National Museums Scotland Listings

Exhibitions & displays

National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
 

Exhibitions & displays    
   
National Museum of Scotland     
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF    
Open 10:00–17:00 daily   

The Declaration of Arbroath
Until 02 Jul 2023
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3       
Free entry       

The Declaration of Arbroath is a letter dated 6 April 1320 written by the barons and freeholders of the Kingdom of Scotland to Pope John XXII. The letter asked the pope to recognise Scotland’s independence and acknowledge Robert the Bruce as the country’s lawful king. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see one of the most famous documents in Scottish history – the Declaration of Arbroath.

Find our more nms.ac.uk/The-Declaration-of-Arbroath

Beyond the Little Black Dress 
1 Jul – 29 Oct 2023 
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3 
Ticketed (concessions available)

From design classics to cutting-edge catwalk creations, this exhibition deconstructs the little black dress and examines the radical power of the colour black in fashion. The exhibition will chart a century of fashion in a series of themed, immersive displays. Iconic early pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Jean Muir will be juxtaposed with recent looks by ground-breaking contemporary designers and brands like Gareth Pugh, Simone Rocha and Off-White. 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Beyond-the-Little-Black-Dress

Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania
12 Aug 2023 – 14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free

Delve into the most important and pressing issue of our time, humanity’s damaging relationship with planet Earth. This urgent issue is felt especially deeply in Australia and the Pacific Islands where sea levels are rising due to climate change and the oceans are filling with plastic. Rising Tide considers our relationship to the natural environment through contemporary artistic responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Rising-Tide

Japanese Contemporary Design   
Until 30 Jul 2023       
Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1      
Free entry
  
From striking statement jewellery to prints and porcelain vases, this new free display considers how Japanese contemporary makers have combined innovative and traditional art, craft and design elements over the past five decades.  

 The star object is Hitomi Hosono’s A Large Pine Tree Pool, a sculptural porcelain bowl with complex hand-carving made and acquired in 2019. Further highlights include Junko Mori’s intricate New Pinecone Silver Organism, and colourful body adornments by jeweller Suō Emiko’s adapted from metalworking and engraving techniques traditionally used in the making of Japanese sword fittings.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Japanese-Contemporary-Design

Events 

National Museum of Scotland     
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF    
Open 10:00–17:00 daily   

Family Bonus Boxes
03 – 31 Jul
10:00 – 16:00
Grand Gallery, Level 1

Free, drop in Visitors can try out new sensory and play boxes, adding to the family experience in some of our galleries. Visit the Grand Gallery on the day for more information on where to find them.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/summer-at-the-museum

Join-in Jellyfish
06 – 08 Jul
14:00 – 16:00
Studio 2, Learning Centre Level 4
Free, drop in

Artist George Nuku will soon create the latest version of his installation, Bottled Ocean 2123. In this drop-in session, join our Learning Enablers to make jellyfish from emptied and cleaned plastic bottles. Visitors will be able to visit the Rising Tide: Art and Environment exhibition when it opens on 12 August to see if you can spot their jellyfish in the gallery.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/join-in-jellyfish

Just Sew You Know
10 & 11 Jul
10:15 – 13:15
Studio 2, Level 4 Learning Centre
£30 (£27 members & concessions)

Suitable for age 8 – 13, learn beginner’s sewing skills in this fun, practical workshop run by the Edinburgh Remakery. Visitors will be taught basic hand sewing techniques and sewing machine skills with experienced tutors to guide through. No experience is necessary and all materials and equipment are provided.

Book now nms.ac.uk/just-sew-you-know

Spotlight On: Beyond the Little Black Dress
13 Jul
14:00 – 15:00
Ticketed, various pricing

Join curator Georgina Ripley to explore design classics and cutting-edge catwalk creations in an introduction to our upcoming exhibition Beyond the Little Black Dress.

Book now nms.ac.uk/spotlight-on-beyond-the-little-black-dress

What, wear, when?
10 – 14 July
11:00 – 15:00
Grand Gallery, Level 1
Free, drop in

Join the Engagement team for some drop-in activities exploring clothing and sustainability.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/what-wear-when

Curiosity Club
15 Jul – 01 Aug
10:30 –12:00
Learning Centre, Level 4
Ticketed, £10 (Members and Concessions £9)

Leave the grown-ups at the door and jump into a Curiosity Club. Unleash your inner museum detective and explore through games, activities, and gallery visits. There’s a range of different topics to choose from, each capturing some of the museums most exciting and child friendly collections and themes.

Book now nms.ac.uk/curiosity-club

Repair to Wear
29 Jul 2023
10:30 – 13:00
Seminar Room, Level 4 Learning Centre
Free, drop-in

Run in partnership with the Edinburgh Remakery, their experienced sewers can help with repairs and simple alterations to textiles and clothing items, such as replacing buttons and zips, sewing on a patch, mending a rip, taking up trousers or a dress, or fixing a hem.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/ready-to-wear

Museum Late: Fringe Fridays
11 & 18 Aug
19:30 – 22:30
£16 – £20

Fringe Fridays are back! Enjoy a unique flavour of the Fringe and explore the museum after hours. From the Grand Gallery’s main stage to more intimate spaces across the museum, discover our world-class collections whilst soaking up the festival atmosphere.

Book now nms.ac.uk/fringefridays

Morning Curator Tour: Rising Tide
16 – 24 Aug
09:15 – 10:00
Ticketed, various pricing

On a tour which takes place before the museum opens to the general public, join the exhibition’s curator, Dr Ali Clark, as she delves into the stories behind the exhibition and explores innovative and artistic responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists.

Book now nms.ac.uk/morning-curator-tour-rising-tide

National Museum of Flight

East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00

Conservation Hangar Tours
Until 31 Mar 2024
Free with museum admission
Booking required

See behind the scenes of the work carried out in the museum’s Conservation hangar with a guided tour and find out more about objects from the collection that aren’t normally on display.

Book now nms.ac.uk/Conservation-Hangar-Tours

Operation Sabotage
9 July
Age 14+ event   
Ticketed   

The year is 1942 and you are stationed at the RAF base at East Fortune. There has been an act of sabotage and one of the aircraft is unknowingly carrying live ordnance with instructions to bomb the town.

Solve a series of fiendish puzzles to call off the flight and save North Berwick! Operation Sabotage is an escape room experience for 4-8 people that lasts up to an hour. Working together as a team, you must race against the clock in two Second World War-themed rooms to decipher the identity of the saboteur before it’s too late.  

Book now nms.ac.uk/Operation-Sabotage

National Museum of Rural Life   
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR  
Open 10:00–17:00 daily

Lewis’s Scottish Adventure Trail
Until 06 Oct
Trail
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Go on an adventure around the museum with a new family trail at the National Museum of Rural Life.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/lewis-s-scottish-adventure-trail

Nature Track Packs
Until 31 Aug
10:00 – 17:00
Borrow from the ticket desk
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Explore more at the National Museum of Rural Life this summer with our Nature Track Packs. Each pack contains fun ideas and activities to encourage children to engage all their senses to explore the countryside on a walk up to the farm.

National Museums Scotland Listings

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