National Museum of Scotland

What's on

List of Exhibitions

  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

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  2. Close up of a taxidermy specimen of a grey legged douroucouli, looking directly at the camera. The douroucouli has grey fur, and a round face with a flat nose. It's main features are its eyes, which are red, striking, and looking directly at the camera.
    Exhibition

    Monkeys: Our Primate Family

    –
    Monkeys: Our Primate Family is one of the most comprehensive exhibitions on primates ever staged, featuring over 50 rare primate specimens.

    National Museum of Scotland

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  3. 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.
    Just announced

    National Museum of Scotland

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  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. 

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List of Events

  1. An adult helping a child with a science experiment
    Event

    Find Out Fridays

    10 Jan – 27 Jun and 15 Aug – 19 Dec 2025, every Friday afternoon during term time 13:30 – 16:00
    Drop-in Friday fun for families of all ages.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

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  2. A youg child and his parent or carer are surrounded by a crowd of people and enjoying an event in the grand gallery at the National Museum of Scotland.
    Event

    Monkey Business

    Sat 28 and Sun 29 Jun, Sat 19 and Sat 26 Jul, 10:30 - 16:00
    This summer, celebrate the opening of our new exhibition 'Monkeys: Our Primate Family' with activities for all the family.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

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  3. A man and a boy sit on a bench in the grand gallery looking at a large dinosaur picture book. The boy is wearing ear protectors.
    Event

    Relaxed Morning

    6 Jul - 2 Nov 2025, 10:00 - 12:00 (Quiet space open until 12:30)
    Join us for our monthly Relaxed Morning for anyone who would appreciate a calmer visit to the museum.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

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  4. A person tracing a child's hand on a piece of paper.
    Event

    Sensory Sunday

    Sun 4 May – Sun 5 Oct, 11:00 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 15:00
    Exciting, hands-on sensory play sessions for children with additional support needs.

    National Museum of Scotland

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  5. An intergenerational family are wearing monkey ears and holding hands. They look very happy.
    Event

    Member Event: Monkeys Family Fun

    Sat 12 Jul, 14:30 - 16:00
    Join us for an afternoon of monkey family fun. Discover more about the life of primates with our guest speaker from Edinburgh Zoo, take the monkey quiz, and win fantastic prizes in our fancy dress competition.

    National Museum of Scotland

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  6. Young person points at a model of the museum made from Lego.
    Event

    Summer Family Fun

    Mondays and Fridays from 14 Jul - 1 Aug, 10:30 - 15:30
    Get crafty, get curious, get up-close with our fun summer holiday activities.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

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  7. Two people sitting at a table listening to a member of museum staff talk about a sword from the collections.
    Event

    Museum Socials

    Third Friday of the month, 10:30 – 12:00
    Our Museum Socials are designed for people living with dementia, their relatives, friends, carers, and supporters.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

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  8. Event

    Gilded Balloon at the Museum

    –
    We are ready to play host to Fringe legends Gilded Balloon once again.
    Tickets available

    National Museum of Scotland

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  9. Event

    Museum Late: Festival Ceilidh

    Fri 1 and Fri 8 Aug 2025, 19:30 - 22:30
    Come ‘gie it laldy’ with a traditional Scottish ceilidh in the Grand Gallery, plus activities throughout our galleries.  

    National Museum of Scotland

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