Explore the lives of animals from around the world, from the Arctic to Australia. 

Our dramatic Animal World gallery introduces the main themes of behaviour and interaction with the environment. 

Get up close with creatures from different habitats. From cooler climes meet a polar bear and Arctic fox, from Africa get acquainted with a family of lions and stretch your neck to see our giraffe. Go back in time to walk in the shadow of a giant T.rex skeleton cast. 

This gallery is located on Level 1 of the museum. 

Gallery highlights

The skeleton of a tyrannosaurus rex on display in a multi-storey museum gallery.

Marvel at a dinosaur

Our much-loved Tyrannosaurus rex guards the entrance to the Animal World gallery. The cast of the T.rex specimen brings people as close as possible to appreciate the scale and power of the real thing. 

Marvel at one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs that ever existed. 


A view of the National Museum of Scotland showcasing various artefacts, with some suspended in the air and others arranged around the room.

Look up at the panorama

Don't forget to look up when in the Animal World gallery. Suspended from the ceiling are different casts of animals of all types. 

See how many you can spot.


A visitor standing on a set of scales comparing their weight with the weight of different animals.

Animal weigh-in

Step onto the scales and find out if you weigh the same as a koala, penguin, or chimpanzee. Why not see how many people it takes to match the weight of a polar bear?

Gallery accessibility and facilities

Lighting and noise

This gallery is often busy and can become noisy. 

This gallery has medium levels of lighting. 

You can check our sensory map to explore all the different sensory experiences in different parts of the museum. 

Seating

There is no seating in this gallery. 

Please ask a member of the Visitor Experience team if you require a folding chair. 

Quiet spaces

If at any time you or someone you are visiting with finds the visit overwhelming, a member of staff can direct you to quieter areas in the museum. 

The sensory map also identifies the quieter spaces.

Toilets and baby changing

Toilets and baby changing facilities are available on most levels of the museum. 

Please check the museum map, or ask our Visitor Experience staff for directions.

Breastfeeding

You are welcome to breastfeed anywhere in the museum. There is seating on every level – please do ask our staff to show you the nearest comfortable seating or to point you in the direction of quieter spaces if you would prefer more privacy.