Monkeys: Our Primate Family

What’s On at National Museums Scotland this summer

Monkeys: Our Primate Family

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

OPENING TODAY Monkeys: Our Primate Family
28 Jun – 30 Nov

See some of the rarest and most endangered primates on Earth in Monkeys: Our Primate Family at the National Museum of Scotland. This exhibition explores the remarkable lives of our primate relatives and demonstrates how they have adapted to survive in different habitats. The exhibition brings together more than 50 species of monkeys, apes, lemurs and lorises.

Book your ticket now nms.ac.uk/exhibitions/monkeys-our-primate-family

Events

Monkey Business
28 & 29 Jun and 19 & 26 Jul
10:30-16:00
Grand Gallery
Free, drop-in

This summer, celebrate the opening of our new exhibition Monkeys: Our Primate Family with activities for all the family. Join us for four days of monkeying around with fun, family activities for all ages.

Grab a seat at our craft tables, get hands-on with fascinating objects and more. Then discover the world of primates in our new exhibition, Monkeys: Our Primate Family.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/events/monkey-business

Morning Curator Tour: Monkeys: Our Primate Family
13 & 15 Aug
09:15-10:00
Special Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3
£15, £13 Members & Concessions

Join us before normal opening hours to explore this special exhibition with its curator, Dr Andrew Kitchener. The tour will bring you face to face with some of the rarest and most endangered primate species on Earth. Explore their remarkable lives and discover how primates have adapted to survive in different habitats.

Book now nms.ac.uk/events/morning-curator-tour-monkeys

BSL Tour of Monkeys: Our Primate Family
14 Aug
15:00-16:00
Special Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3
£10

Join BSL guide Babs Brown for a guided tour of our exhibition, Monkeys: Our Primate Family.

The tour will last approximately one hour with the chance to explore the exhibition independently afterwards. This event is aimed at D/deaf community BSL visitors, and is most suitable for those ages 14+.

Book now nms.ac.uk/events/bsl-tour-of-monkeys-our-primate-family

Audio Descriptive Tour: Monkeys: Our Primate Family
3 September
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3
17:30-19:00

Join our tour guide for an audio descriptive tour of Monkeys: Our Primate Family, with accompanying sensory resources and a chance to explore the exhibition after hours.

This tour is aimed at blind, partially sighted and visually impaired visitors. It is most suitable for those ages 14+.

Book now nms.ac.uk/events/audio-descriptive-tour-monkeys-our-primate-family

Spotlight On: Monkeys: Our Primate Family
7 October
14:00-15:00
Auditorium, Level 1
£3, £2 Members & concession

In this spotlight talk, exhibition curator Dr Andrew Kitchener will share his insights into the making of the exhibition and discuss the cutting-edge primate research taking place at the National Museums Collections Centre.

Book now nms.ac.uk/events/spotlight-on-monkeys-our-primate-family

Exhibitions & displays

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

Cold War Scotland
Until 4 Jan 2026
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

Events

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

Relaxed Morning
6 Jul & 3 Aug
10:00-12:00 (quiet space open until 12:30)
Free admission, drop-in

Join us for our monthly Relaxed Morning for anyone who would appreciate a calmer visit to the museum.

This session is primarily for, but not limited to, families with autistic children; autistic young people and adults; adults living with dementia; adults and children with mental health problems and any other visitors with sensory needs or who may prefer a more relaxed experience, plus their families, friends and carers.

Friendly staff will be there to give you a warm welcome and support your visit, as you explore some areas of the museum without noisy interactives and videos to give a more relaxed environment.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/events/relaxed-morning

Sensory Sunday
6 Jul & 7 Sept
11:00-12:00 and 14:00-15:00
Free, booking required

Exciting, hands-on sensory play sessions for children with additional support needs. Families with children with additional support needs and disabilities are invited to join our programme of sensory play sessions. Explore the museum’s collections, get creative and meet other families. Sensory Sunday sessions are relaxed, fun hands-on, and respond to the needs of the families participating. You are welcome to come and go at any point during a session.

Book now nms.ac.uk/events/sensory-sunday

Summer Family Fun
7 Jul-1 Aug
10:30-15:30
Free, drop-in

Join us on Mondays and Fridays for a range of exciting, drop-in activities for the whole family. Each week, we will be exploring a new theme – from Scottish stories to around-the-world adventures, there will be something new to discover.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/events/summer-family-fun

Museum Late: Festival Ceilidh
1 & 8 Aug
19:30-22:30
Tickets from £24

Our sell out museum ceilidh makes its festival debut. Grab your pals for a night of reels and revelry and join the party in Scottish style. Set in the museum’s majestic Grand Gallery, all dances are suitable for beginners with no previous experience necessary – our caller will guide you through the steps on the night.  Between dances enjoy drinks, food, activities and explore a selection of the museum galleries at night. 

Book now nms.ac.uk/events/museum-late-festival-ceilidh

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

Relaxed Afternoon: National Museum of Rural Life
24 June
14:30-17:00
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Join us for our monthly Relaxed Afternoon for anyone who would appreciate a calmer visit to the museum. This session is primarily for, but not limited to, families with neurodivergent children; neurodivergent young people and adults; adults living with dementia; adults and children with mental health problems; and any other visitors with sensory needs or who may prefer a more relaxed experience, plus their families, friends and carers.

Book your visit nms.ac.uk/events/relaxed-afternoon-national-museum-of-rural-life

Nature Track Packs
28 Jun-31 Aug
10:00-17:00
Free with museum admission

Our free Nature Track Packs are great tools for children on the walk to the farm. Each Nature Track Pack contains fun ideas, activities and challenges to inspire and engage all of the senses.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/events/nature-track-packs

Tractor Tots 
7 Jul
10:30 or 13:30 blocks
£20 per child for block of 3, £15 per Member child for block of 3
Ages 0-4

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

Archaeology Day
19 Jul
11:00-15:30
Free with museum entry and Annual Pass

Take part in a family-friendly Archaeology Day at the National Museum of Rural Life.

Meet the team from Treasure Trove Scotland and find out all about their work to investigate and assess new archaeological discoveries.

Book your visit nms.ac.uk/events/archaeology-day

National Museum of Flight

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

Awesome Bricks
14 & 15 Jun
10:00-17:00
Tickets from £13.50, book in advance to save

Our hands-on celebration of LEGO returns to the National Museum of Flight. Join us for a weekend packed full of LEGO brick fun, with lots to see and do for all ages.  Get a close-up view of incredible LEGO constructions, including an interactive train set. You can also make your own unique creations in our brick build zone. 

Book your ticket nms.ac.uk/events/awesome-bricks

Second World War Satchels
7 Jul-17 Aug
10:00-16:00
Free with museum admission

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.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/events/second-world-war-satchels

Second World War Puzzle Room
7 Jul-15 Aug
12:00-15:00
Free with museum admission

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 to decipher codes, diffuse a bomb and work out flight paths.

Book your visit nms.ac.uk/events/second-world-war-puzzle-room

Lunchtime Talks
18 & 25 Jul and 8 Aug
13:00-13:20
Free with museum admission

Hear experts speak about the history of East Fortune Airfield, the museum’s collections and more in our series of free lunchtime talks.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/events/lunchtime-talks

360 Fest
6 Sept
10:00-17:00
Tickets from £13.50, book in advance to save

Go full circle at our big family event at the National Museum of Flight.  You’ll be on a roll this September with our all round family fun event. From stunt shows and pedal-powered activities to interactive sessions and STEM science, there’s something to set everyone’s head spinning.

Book your ticket nms.ac.uk/events/360-fest

Conservation Hangar Talks
Until 29 Mar 2026
14:00-15:00
Free and available as an add-on to your general admission ticket. Booking required.

Join a member of our Visitor Experience team for a behind-the-scenes look in our Conservation hangar on a free daily talk at 14:00. Find out about objects from the collection that aren’t normally on display and have the chance to see conservators at work.

Book your visit nms.ac.uk/events/conservation-hangar-talks

For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789  

Major exhibition opens in Edinburgh this weekend

National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh
28 June–30 November 2025

Tickets for Monkeys: Our Primate Family are available to book at nms.ac.uk/Monkeys

The biggest exhibition of primate behaviour ever staged returns to the National Museum of Scotland this weekend. From huge gorillas to tiny mouse lemurs, Monkeys: Our Primate Family (28 Jun – 30 Nov 2025) explores the remarkable lives of our closest relatives.

Ahead of the opening on Saturday 28 June, experts at the National Museum of Scotland have been adding the finishing touches to more than 60 spectacular monkey, ape, lemur and loris specimens featured in the exhibition.

Monkeys: Our Primate Family is the first exhibition of its kind, capturing primates acting as they would in the wild. Taxidermy specimens created for the exhibition reveal behaviours rarely seen by humans and demonstrate how primate species have adapted to survive.

Atmospheric lighting and naturalistic displays create a tropical forest experience to explore while encountering some of the rarest and most endangered primate species on earth. Visitors to the exhibition will also learn about ongoing conservation efforts to protect these extraordinary animals and their fragile habitats.

The exhibition first opened at the National Museum of Scotland in 2016 before embarking on an international tour. It returns to Edinburgh for a final time having been seen by over 500,000 visitors in six countries around the world.

Professor Andrew Kitchener, Principal Curator of Vertebrate Biology at National Museums Scotland, said: ““We are all primates, but how much do we really know about our extended family?

“Following a successful global tour, this is the last chance to experience this remarkable exhibition. Monkeys: Our Primate Family provides a unique opportunity to see these fascinating animals up close. Visitors will also learn about the threats facing primates and what we can do to protect them.”

Visitors to Monkeys will discover how primates have evolved and adapted, their unique methods of locomotion, and the tools they have developed to obtain food.

A gibbon swings through the trees while a chimpanzee fishes for termites. The exhibition also reveals the fascinating ways they communicate and their complex social systems. A tarsier is shown using ultrasonic communication and a vervet monkey reveals how its different calls warn about each different predator.

The final section of the exhibition looks at conservation as well as some of the threats humans pose to primates today, including the climate emergency, conflict, and the bush meat trade. It includes endangered primates, such as the Sumatran orangutan and the black-and-white ruffed lemur.

Thanks to the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery, children can visit Monkeys: Our Primate Family (28 Jun – 30 Nov 2025) for free.

For the first time, the National Museum of Scotland is also offering those on Universal Credit and other named UK benefits discounted exhibition entry.

The exhibition is supported by a programme of public events.

TODAY: Tickets for major summer exhibition Monkeys: Our Primate Family go on sale on Earth Day

Tickets for the biggest exhibition of primate behaviour ever staged go on sale today, Earth Day, Tue 22 April

Tickets for Monkeys: Our Primate Family available to book at nms.ac.uk/Monkeys

To mark the occasion, Louie the orangutan swung by the Grand Gallery at the National Museum of Scotland to meet Scottish primary school pupils Azalea Moghrabi aged eight and Marley Beamish aged seven.

Thanks to the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery, children can visit Monkeys: Our Primate Family (28 Jun – 30 Nov 2025) for free.

For the first time, the National Museum of Scotland is also offering those on Universal Credit and other named UK benefits discounted exhibition entry.

From huge gorillas to tiny mouse lemurs, Monkeys will explore the remarkable lives of primates, our closest relatives. The exhibition will bring together more than 50 species and will raise awareness of continuing conservation efforts to protect these extraordinary animals and their fragile habitats.

Dr Andrew Kitchener, Principal Curator of Vertebrate Biology at National Museums Scotland, said: ““We are all primates, but how much do we really know about our extended family?

“Following a successful global tour, I am delighted that more Scottish audiences than ever will be able to experience this remarkable exhibition, with discounts available for those receiving Universal Credit and other named UK benefits.

“Kids will also go free thanks to the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Monkeys: Our Primate Family provides a unique opportunity to see these fascinating animals up close and learn what we can do to protect them in the wild.”

Visitors to Monkeys will discover how primates have evolved and adapted, their unique methods of locomotion, and the tools they have developed to obtain food.

A gibbon swings through the trees while a chimpanzee fishes for termites.

The exhibition will also reveal the fascinating ways they communicate and their complex social systems. A tarsier shouts its ultrasonic calls and a vervet monkey reveals how its different calls warn about each different predator.

The final section of the exhibition looks at conservation as well as some of the threats humans pose to primates today, including the climate emergency, conflict, and the bush meat trade.

Visitors will see endangered primates, including the Sumatran orangutan and the black-and-white ruffed lemur and learn about how we can make a difference to their survival.

All the primates on display are part of National Museums Scotland’s internationally significant natural sciences collection which comprises more than 10 million specimens and is in constant use for study.

Recent pioneering research has included the first comprehensive osteobiography of a zoo animal, Choppers, star of the PG Tips adverts of the 1970s, published in Scientific Reports in March 2025.

Monkeys: Our Primate Family

National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh
28 June–30 November 2025

Tickets are available to book at nms.ac.uk/Monkeys

The exhibition will be supported by a programme of public events.

Monkeys: Our Primate Family

The biggest exhibition of primate behaviour ever staged is returning to the National Museum of Scotland. From huge gorillas to tiny mouse lemurs, Monkeys: Our Primate Family (28 Jun – 30 Nov 2025) will explore the remarkable lives of our closest relatives.

The exhibition will bring together more than 50 species of monkeys, apes, lemurs and lorises, allowing visitors to come face-to-face with our primate relatives. Atmospheric lighting and naturalistic displays will create a jungle experience as visitors enter the exhibition and discover some of the rarest and most endangered primate species on earth.

The exhibition will also explore continuing conservation efforts to protect these extraordinary animals and their fragile habitats.

Dr Andrew Kitchener, Principal Curator of Vertebrate Biology, said: ““We are all primates, but how much do we really know about our extended family?

“Following a successful global tour, this will be the last chance to experience this remarkable exhibition. Monkeys: Our Primate Family provides a unique opportunity to see these fascinating animals up close. Visitors will also learn about the threats facing primates and what we can do to protect them.”

Visitors to Monkeys will discover how primates have evolved and adapted, their unique methods of locomotion, and the tools they have developed to obtain food. A gibbon will swing through the trees while a chimpanzee fishes for termites.

The exhibition will also reveal the fascinating ways they communicate and their complex social systems.

A tarsier will be shown using ultrasonic communication and a vervet monkey will reveal how its different calls warn about each different predator.

The final section of the exhibition looks at conservation as well as some of the threats humans pose to primates today, including the climate emergency, conflict, and the bush meat trade.

Visitors will see endangered primates, including the Sumatran orangutan and the black-and-white ruffed lemur and learn about how we can make a difference to their survival.

The exhibition will be supported by a programme of public events.