National Museums Scotland: What’s On

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 

Follow us on Twitter…twitter.com/NtlMuseumsScot   

Follow us on Facebook…facebook.com/NationalMuseumsScotland   

Follow us on Instagram…instagram.com/nationalmuseumsscotland/   

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