAK Media Office) - **12th century** — a gold coin, one of the collection's treasures (source: English Wikipedia; RAK Media Office) - **Only one in the UAE** — a Jewish gravestone found in the emirate (source: English Wikipedia; The National) - **Coral stone** — the fort's walls, which keep the rooms cool (source: The National; Visit Ras Al Khaimah) - **Madbasa** — an old date-syrup press found inside the fort itself (source: The National; museum floor plan, Visit Ras Al Khaimah) - **Police station and jail** — what the fort became after the rulers moved out (source: English Wikipedia; The National) > **Fridays, holidays and renovation** The museum is open, but sources disagree on Fridays: the museum's own floor plan says Tuesday to Sunday 8:00–18:00, while another Visit Ras Al Khaimah page lists Friday as 14:00–20:00 only. Hours change during Ramadan and public holidays, and it shuts on the first day of Eid. Some galleries close from time to time for restoration. Coming on a Friday or from Dubai just for this? Phone ahead. ## National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah hours and ticket price The museum opens **Tuesday to Sunday**, 8:00–18:00 in winter and 9:00–19:00 in summer, and is closed on Mondays. Adult entry is **AED 5**; children aged 5–13 pay AED 2, and under-5s, people of determination and one carer go free. Buy your ticket at the desk by the entrance — there's no need to book ahead. We couldn't confirm whether the desk takes cards, so carry AED 5–10 in cash. Taxis across the emirate accept bank cards. Go when it opens. In the morning the courtyard still has shade and you can climb the tower before the heat; at midday in summer the roof is too hot to enjoy. ## What is the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah? It's the emirate's main history museum, housed in **Al Hisn**, a coral-stone fort in the old town. Rooms open onto an inner courtyard, with a wind tower and a watchtower above. The ruling **Al Qasimi** family lived here until 1964; the fort then served as a police station and a jail before opening as a museum in 1987. Sources disagree on when the fort was first built — anything from the 17th to the 18th century — and today's walls are the result of several rebuilds and restorations. The building is the star: carved wooden doors, thick walls, cool rooms and views over the old town. Inside, the collection runs from Stone Age and Bronze Age finds to life before oil — pearling, fishing, weapons, jewellery and the date palm. Much of it was donated by local families and the ruling family. It's a small, quiet, traditional museum with glass cases rather than screens, and labels in Arabic and English. ## What to see inside - **Archaeology galleries** — finds from Shimal, Wadi Al Qor and other sites: pottery, bronze tools and seals. - **Julfar galleries** — the medieval trading port that came before Ras Al Khaimah, and its ceramics. - **The madbasa** — a date-syrup press discovered under the fort's floor. - **Weaponry** — swords, daggers and rifles in their own ground-floor room. - **Pearling and the sea** — divers' kit, dhow models and fishing nets. - **An Emirati wedding** — bridal dresses, jewellery and dowry gifts. - **The majlis and qahwa corner** — where guests may be offered Arabic coffee. - **Wind tower and pre-oil bedroom** — upstairs, showing how people kept cool before air conditioning. - **The watchtower** — views across the old town. - **The Quwasim Room** — by appointment only. ## How to get to the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah 1. The museum is on Al Hisn Road in the old town. Staying in the old town? Walk. From Al Qawasim Corniche it's about 3 km, five minutes by taxi. 2. Book a taxi on Careem (choose Hala RAKTA Taxi) or on RAKTA's own Sayr app — both bring official metered cabs, and the emirate's taxis take cards. The taxi hotline is 800 1700. 3. From Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (RKT): taxi only, about 24 km and 20–25 minutes. 4. From Dubai on a budget: RAKTA intercity bus to Ras Al Khaimah Bus Station in Al Dhait South (about AED 30, 1.5–2 hours), then a taxi of about 10 km, 10–15 minutes. 5. By city bus: RAKTA's Orange line (AED 8) runs from the bus station to Al Nakheel on the other side of the creek; from there it's about 4 km by taxi. A taxi straight from the bus station is quicker for little extra. 6. From Dubai by car or taxi: about 100 km, roughly an hour and a quarter without traffic. Parking at the entrance is free. ## Is it worth visiting? Yes, if you're in Ras Al Khaimah and want to see where the emirate came from. For the price of a coffee you get the rulers' old home and some 7,000 years of history in an hour. It's the emirate's main history museum, and the fort itself is more atmospheric than many modern galleries. Skip it if you're after the scale or technology of the big Abu Dhabi museums: the rooms are small and the displays old-school. It's too far to come from Dubai for the museum alone — pair it with the forts and the abandoned pearling village on the same day. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] It's not a Monday or the first day of Eid - [ ] Going on a Friday? Phoned to check the hours - [ ] AED 5–10 in cash for the ticket - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered - [ ] Careem or Sayr app installed - [ ] Arriving at opening time, while it's cool ## Historic places in Ras Al Khaimah compared Every historic place in Ras Al Khaimah rated by YesGo. - [National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/ras-al-khaimah-national-museum) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · AED 5, children 5–13 AED 2 - [Al Falayah Fort](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/al-falayah-fort) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, confirm access by phone - [Sheba's Palace](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/shebas-palace) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free, book 3 weeks ahead - [Al Jazirat Al Hamra ghost town](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/jazirat-al-hamra) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Dhayah Fort](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/dhayah-fort) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Suwaidi Pearls farm](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/suwaidi-pearls) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ AED 250 (unofficial) ## Ras Al Khaimah history in a day: forts and a palace The fort museum first thing, then the mud-brick Al Falayah Fort, the hilltop palace ruins at Shimal and Dhayah Fort on its rock. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and drives. 1. [National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/ras-al-khaimah-national-museum) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · AED 5, children 5–13 AED 2 2. [Al Falayah Fort](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/al-falayah-fort) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, confirm access by phone 3. [Sheba's Palace](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/shebas-palace) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free, book 3 weeks ahead 4. [Dhayah Fort](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/dhayah-fort) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free > **What to wear** It's a government museum in the rulers' former home. There's no formal dress code, but local norms mean covered shoulders and knees. The galleries are air-conditioned; the courtyard and tower are not — bring water and a hat. ## Good to know “Al Hisn” simply means “the fort” in Arabic, so you'll find Al Hisn forts in Sharjah too, and Qasr Al Hosn in Abu Dhabi. This page is about the fort museum in Ras Al Khaimah's old town — not Zayed National Museum or the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, and not the Sharjah museums, which are 1.5–2 hours' drive away. ## Tips - Arrive at opening time: at 8 or 9 am the courtyard is cool and empty, and the tower is best before the heat. - Afterwards, head to the water — [Al Qawasim Corniche](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/ras-al-khaimah-corniche) is five minutes away by taxi. - Visiting on a Friday? Ring the ticket desk first, as some sources list afternoon hours only. - Pair the museum with [Suwaidi Pearls](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/suwaidi-pearls): the farm shows how pearls were found, the museum has the divers' kit. - The Quwasim Room opens by appointment only — arrange it with the museum in advance if you want to see it. ## Questions ### How much is entry to the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah? AED 5 for adults and AED 2 for children aged 5–13. Under-5s, people of determination and one carer go free. ### What are the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah opening hours? Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00–18:00 in winter and 9:00–19:00 in summer; closed Mondays. Some sources give Friday as 14:00–20:00 only, so check before a Friday visit. ### Is the museum open on Fridays? Yes, but the hours are unclear: the museum's floor plan lists normal hours, while another tourism-board page says 14:00–20:00. Phone ahead. ### Where is the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah? On Al Hisn Road in the old town of Ras Al Khaimah, inside the old Al Hisn fort, about 3 km from Al Qawasim Corniche. ### How do I get there from Dubai? About 100 km — roughly an hour and a quarter by car or taxi. Cheaper: the RAKTA intercity bus to Ras Al Khaimah Bus Station, then a 10-minute taxi. ### How long do you need at the museum? An hour to an hour and a half. The galleries are small; allow the extra half hour for the majlis and the tower. ### What is there to see? Archaeology from Shimal and Julfar, a date-syrup press, weapons, pearl-diving gear, the rulers' rooms, the wind tower and the watchtower. ### Is it good for kids? Yes — tickets are AED 2, under-5s are free, there's a youth corner on the ground floor and strollers can get round. ### Is the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah worth visiting? Yes, if you're already in Ras Al Khaimah: the rulers' old fort and the emirate's history for almost nothing. Not worth the drive from Dubai on its own. ## How we checked Hours and prices come from the museum's official floor plan published by Visit Ras Al Khaimah, cross-checked with a Visit Ras Al Khaimah itinerary and The National — the prices match. Friday hours conflict: another Visit Ras Al Khaimah page and Platinumlist give afternoons only, so Friday is marked as unconfirmed. We found no reports of the museum closing, and the tourism board keeps listing its hours and prices in recent material. Sources give different centuries for the fort, so we don't quote a construction year. Distances are our own OpenStreetMap calculation. ## Sources - Visit Ras Al Khaimah (the emirate's tourism board): National Museum floor plan — hours, prices, galleries - Visit Ras Al Khaimah: history-first weekend itinerary — hours, prices, address - Visit Ras Al Khaimah: museum page — opening hours by day - The National: Museums of the UAE — National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah - English Wikipedia: National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah; Wikidata Q109795428 - RAK Media Office: Tamra exhibition press release - Visit Ras Al Khaimah: intercity and city buses, how to book a taxi (Careem, Sayr) - OpenStreetMap and OSRM: distances and driving times --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.