JUNE LISTINGS
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
Insect Week: Marvelous Moths
29 Jun 2024
10:30-15:00
Grand Gallery
Free, drop in
Celebrate Insect Week 2024 with family friendly activities at the National Museum of Scotland. Put your entomology skills to the test and discover more about the moth specimens in our collections. Learn about these fascinating insects through art activities and track down moths on display using a bug safari kit.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/MarvelousMoths
Insect Week: Women in Entomology
29 Jun 2024
14:00-15:30
Auditorium
Ticketed
In celebration of Insect Week 2024, join us for a panel discussion highlighting some of the inspirational women in entomology. Join us for a panel discussion about some of the important women involved in the history and science of entomology. Curator Ashleigh Whiffin will be in discussion with Don Opitz, Associate Professor at DePaul University, moth recorder Katty Baird and budding entomologist Holly Doherty.
Book now nms.ac.uk/WomeninEntomology
Summer Family Fun
1 Jul – 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’ll be powering up with brand new activities inspired by our summer exhibition Game On.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/SummerFamilyFun
National Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00
Conservation Hangar Talks
Daily
14:00-15:00
Free with museum admission
Booking required
See behind the scenes of the work carried out in the museum’s Conservation hangar with these free talks. Find out about objects from the collection that aren’t normally on display and have the chance to see conservators at work.
Book now nms.ac.uk/ConservationHangarTalks
Insect Week: Moth Hunters
30 Jun – 1 Jul
09:00-12:00
Education space
Free with museum admission
Celebrate Insect Week 2024 with family friendly activities at the National Museum of Flight.
Inspired by the work of Scottish entomologist and a moth collector Alice Blanche Balfour, we’re celebrating the moths and women of entomology (the study of insects). Join entomologist Katty Baird for an early morning walk around East Fortune Airfield to discover what we’ve caught in our overnight moth traps.
Book now nms.ac.uk/MothHunters
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
Air Raid Tours
24 Jul – 29 Aug
Wed – Fri, 11:00 –11:20 & 13:00 – 13:20
Meet at the shop
Free with museum admission
Explore our newly refurbished air raid and blast shelters with our costumed guide.
Before it was home to the National Museum of Flight, East Fortune Airfield was one of the UK’s key military bases during the First and Second World Wars. New for 2024, you can now explore our recently restored Second World War air raid shelter and one of our blast shelters.
Book now nms.ac.uk/AirRaidTours
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 come up with the answers. Only by solving four different challenges will you know if you’ve 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 hoolahoop 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
Tractor Tots
Until Jul 2024
10:15 & 13:30
Various dates
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/tractor-tots
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’re 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
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For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789