National Museum of Scotland: What’s On

LISTINGS from 31 JULY

Exhibitions & displays

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

Game On
29 Jun – 3 Nov 2024
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3
Tickets on sale spring 2024

Get set for Game On – the largest interactive exhibition of the history and the culture of video games. Game On, an exhibition conceived and curated by Barbican Immersive, examines the creative and technological advances that have established a new medium and artform.

From Sonic the Hedgehog to Mario, explore gaming’s rich history through over 100 playable games from the last five decades.

Find our more nms.ac.uk/game-on

Cold War Scotland
13 Jul 2024 – 26 Jan 2025
10:00 – 17:00
Special Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free

Scotland’s unique geography and topography provided a useful base for Allied military preparations and research during the Cold War, a 40-year nuclear stand-off between the USA and the Soviet Union following the end of the Second World War.

Cold War Scotland is an output of Materialising the Cold War, a collaborative research project between National Museums Scotland and the University of Stirling.

The project explores how the Cold War heritage is represented and how museums can adapt to tell this story in future. The exhibition will explore both the visible and invisible legacies of the war in Scotland.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/ColdWarScotland

Theravada Buddhism
Until 12 Jan 2025
Gallery 3, Level 1
Free

A thought-provoking display charts the history and influence of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition across the world, including its role in Scotland today. The display includes a Buddha on loan from The Dhammapadipa Temple in Edinburgh. The Buddha was designed and made in Thailand in 2013, then later gifted to Temple where it is now used in their garden meditation room.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/theravadabuddhism

Events

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

Summer Family Fun
Until 12 Aug
Mondays & Fridays
10:30 – 15:30
Grand Gallery and spaces across the museum
Free, drop in

Join us every Monday and Friday during the holidays for a range of fun drop-in activities for all the family. Our friendly Enabler team will be bringing our favourite themes to life from dinosaurs to outer space and from ancient Egypt to Vikings. Plus, we will be powering up with brand new activities inspired by our summer exhibition Game On.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/SummerFamilyFun

Gilded Balloon at the Museum
31 Jul – 26 Aug
Auditorium
Tickets from £10

Start your day with a musical note, enjoy a bit of politics at lunchtime and slide into evenings filled with comedy, plus everything in-between from Friend(s), magic and musicals.

Book now nms.ac.uk/GildedBalloon

BSL Museum Tour
12 & 16 Aug
11:00 – 12:00
Meet at the Lighthouse Lens in the Grand Gallery, Level 1
Free, booking required

Join BSL tour guide Barbara Brown for a themed, guided tour of the museum. The tour will last around one hour with the chance to explore the museum independently afterwards.

Book now nms.ac.uk/BSL-Museum-Tour

Faovale Imperium
16 – 18 Aug
15:30 – 16:30
Facing the Sea gallery & Level 1
Free – sign up on the day
Limited spaces available

Join comedian James Nokise and DJ Don Luchito for a funny and thought-provoking exploration of the National Museum of Scotland’s Pacific collections through poetry and music.

Find our more: nms.ac.uk/faovaleimperium

Morning Curator Tour: Cold War Scotland
Thu 22 Aug, Wed 25 Sep, Tue 29 Oct
09:15-10:00
Meet at Tower Entrance, Level 1
£12, £10 Members & Conc.

Join our exhibition curators for an exclusive early morning tour of our Cold War Scotland exhibition. Dr Meredith Greiling, Principal Curator of Technology, and Cold War Research Fellow Dr Sarah Harper will delve deeper into stories explored within the exhibition, from the emergence of nuclear energy in Scotland to the vibrant anti-nuclear protests and political activism of the period.

Book now nms.ac.uk/MorningTour

Collection Centre Tours
28 Aug – 26 Mar 2025
National Museums Collection Centre

Discover the secrets of how we store our Natural Sciences, Science & Technology and Scottish History & Archaeology collections, and find out how these objects and specimens are used in international research.  This is an in-person event at the National Museums Collection Centre in Granton, for those aged 14 and over.

Book now nms.ac.uk/CollectionCentreTours

National Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00

Second World War Satchels
2 Jul – 29 Aug
10:00 – 17:00
Concorde Hangar
Free with museum admission

Bring the history of the Second World War to life with our summer activity satchels for adults and families. Pick up one of our summer activity satchels and delve deeper into the history of the Second World War.

Separate satchels are available for adult and family visitors. The satchels are free to borrow and can be collected from The Concorde Hangar.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/SecondWorldWarSatchels

Second World War Puzzle Room
24 Jul – 29 Aug
Wed – Fri, 14:00 – 16:00
Building 26
Free with museum admission

Problem solving skills and the ability to work out codes were essential skills for people working in the RAF during the Second World War.

Work together as a family in our puzzle room and see if you can produce the answers. Only by solving four different challenges will you know if you have got what it takes.

Book now nms.ac.uk/PuzzleRoom

360 Fest
31 Aug
10:00-17:00

Go full circle at our brand-new big event at the National Museum of Flight. Be wowed with 360 stunts from cycle team, The Clan, plus circus displays and lots of have-a-go activities. Join a hula-hoop workshop, try some plate spinning and learn about the science of spheres with STEM science activities. Ticket price includes entry to the whole museum.

Book now nms.ac.uk/360Fest

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

Nature Track Packs
Until 1 Sep
10:00 – 17:00
Free with museum entry and Annual Pass

Available to borrow at the museum ticket desk, each pack contains fun ideas and activities to help children use all their senses to explore the countryside on a walk to the farm.

Book now nms.ac.uk/naturetrackpacks

MooFest
14 & 15 Sep
11:00 – 16:00
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Celebrate all things cattle at the National Museum of Rural Life. We are putting our bovine friends in the spotlight at this weekend of hands-on activities, talks and family fun. Find out all about cows, bulls, milk, and meat with our experts, take part in family craft sessions and meet some of the cattle on our working farm.

Book now nms.ac.uk/MooFest

Autumn Explorers
15 Oct – 18 Oct 2024
10:30 – 15:30
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Tickets available August 2024

Our Autumn Explorers family activities are back, with storytelling, sustainable crafts, and the chance to learn all about soil and spiders.

National Museum of Scotland: What’s On

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davepickering

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