Dundee Museum of Transport is beginning to move to Maryfield - and needs your help to get there
One of Dundee’s most ambitious heritage projects is entering an exciting new chapter, with the public being invited to help transform a historic tram depot into the city’s newest museum.
After more than a decade of planning, preparation and restoration work, Dundee Museum of Transport is preparing to leave its current home at Market Mews and move into the former Maryfield Tram Depot, a building that has been part of Dundee’s history for more than 125 years.
But moving an entire museum is no small task.
With thousands of historic objects, an extraordinary collection of vehicles and a new museum to prepare, the team behind the project has launched a major public appeal to help make the move possible.
The museum hopes to raise £20,000 towards the practical costs of relocating its collection and preparing Maryfield to welcome visitors in 2027.
And with its current premises closing at the end of October, the next few months will be among the most important in the museum’s history.
Saying goodbye to Market Mews after 12 years
For more than a decade, Dundee Museum of Transport has welcomed visitors to its home at Market Mews, near the city centre.
What was originally intended to be a temporary location has become a much-loved attraction, filled with historic vehicles, fascinating objects and memories of Dundee’s transport history.
From buses and trams to motorcycles, cars and other vehicles, the museum has helped generations of Dundonians reconnect with the city’s past.
Visitors have often described it as a hidden gem, with many returning time and time again to discover something new.
But after 12 years, the museum is preparing to close its doors at Market Mews for the final time on Saturday 31 October 2026.
It’s an emotional milestone for an attraction that has become such a familiar part of Dundee’s cultural landscape.
However, rather than marking the end of the story, the closure represents the beginning of something much bigger.
The museum is finally preparing to move into the historic Maryfield Tram Depot, bringing years of planning and preparation closer to reality.
A remarkable new future for Maryfield Tram Depot
Maryfield Tram Depot first opened in 1901, during an era when trams were an essential part of everyday life in Dundee.
For decades, the building played an important role in keeping the city’s transport network moving, before eventually falling into disuse.
In 2015, Dundee Museum of Transport purchased the former depot with the ambition of preserving the historic building and transforming it into a permanent home for its collection.
Since then, extensive work has been undertaken to secure its future.
Now, more than a decade later, that vision is moving closer to becoming a reality.
The museum is aiming to open at Maryfield during the second half of 2027, creating a major new attraction where visitors will be able to explore Dundee’s transport history inside a building that once played a central role in it.
And remarkably, while Maryfield served as a working tram depot for many years, it was never previously open to the public.
Its transformation will therefore give Dundonians the opportunity to explore this historic building in a completely new way.
But first, an entire museum needs to move
While much of the attention has understandably focused on restoring Maryfield Tram Depot, another enormous challenge now lies ahead.
The museum must pack, protect, transport and eventually reinstall its collection.
That includes around 7,000 historic objects, alongside the vehicles and artefacts that have made the museum such a popular attraction.
Every item needs to be carefully handled and prepared for the move.
And for a relatively small team supported by dedicated volunteers, it’s an enormous undertaking.
The museum also faces another significant challenge.
Once Market Mews closes on 31 October, it will no longer receive the regular visitor income that helps support its day-to-day activities.
Yet essential work will continue throughout the months leading up to Maryfield’s opening.
Staff and volunteers will still need to care for the collection, prepare exhibitions, develop activities and get the new museum ready for visitors.
That’s why the museum has launched its latest public appeal.
How Dundonians can help make the move happen
Dundee Museum of Transport is hoping to raise £20,000 to support the transition from Market Mews to Maryfield.
The appeal forms part of a wider effort to secure £125,000 by spring 2027.
Importantly, the money being raised is not intended to pay for the restoration of the tram depot itself, which has been supported through separate funding.
Instead, it will help cover the practical work involved in moving the museum and preparing its new home.
That includes everything from protective materials needed to safely pack historic objects to the staff time and resources required to organise the move.
These might not be the most visible parts of creating a new museum, but they’re essential to making it happen.
And the museum is encouraging people to support the appeal with whatever they can afford.
A donation of £5, £10 or more could help contribute towards the costs of protecting the collection and preparing it for future generations.
For those unable to donate, simply sharing the appeal with friends and family could also make a difference.
More than just a museum
The plans for Maryfield go far beyond creating a larger home for Dundee’s transport collection.
The ambition is to establish a welcoming community space where people can learn, meet others, share their skills and discover the city’s history.
Families will be able to enjoy new exhibitions and activities together, while educational programmes developed with local schools will help young people explore Dundee’s transport heritage and potential future careers.
There will also be opportunities for volunteering, community events and other activities designed to bring people together.
And the benefits could extend well beyond the museum itself.
The project is expected to support local regeneration, create employment opportunities and contribute an estimated £1.8 million annually to Dundee’s economy once established.
It’s an ambitious vision for a building that was once at risk of being lost.
A former tram depot that helped keep Dundee moving more than a century ago could soon become a place where the city’s transport history is preserved, celebrated and shared with future generations.
Help write the next chapter of Dundee’s transport history
The coming months will mark a major turning point for Dundee Museum of Transport.
After 12 years of welcoming visitors at Market Mews, the museum is preparing to say goodbye to the place that helped establish it as one of Dundee’s much-loved heritage attractions.
But the excitement surrounding Maryfield is growing.
For the first time, the museum will have the opportunity to bring its collection together within a historic building that is itself an important part of Dundee’s transport story.
And with the public’s support, the team hopes to make that transition as successful as possible.
Dundee Museum of Transport is inviting people across the city to help raise £20,000 towards the move, with donations of any size welcomed.
It’s an opportunity to play a small part in something that could benefit Dundee for generations to come.
After all, Maryfield Tram Depot has already been part of the city’s story for 125 years.
Now, Dundonians have the chance to help give it a remarkable new future.
Support the museum’s move to Maryfield here at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-us-move-the-museum-to-maryfield
