The Dwemer Museum sits inside Understone Keep in Markarth, to the right of the entrance with a single guard at the door. It shows off what Calcelmo has gathered from Dwemer ruins all over Skyrim, from deactivated machines to everyday Dwarven kitchenware. Thieves, smiths and lore nerds all have reasons to visit.
What you’ll find
- Deactivated machines – Dwarven spheres, spiders and centurions on display, thankfully switched off.
- Display cases – adept and expert locks everywhere, plus Dwemer weapons and armor.
- Dwemer scrap – enough assorted metal to smelt over 100 Dwarven Metal Ingots.
- Calcelmo’s Laboratory – the lab is attached to the museum.
- Markarth guards – some posted here, many grumbling about how ruin traps keep killing their colleagues.
Quests
- Hard Answers – you must pass through the museum to reach Calcelmo’s Laboratory.
- Nimhe, the Poisoned One and The Book of Love – both give legal access. The museum is locked until you’ve dealt with Nimhe.
- No Stone Unturned – a Stone of Barenziah lies in the first gated room on the left.
Notable items
- Dwarven Sphere Centurion Arrow – a unique item.
- Unusual Gem (Stone of Barenziah).
- The book On the Great Collapse.
Tips
This is one of the best places in the game to train Lockpicking, and with Fortify Sneak gear (a ring, an amulet and Cicero’s Hat are the classic combo) you can push Sneak up fast too. Smiths should bring a big bag: all that Dwemer metal turns into a mountain of ingots. Just remember the guards are right there – ‘borrowing’ exhibits is still theft.
Good to know
The Jarl rarely visits, which suits Calcelmo just fine. Look for a broken fountain holding a coin purse and loose septims – someone’s been using it as a wishing well – and a tiny Dwarven Sword scaled down for a small case, which snaps back to normal size the moment you grab it.
Details checked against community wiki articles and the Skyrim game files, summarised in our own words.
