Visiting FAQs

A range of new safety measures have been put in place in line with Scottish Government guidelines. This includes enhanced cleaning, sneeze screens and hand sanitising stations.

We want you to have a safe and enjoyable visit. During your visit, we ask you to:

• Please keep your distance from others.
• Use the hand sanitiser provided.
• Wash your hands often.
• Card payments are the preferred method of payment.
• 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.

Please do not visit the museum if you or anyone in your household has any symptoms of Coronavirus.

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.

Masks and face screens are available to all staff who wish to use them and who are unable to adhere to social distancing measures because of the nature of their role.

Please do not visit the museum if you or anyone in your household has any symptoms of Coronavirus.

In line with the updated Scottish Government guidelines, you no longer need to pre-book a ticket to visit the National Museum of Scotland.

Plan your visit

The museum is open 10:00–17:00 each day.

The main museum entrances are located on Chambers Street. The Tower entrance is an accessible entrance for groups with visitors who have additional mobility requirements or buggies.

A new visitor map shows which galleries and facilities are open, and new trails have been developed for use in the museum. These include a Family Puzzle trail, a Staff Top Picks trail and an audio-led Reset trail to help you find moments of calm and mindfulness. 

Exhibitions are currently being staged at the National Museum of Scotland.

All of our special exhibition spaces are open. Find out what's on during your visit.

Our free public guided tours are for adult individuals and small groups (up to six people only). Find out more about our Scotland Galleries highlights tour.

Our toilets are open, including accessible toilets, a Changing Places (U) toilet and baby changing facilities. In line with Scottish Government guidelines and our commitment to ensure the safety of our visitors as much as possible, we have increased the frequency and expanded the cleaning regime in these facilities each day. Please speak to the team should you have any questions during your visit.

New self-service lockers are located in the entrance hall. The lockers come in three sizes which accommodate coats and small bags right up to small flight cases. You will need a smart phone and mobile payment or credit card to access the lockers or if you’d rather pay cash just visit our shop to purchase a voucher. Charges for all day storage range from £2 - £7 and all profits made go towards the work of National Museums Scotland.

There is no buggy park or storage in the museum. You can leave your buggy at the side of our children’s galleries while playing in the space, but please take your bugy with you when you leave the gallery.

The Tower entrance is an accessible entrance for visitors who have additional mobility requirements or buggies.

Lifts are in operation. We recommend entering via the Tower entrance if using buggies or wheelchairs, as the lifts up from the Chambers Street entrance can be busy.

Wheelchairs are available for loan whilst visiting the museum and are cleaned thoroughly between uses. Wheelchairs cannot be booked in advance, so please speak with our staff about availability on arrival.

The Balcony Café (Level 3) is open daily from 10:00–17:00 for tea, coffee, home baking, snacks and freshly prepared soup, sandwiches, salads and children's lunch boxes. Card payment is the preferred method of payment. Last orders are at 16:30.

The Museum Kitchen on Level 0 is open daily from 10:00–17:00 (last orders 16:45) for tea and coffee, home baking, cold snacks, freshly prepared sandwiches, salads, homemade soup and children's boxes.

The Group Space for eating your own food has now reopened and is available to use. Please clean the tables after use with the sanitising wipes provided. Our friendly visitor experience staff can answer any questions you have upon arrival.

The Museum Shops on Level 0 and Level 3 are open. Card payment is the preferred method of payment.

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.