Search our website
Key in a search term below to search our website.
Key in a search term below to search our website.
Ming: The Golden Empire
Ming: The Golden Empire
Exhibitions are displayed below in date order, with the most recent first.
A rare opportunity to see one of the most important documents in Scottish history.
Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder explored the science behind the global hit television series Doctor Who and give fans a chance to experience the Doctor’s adventures from a scientific perspective.
This exhibition explored the life and career of Bernat Klein, one of the 20th century’s leading forces in modernist design, in this free exhibition marking the centenary of his birth.
This exhibition explored the history of anatomical study, from artistic explorations by Leonardo da Vinci to the Burke and Hare murders.
The typewriter not only revolutionised offices, but also transformed the world of work - especially for women. Explore how these remarkable machines have helped to influence both society and technology, and why they are still popular today.
This exhibition explored the artistry and legacy of one of the world’s rarest, most coveted and biggest books.
Visitors were able to see cleaned and conserved objects from the Hoard, revealing intricate decoration not seen since the objects' burial more than 1,000 years ago.
Visitors discovered the diversity of life in Scotland’s seas and the many threats facing our marine life.
Visitors discovered some of the treasures within the National Museum Scotland's significant collection of oracle bones, the second largest in the world outside of China.
Visitors met the most feared and revered of all dinosaurs in this cutting-edge exhibition, that brought the latest discoveries in palaeontology to life and challenging preconceptions about these ferocious predators.
The Luxury of Time displayed a collection of rare and significant historical timepieces telling the story of a golden age of innovation in British watch and clockmaking.
Dramatic highland landscapes, tartan and bagpipes are among the defining images of Scotland for many people around the world today. This exhibition explored how they were used to represent Scotland.
This exhibition looked at how today’s fashion industry is challenging perceptions and championing alternative ideals of beauty on the catwalk, in advertising, editorial and behind the camera.
This display told the stories of the makers and users of an instrument that has been fundamental in improving our understanding of the natural world.
Discover how brass and copper once featured as mediums of exchange, status and power in Africa through highlights of the museum’s 19th and early 20th century collections from west and central Africa.
This exhibition revealed an insight into the lives of children in the 18th and 19th centuries through a unique collection of Scottish samplers on loan from American collector Leslie B. Durst.
From early mechanised human forms to today’s cutting-edge technology, this major exhibition revealed our 500-year quest to make machines human.
This first major exhibition dedicated to Scottish pop music explored the musical culture of the nation over more than half a century, from influential indie pioneers to global superstars.
This 2018 exhibition explored the work of current leading glass artists in Britain.
This display showcased the Soyuz spacecraft used for European Space Agency Astronaut Tim Peake’s Principia Mission to the International Space Station.
This exhibition invited visitors to discover a generation of designers and makers who embraced innovative and diverse influences, from the natural environment to non-precious materials.
In it's 53rd year, this world-renowned touring exhibition showcased the very best in nature photography.
Celebrating the centenary of the Strathmore Meteorite, this display reunited the four fragments for the first time.
The story of Scotland’s early silver and how this precious metal helped to shape the first kingdoms of Scotland.
This exhibition explored the real story of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, and the rise and fall of the Jacobites.
Exploring the people and places of Scotland’s offshore energy industry through the work of visual artist Sue Jane Taylor.
Supporters from around the world joined together to help us raise the £1.98 million required to save the Galloway Hoard for the nation.
The Tomb presented the story of one extraordinary tomb, built around 1290BC and reused for over 1000 years.
A small display that brought together key objects from an important time in Scottish industrial history.
A small display that brought together a range of fossils to explore some of the myths and early uses for fossils.
This small display showcased an outstanding collection of works in ceramics, glass and jewellery.
Monkey Business let visitors get up close to the world of primates, from the tiny mouse lemur to the mighty gorilla.
In it's 51st year, this prestigious photography event showcased the very best in nature photography.
This major exhibition unravelled the complex story of the different groups who have used or been given the name ‘Celts’ through the extraordinary art objects they made and used.
This small display revealed the work of pioneering Scots in the development of the reflective telescope.
This exhibition explored how life on earth moved from water onto land 360-345 million years ago.
Warren Elsmore and his team displayed some of their most beautiful and intricate mini-buildings and models in our Grand Gallery.
This small display highlighted a selection of the recent acquisitions at National Museums Scotland.
This small display explored the development of toys over the last 150 years.
This exhibition celebrated the 200th anniversary of Pringle of Scotland.
This ground-breaking exhibition celebrated the exceptional creativity and skill which make Britain a world leader in modern silver.
This exhibition showcased the pioneers of photography, and how the Victorian craze for the photograph transformed the way we capture images.
This small exhibition explored the impact of the battle within Scotland.
This striking exhibition presented vivid depictions of Kabuki, the popular form of traditional, all-male Japanese theatre, from our Japanese woodblock print collection.
This small exhibition focused on four of the finest porcelain artists working in Japan in the late 19th century.
Featuring over 100 playable games, Game Masters showcased the work of more than 30 leading videogame designers.
Indian Encounters explored the changing relationships between Great Britain and India during the 18th and 19th centuries through the lives of two men with very different experiences of British imperial rule.
Express Yourself explored the commissioning, collecting and creators of jewellery including leading UK jewellers and fashion designer Jean Muir.
New to the National Collection showcased the latest additions to our collections, including objects that will feature in ten new galleries in 2016.
This intriguing exhibition was devised by acclaimed contemporary Australian artist Danie Mellor.
Since 2012, young people from across Scotland have worked with our staff and at four partner museums to explore where they come from.
This exhibition revealed the extraordinary story of the Ming dynasty, a period of China’s history marked by economic strength and a dramatic flourishing of the arts.
This exhibition explored the stories of the Scottish diaspora and the war experiences of Commonwealth nations during the First World War.
Join the battle against five tropical diseases and the parasites that cause them in this interactive exhibition and discover how scientific research taking place in Scotland is leading the way in this field.
Marvel up close at the pages of an illustrated prayer book featuring a handwritten poem by a young Mary, Queen of Scots.
This exhibition highlights the exciting work being carried out in Scotland to fight against climate change.
Artist Luke Jerram's 'Extinction Bell' hopes to raise awareness of biodiversity loss.
Come and see the 90ft long inflatable sculpture with your own eyes!
