The National Museums Collection Centre at Granton, Edinburgh,
provides a home for many of the objects and specimens that are not
currently on display in our museums. In fact, our collections are
so extensive, only a small proportion can ever be shown at
once.
From Moby the whale to dinosaur bones, from motorbikes to
traction engines – the material gathered here is as diverse as it
is vast.
The stored material enables us to refresh exhibitions and study
subjects in depth.
In conjunction with the redevelopment of the National Museum of Scotland
we have built two new buildings at Granton, providing
state-of-the-art conservation laboratories and enhanced storage for
the national collections.
The slideshow below shows some of the hard work that goes on
behind the scenes at the Collection Centre.
Opening times
At present, visits are only possible by appointment for research
purposes; to discuss access for individual research please contact
the relevant Collections department.
At certain times of year, for example, during the Edinburgh
International Science Festival and on Doors Open Days, visitors are
able go behind the scenes at National Museums Collection
Centre on a guided tour.
Tours book up quickly so sign up for our e-newsletter and
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up-to-date with our latest events.
National Galleries of Scotland storage
The National Galleries of Scotland also has a purpose-built
storage building on site holding some of their reserve painting and
sculpture collections. For information on access to that part of
the site, please contact the National Galleries of
Scotland directly.