A multi-level open museum space with balconies and an arched ceiling. There are lots of visitors looking at objects on display.

National Museum of Scotland

With thousands of amazing objects across multiple galleries, the Museum offers you a world of discovery all under one roof

Visitor information for National Museum of Scotland

Admission details:

Free entry

Find us:

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

Tel: 0300 123 6789

Opening hours:

Open daily, 10:00 - 17:00

Closed 25 Dec. Open 26 Dec, 12:00 – 17:00. Open 1 Jan, 12:00 – 17:00.

What's on

  1. Event

    Makkin it

    Mon 05 April – Sun 19 April , 10:00 – 12:00 and 13:00 – 15:00  
    Television to the telephone, fridges and fingerprinting to the humble flushing toilet, we Scots have invented a fair few useful things.    Join our Learning Team in the Grand Gallery to discover the guid, the great an’ no sae great of…
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

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  2. Woman and baby in arms sitting on the floor on a checked carpet.
    Event

    Magic Carpet

    Fri 6, 13 and 20 Mar, 10:30-11:15 and 11:45-12:30
    Explore the collection with our Magic Carpet sessions for under 5s. Inspire curious little minds through song, rhymes, movement and sensory play.
    Just announced

    National Museum of Scotland

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  3. A person with a pram is talking to a museum worker, in the grand gallery at the national museum of scotland. The museum worker is at a small stand, with a sign saying 'Engagement team' behind them.
    Event

    Find Out Fridays

    5 Sep 25 - 26 Jun 2026, every Friday afternoon during term time 13:30 – 16:00
    Drop-in Friday fun for families of all ages.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

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See what else is on

Stories from the collections

  1. Twelve bronze objects, including some rounded fittings with concentric circle designs and a rattle pendant. They are all silvery, with some green corrosion on the surface.
    Discover

    What is the Peebles Hoard?

    The Peebles Hoard is a spectacular collection of bronze, leather and wooden material. Dating to the Late Bronze Age (c.1000-800 BCE), it contains several hundred elements from a complex set of objects. A complete sword in a wooden scabbard…
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  2. An open book, with the left hand page showing an illustration of a peacock, and the right showing scrolled text.
    Discover

    6 highlights from our library

    Written by Morven Donald
    Founded by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, the library at National Museum Scotland received its first book in 1781 – which is still on our shelves. Over the past 234 years, the library has gathered a wide-ranging and often…
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  3. Discover

    'I am yours': 11 Scottish posy rings

    Written by Dr Georgia Vullinghs
    Posy rings are some of the most evocative objects of love in National Museums Scotland's collections. These finger rings are named for the short inscriptions engraved on the inside of their band. 
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  4. A black and white photograph of a woman to the right, with short wavy brown hair, wearing a lose back jacket at a studio desk. She is operating am old-fashioned lathe. There is a bright double window to left.
    Discover

    Inspiring women: Helen Monro Turner

    Written by Sarah Rothwell
    Helen Monro Turner (1901 – 1977) was a distinguished Scottish glass engraver, designer, educator, and illustrator. An important figure in the development of glass art, Monro Turner was an early role model for women working in glass, and…
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Awards