Download our family trail to help you plan a structured visit to the National Museum of Scotland.

The Cockcroft-Walton generator was developed at the University of Cambridge in the early 1930s to accomplish the first artificial splitting of the atom.

Head outdoors and see how many brilliant birds you can spot with the help of some bright binoculars! Learn how to make them here!

Discover the classic Ruston steam excavator, and find out how our conservation team restored it to its former glory.

Marvel up close at the pages of an illustrated prayer book featuring a handwritten poem by a young Mary, Queen of Scots.

What is it like to hold your own brain? John Scott, a Lothian Birth Cohort participant, was lucky enough to find out

This display highlights a small selection from our Scottish History & Archaeology collections, showing how research and collecting at National Museums Scotland is reshaping understandings of Scotland in the past, and reflecting the Scotland of today for future generations of museum visitors.

Archaeological finds from Rome's invasions of Scotland can be found throughout the country, from the Solway Firth to Moray. Three of the most prominent sites are Trimontium, Traprain Law, and the Antonine Wall.

A general self-led visit is free to book and allows you to explore a wide range of topics.

Museums are great places to uncover stories. Build your own story, inspired by our amazing objects.

This contemporary piece by sculptor Michael Eden celebrates the architectural styles of the National Museum of Scotland.

Discover how this traditional Scottish instrument was commissioned for the Performance and Lives gallery in the National Museum of Scotland.

Make your own bird spotting Blue Tit buddy with these instructions!

Explore the life and career of Bernat Klein, one of the 20th century’s leading forces in modernist design, in this free exhibition marking the centenary of his birth.

Find out more about the only giant ibis skeleton owned by any museum in the world.

Thursday 25 June 2020 marks the 65th anniversary of the first flight of the Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer. We mark this occasion with a look back at how commercial aviation has changed.

Robert I, also known as Robert Bruce, was king of Scots from 1306 to 1329. Follow his journey from coronation to grave through objects associated with this famous warrior.

In the early 18th century, natural history was an increasingly popular pastime and many people visited fields and ponds, often bringing a microscope, to investigate the flora and fauna.

Some robots have arrived at the Museum needing our help! But sometimes the best person to fix a robot... is another robot!

It's over 40 years since Scotland's Concorde took to the skies in the first BA Concorde fleet commercial passenger flight. Don't miss the chance to get up close to G-BOAA.

This revolutionary pneumatic tyre was donated to the museum by its maker, John Boyd Dunlop, in 1910. But who really invented it?

Join curator Anna Groundwater for a guided virtual tour of life in Renaissance Scotland at the National Museum of Scotland.

In 2013, National Museums Scotland acquired one metal sculpture and one work on paper by contemporary Australian artist Danie Mellor.

Preparing for the Art of Glass exhibition at National Museum of Scotland.

Explore the National Museum of Scotland with your class using our themed trails.

Watch as artist Kayleigh McCallum shows you how to draw a King Penguin from our collection.

Watch as artist Kayleigh McCallum shows you how to draw the Hunterston Brooch from our collection.

Summer is usually the season for gala days and rural shows, including our own Heavy Horse Show. Celebrate the champions you know – family, friends or even pets - by making them a personalised rosette!

Watch as artist Kayleigh McCallum shows you how to draw an Egyptian Coffin from our collection.

Can you complete our Selfie Safari challenge? Find all the animals and take a family portrait with each one!

Discover the life of the National Bard through the collections of National Museums Scotland.

From Samurai treasures to tiny netsuke, the National Museum of Scotland has the largest Japanese collection in Scotland.

Join curator Margaret Maitland for a guided virtual tour of our Ancient Egypt Rediscovered gallery.

A huge range of different elements are used to make up the components of a mobile phone. But did you know that many of them can be found in minerals you can see on display at the National Museum of Scotland?

The Messerschmitt Komet was the fastest aircraft of the Second World War, and the only rocket-powered fighter plane ever to be used in combat.

Explore inside the National Museum of Rural Life with your class using our themed trails.

The National Museum of Rural Life is open and tickets are available to book online.

Meet the 12 metre-long, spectacular life-sized skeleton cast of a Tyrannosaurus rex, one of the star attractions at the National Museum of Scotland.

This Victorian scale model of a printing press was made in the Museum's own workshop.

The Wester Kittochside Farm at National Museum of Rural Life was owned and run by the Reid family for more than 400 years. Find out how the tenth laird and his family celebrated Christmas and New Year on the farm.

A Stirling engine is powered by hot air rather than steam. Now 200 years old, its revolutionary technology has become even more relevant today.

The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, jet-powered advanced trainer aircraft. A stunning pair of Hawk wings with the iconic RAF Red Arrows livery are on display in the new Explore gallery at the National Museum of Scotland.

GEN is an innovative strategy game where you can use biomedical objects from the museum collection to diagnose and treat a digital creature.

All you need to know for a great family visit at the museum.

See an iconic piece of Scotland’s national heritage, the silver casket believed to have been owned by Mary, Queen of Scots.

Discover the story of the people who designed, built and operated Scotland's lighthouses through the objects which brought their role to life.

Learn more about what’s changed to help you plan your visit to the National Museum of Rural Life.

What do museum collections reveal about Britain’s and Scotland’s role in the Transatlantic slave system and the experiences of enslaved people?