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

Contact:

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. A black and white photo of a group of people standing in a city square holding balloons. There is a child's pram covered in protest signs and buttons.
    Exhibition

    Cold War Scotland

    –
    Exploring Scotland’s critical position on the frontline of the Cold War, this exhibition tells the stories of the Scots at the centre of this global conflict.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

    More info
  2. 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

    Find out more
  3. Man with glasses and white gloves hold a Bronze Age spearhead close to his face.
    Event

    Annual Open Evening

    Thursday 20 November, 18:00 ⁠– 19:30
    Join us for the Annual Open Evening to find out more about our collections and the work that we do across all our museums.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more
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…
    Keep reading
  2. Small sewing kit with buttons, thread, needles and thimble.
    Discover

    Souvenirs of service: Mementoes from the First and Second World Wars

    Written by Dr Julie Holder
    We all collect souvenirs throughout our lives connected to different people, places and events. These objects were collected as souvenirs of service in both the First and Second World Wars. 
    Keep reading
  3. A cream-coloured mould-made ceramic figures in the shape of a mummified person, surrounded by a black background.
    Discover

    A history of ancient Egyptian shabtis in 11 figures

    Written by Dr Daniel Potter
    Ancient Egyptian shabtis will be familiar to many museum-goers. Their iconic shape, portable size, and variety made them highly collectable in the 19th and 20th centuries.Shabtis are one of the few types of ancient Egyptian objects that…
    Keep reading
  4. A group shot of different minerals on a table
    Discover

    What's in a firework? Minerals that bang

    Written by Emily Brown
    So, you light a firework, you stand back and WHOOSH, off it shoots into the air. A few seconds wait and then BOOM, the firework explodes in a shower of coloured sparkles raining down from the sky.  To get this sequence of events, you need…
    Keep reading
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