National Museum of Scotland

What's on

List of Exhibitions

  1. Large 3D origami like sculptures of giant animals, in the giants exhibition space. In the foreground is a woolly mammoth, with glass panels on the legs that show real fossilised bones inside.
    Exhibition

    Giants

    –
    'Giants' showcases the colossal prehistoric creatures that lived 66 million years ago, through life-sized sculptures, skeletons, and fossils.

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more
  2. An array of bronze age weapons including a brown shield with a hole in the centre, a dark grey spearhead and a stack of green and grey short swords against a black background.
    Exhibition

    Scotland's First Warriors

    –
    'Scotland's First Warriors' reveals the origins and impact of conflict in prehistoric Scotland.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more
  3. A Roman stone altar with the face of the Roman god Sol carved into it. Rays of light pass through slits around the head of Sol.
    Exhibition

    Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire

    –
    'Roman Scotland' will tell new stories of Roman occupation and reshape our understanding of Scotland’s relationship with the Roman world. 

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more
  4. Two women looking at geological samples in a museum display case.
    Membership

    Become a Member

    Enjoy a range of benefits, including free entry, unlimited access to our special exhibitions, and event discounts. 

    Find out more

List of Events

  1. A large white card structure in the shape of a whale skull. The inside of the structure contains parts of a real bone skull, and teeth.
    Event

    Morning Curator Tour: Giants

    –
    Join our exhibition curator for an exclusive early-morning tour of Giants.

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more
  2. Event

    Museum Late: Festival Ceilidh

    Friday 7 and Friday 14 August, 19:30 – 22:30
    Come ‘gie it laldy’ as our sell out Festival Ceilidh returns for two nights this August.

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more
  3. A large origami-shaped model of a Woolly Mammoth in a museum exhibition space.
    Event

    BSL Tour: Giants

    Join tour guide, Babs Brown, for a Deaf-led tour of Giants.

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more
  4. A man in a shirt, glasses and white gloves examines a corroded bronze age spear head in front of a black background.
    Event

    Morning Curator Tour: Scotland's First Warriors

    Wed 26 Aug and Fri 18 Sept, 09:45 - 10:30
    Join our exhibition curator for an exclusive early morning tour of 'Scotland’s First Warriors'.

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more
  5. Woman and baby in arms sitting on the floor on a checked carpet.
    Event

    Magic Carpet

    Mon 11 May - Mon 22 Jun
    Explore the collection with our Magic Carpet sessions for under 5s. Inspire curious little minds through song, rhymes, movement and sensory play.

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more
  6. Two fossils lying on a large map next to some coloured pencils and a sketchbook. The sketchbook contains illustrations of the fossils.
    Event

    Creative Workshop: Drawing the Earth

    Sat 12 Sep, 12:30 - 16:30
    Inspired by the Tercentenary of James Hutton's birth, join us for this geology drawing workshop.

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more
  7. Young woman sketching on clipboard in front of wildlife exhibition
    Event

    The Sunday Sketch

    Sun 20 Sep 2026 – Sun 21 Mar 2027, 14:00 - 16:00.
    Join us to learn how to sketch, taking inspiration from the incredible collections on display in our museum galleries.

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more
  8. Black and white image of a cobblestone Victorian high street. There are various shop fronts, a horse and cart, and people walking around.
    Event

    Short Courses with the University of Edinburgh

    –
    Explore our collections with expert tutors on a University of Edinburgh Short Course hosted at the National Museum of Scotland. 
    Coming soon

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more
  9. A close up image of a person in dark clothes against a grey background playing a set of wooden small pipes
    Event

    Music at the Museum

    Tues 27 Oct – Tues 2 Mar, 11:30 – 12:15 and 13:30 – 14:15.
    Join us for free live music performances, featuring folk, classical, traditional Scottish, and modern fusion styles.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more