Exhibitions & displays
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Beyond the Little Black Dress
Until 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
Until 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
Uniquely Scottish Silver
Until 26 May 2024
Grand Gallery
Free
Uniquely Scottish Silver brings together five distinct Scottish silver object designs: mazers, quaichs, thistle cups, ovoid urns and heart brooches. Discover some of the earliest and rarest survivals within the Scottish silver smiths’ craft.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/Uniquely-Scottish-Silver
Events
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Audio-Described Access Evening: Beyond the Little Black Dress
12 Sep
17:30 – 19:00
Special Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3
Age 8+
Explore the Beyond the Little Black Dress exhibition supported by an audio-described tour of key objects, for those who are blind, partially sighted or visually impaired.
Book now nms.ac.uk/audio-described-access-evening
Film Screening: Fashion Reimagined
16 Sep
14:00 – 16:30
Auditorium, Level 1
Tickets £6 – £10
Age 14+
Join us for a screening of this 2022 documentary film following fashion designer Amy Powney of cult label Mother of Pearl, a rising star in the London fashion scene. Documentary Fashion Reimagined follows designer Amy Powney as she embarks on a three-year journey to create a sustainable clothing collection and transform the way we engage with fashion.
Book now nms.ac.uk/fashion-reimagined
Medieval to Modern: Animal Illustration Workshop
16 Sep
10:15 – 16:00
Studio 2, Level 4
Tickets £5 – £6
Age 16+
Join natural history artists Rebecca Jewell and Sandy Ross Sykes to create your own artwork in the style of a Medieval Book of Beasts, inspired by our Library Archives and Natural History collections.
Book now nms.ac.uk/Medieval-to-Modern
Maths in Motion: Family Fun
25 Sep – 1 Oct
10:00 – 17:00
Around the Museum
Free
Drop-in and ticketed activities
Discover Maths in Motion with our Maths Week Scotland family activities.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/Maths-in-Motion
Magic Carpet: Maths in Motion Special
27 Sep
10:30 – 11:00 and 14:00 – 14:30
Grand Gallery, Level 1
Free with booking required
Bring your little ones for a fun session on the Magic Carpet exploring maths in motion. Discover shapes, numbers, time and more through songs, action rhymes, objects and sensory play. Suitable for children ages 2–4 and their adult helper.
Bookings open 4 Sep
Find out more nms.ac.uk/magic-carpet
In Conversation: Black British Design
27 Sep
19:00 – 20:30
Auditorium, Level 1
Tickets £6 – £10
Age 14+
Join Maria Casely-Hayford and Sequoia Barnes in a conversation exploring Black British fashion. Discover the trailblazing career of fashion designer Joe Casely-Hayford OBE in this conversation with Sequoia Barnes and Maria Casely-Hayford.
Book now nms.ac.uk/Black-British-Design
Fashionably Late
06 Oct
19:30 – 22:30
£16 – £22 including exhibition entry
Strictly 18+
Our legendary Museum Lates return in October restyled for one night only as Fashionably Late. Join us for an evening of fun, frolics and fashion in the beautiful setting of the National Museum of Scotland at night.
Book now nms.ac.uk/Fashionably-Late
National Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00
Brick Sundays
03 – 17 Sep
12:00 – 16:00
Free with museum admission
Inspired by our current Brick History display, each Sunday we will have a different build theme. Choose to make something inspired by the theme or build your own creation. For something a bit more energetic, take part in our speed build challenge and see if you can make it to the top of the champions’ board.
Book your visit nms.ac.uk/brick-sundays
Doors Open Day 2023
23 & 24 Sep
10:00 – 17:00
Free
Visit the museum for free over Doors Open Days East Lothian weekend and learn about the history of aviation from the First World War to the present day. Immerse yourself in interactive galleries, supersonic experiences and our historic hangars and airfield.
Book your visit nms.ac.uk/Doors-Open-Day
Brick History
Until 05 Nov
10:00 – 17:00
Free with museum admission
Journey through history in our latest LEGO display by brick artist Warren Elsmore and his team.
Book your visit nms.ac.uk/Brick-History
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
National Museum of Rural Life
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
MooFest
16 & 17 Sep
10:20 – 15:30
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Join us for a celebration of all things cattle at the National Museum of Rural Life.New for 2023, this weekend of cattle-inspired activities, talks and tastings for young and old alike.
Book your visit now nms.ac.uk/moofest
Adult Workshop: Natural Dyeing
23 Sep
10:15-16:00
Learning Centre
Age 16+
Tickets £50 – £55
Advance booking required
Join artist Elizabeth Viguie-Culshaw for a hands-on natural dyeing workshop at the National Museum of Rural Life using locally cultivated plants.
Book now nms.ac.uk/Natural-Dyeing
Lewis’s Scottish Adventure Trail
Until 6 Oct 2023
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
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For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789