Plan your visit

The legal requirement to wear face coverings in our museums has lifted. However, we still strongly recommend that all visitors over the age of 12 wear them in our indoor spaces to help protect themselves and our staff.

Currently open are Hangar 4 (The Concorde Experience) and the Parachute Store, along with the Military Aviation and Civil Aviation Hangars, Fantastic Flight and Fortunes of War.

We have developed a new visitor map to show which parts of the museum are open and what new activities can be enjoyed during your visit, as well as a new family trail.

The Concorde Audio Guide is temporarily unavailable.

The Aviator Café is open, with indoor and outdoor seating areas. The café takes card and cash, with card being the preferred method of payment.

Browse the menu ahead of your visit.

National Museums Scotland Members receive a 20% discount in the café.

You are welcome to bring your own picnic to eat in our outdoor picnic area. Please dispose of your rubbish responsibly in the bins provided. Barbecues and gas stoves are not permitted.

The museum shop is open, accepting card payments only. In line with Scottish Government guidelines, face coverings must be worn in our shops.

National Museums Scotland Members receive a 10% discount on all shop purchases.

Outside aircraft can be boarded at the following times:

Bac 1-11

11:45 - 12:15 / 13:15 - 13:45 / 14:45 - 15:15

Comet 4c

11:00 - 11:30 / 12:30 - 13:00 / 14:00 -14:30

The outdoor Assault Course is open with clear guidance on how the equipment should be used and with hand sanitiser nearby. We ask that children under 12 be supervised by one adult per household when using the Assault Course.

Families and children of all ages are welcome at the National Museum of Flight.

• Trained first aiders are always on duty and a policy is in place if children become separated from their party.
• Baby changing facilities are available in the Concorde hanger.
• There is an outdoor picnic area, popular with families of all ages.
• Please note that we are currently unable to store buggies and pushchairs, and the lockers are temporarily unavailable.

Please visit our Schools pages for more information about booking a school visit to the museum.

For the safety of our visitors and staff, no birthday parties will be offered during this period.

Assistance dogs are welcome in the museum buildings and on the outdoor site.

Non-assistance dogs are welcome outdoors, but must be on a lead. They are not allowed in the museum buildings. Please note, dogs are not allowed inside the hangar spaces.

Read the outdoor access code for dog walking.

Everyone is welcome to take photographs, including flash photography, in the hangars and galleries and around the outdoor site. Please note, photography restrictions may be in place around special exhibitions or displays. 

No prior permission is needed for photography intended for personal use. However, anyone wishing to use additional photography equipment onsite (eg a tripod) should contact the information desk to obtain a photo pass.

All photographers wishing to take photographs for commercial use are asked to contact Maggie Wilson in our Picture Library prior to visiting on 0131 247 4026 or at m.wilson@nms.ac.uk.

We want all our visitors and staff to be safe at the National Museum of Flight. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to a member of our Visitor Experience team. You can also help us keep the museum safe by reporting anything that looks out of place or suspicious to our Visitor Experience Assistants.