Exhibitions & displays
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Game On
Until 3 Nov 2024
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3
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
Until 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
Magic Carpet Minis
Block 3 (6, 13 & 20 Nov)
10:30–11:15 or 14:00–14:45
£15.00 per child for block of 3
£13.50 per Member child for block of 3
Magic Carpet Minis introduces you and your little one to some of the wonderful galleries, objects and themes in the museum in a fun and gentle way. Taking place in different spaces around the museum, you will explore subjects such as the Natural World, Space, World Cultures and Scottish History through songs, stories, rhymes, actions, objects and sensory play.
Book now nms.ac.uk/events/magic-carpet-minis
Friday Friends
8 & 22 November
Selected Friday afternoons
14:00 – 16:00
Free, pre-booking required
Our Friday Friends programme offers a welcoming space for visually impaired and D/deaf children and their families. The groups meet monthly and explore the themes of the museum through objects, music, art and activities.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/events/friday-friends
Creative Workshop: An Introduction to Drawing Scottish Wildlife
9 Nov
11:00-16:00
£50, £44 Members & Concession
Booking required
This informal creative workshop will focus on better understanding and engaging with Scottish wildlife. Learn how to create various textures and marks to depict the animal world, using tone and contrast to achieve a three-dimensional effect with pencils. The focus will be on using creativity to improve your understanding of and appreciation for the animals being drawn, rather than depicting an accurate likeness.
Book now nms.ac.uk/events/creative-workshop-an-introduction-to-drawing-scottish-wildlife
The Sunday Sketch
17 Nov
14:00-16:00
£15, £13 Members & Conc.
Book required
Join artist Sheena Russell to take a new look at our collections and be guided through a range of drawing activities within the museum’s galleries. In this session, we will be drawing the artworks in the Art of Living and Traditions in Sculpture galleries on level 5 of the National Museum of Scotland. Learn how to capture the varied qualities of faces and figures sculpted in clay, marble, plaster, terracotta and wood.
Book now nms.ac.uk/events/the-sunday-sketch
Annual Open Evening
20 Nov
18:00
Free, booking required
Join National Museums Scotland Chair, Ian Russell, and Director, Dr Chris Breward, for a review of the year highlighting the extensive range of activity that has taken place across the organisation in 2024.
Curator Dr Adrian Maldonado will also present Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard, which gives a fascinating update on the latest conservation and research discoveries from this Viking-age hoard.
Book now nms.ac.uk/events/annual-open-evening
Curiosity Club: Animals in the Dark
23 Nov
10:30
Inspired by some of the museum’s most exciting collections, our Curiosity Clubs are a chance for kids to explore the museum without their adult helpers through games, activities, and gallery visits.
Book now nms.ac.uk/events/curiosity-club
Drawn Together at the Museum
27 – 29 Dec
10:30-16:30
Grand Gallery, Level 1
Free, drop-in
Escape to the museum during the holidays and enjoy sketching around our galleries. Join us for this calming, creative activity in the heart of the busy holiday season. Meet our artist-in-residence then pick up a pencil and paper and explore the galleries.
Read more nms.ac.uk/events/drawn-together-at-the-museum
Sprogmanay
1 Jan 2025
14:00-17:00
Grand Gallery, Level 1
Free, drop in
Shimmy, sparkle, and sing your way into the New Year as Sprogmanay returns for 2025. Join us for an afternoon of fun for children of all ages with a programme of live music, dancing, and performances. You can also explore our galleries packed with inspiring objects and stories.
Read more nms.ac.uk/events/sprogmanay
ON SALE SOON Museum Late: Big Burns Ceilidh
24 Jan 2025
19:30-22:30
From £20
Strictly 18+
The Grand Gallery will be brought to life for an evening of music and dancing with the Jacobites Ceilidh Band. The band will have late goers twirling and birling as they’re guided through Strip the Willow, Dashing White Sergeant and other traditional dances. Between the sets guests can enjoy drinks, food, activities and a chance to enjoy the museum galleries at night.
On sale soon nms.ac.uk/events/museum-late-big-burns-ceilidh
National Museum of Rural Life
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Festive Weekend
7 & 8 Dec
11:00-16:00
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Bring the family for a fun festive day out at the museum and farm. Craft a cute ‘pig in blanket’ pinecone decoration, paper-cone turkey or Christmas tree to take home. There will be winter storytelling with the team from Macastory. Take a wintertime walk to the working farm, where the farmhouse is decorated for the festive season.
Book now nms.ac.uk/events/festive-weekend
Tractor Tots
Until Feb 2025
10:15 & 13:30
Various dates
£20 per child for block of 3, £15 per Member child for block of 3
Ticketed
Running in blocks of three Friday morning sessions, Tractor Tots offers a fun, focused experience for our younger visitors, introducing them to the museum and farm, and bringing it to life through interactive creative play.
Each session will take place in a different location at the museum and working farm, and will feature handling objects from our learning boxes, singing, storytelling, rhymes, actions and sensory play to learn all about life in the countryside.
Book now nms.ac.uk/events/tractor-tots
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For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789
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