Edinburgh Science Festival continues this Easter break and brings more fun for young sci-curious minds at the National Museum of Scotland
Science Festival Favourites, which opened yesterday, is a series of children workshops and shows, an exciting selection of activities which would normally feature at City Art Centre.
Children can Dig Up a Dino! (ages 5+) in a special dig site and discover all about the creatures which ruled the Earth millions of years ago, become a forensic scientist in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (8+), help solve a crime and catch the perpetrator or get their goo on in Splat-tastic! (5+), be creative with chemistry and make their very own slime to take home.
Also part of Science Festival Favourites, the whole family can take part in Mini-Medics: The Body Show (7+), inviting everyone to scrub up, don their masks and join Doctor Watson and Nurse It-Better as they explore the human body and how to keep it healthy. The Rocket Show (7+) makes the rocket science fun and accessible as children explore forces, test materials and prepare for a launch of a rocket fit for space.
Tech Decoded, supported by the Association for Science and Discovery Centres and SeaByte, features free drop-in activities that allow families to explore technology from AI to coding. Visitors will learn how the internet works and have the chance to create their own electrical circuits.
Edinburgh Science Festival continues until 19 April.
Enjoy the perfect family day out this Easter break with a special programme of shows and workshops at the National Museum of Scotland. Kids can play the role of scientist as they Dig Up a Dinosaur, solve a crime in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or make slime to take home in Splat-tastic.
The whole family can enjoy Mini-Medics: The Body Show and The Rocket Show, and explore our free Tech Decoded drop-in activities.
Celebrate the extraordinary life and legacy of Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE – Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace – whose groundbreaking research and community-led conservation work transformed our understanding of chimpanzees and the natural world.
Audiences will hear personal reflections from some of Jane’s former colleagues, view images and video from Goodall’s career, and will have the opportunity to submit questions for a concluding Q&A.
Join Prof Dame Lorna Dawson of The James Hutton Institute and international experts for an interactive event exploring the science of provenance.
Learn how scientists determine authenticity and link objects or people to places, including crime scenes. The panel will discuss organised crime, murders, illegal mining, conflict minerals, gold trading, wildlife crime and the fossil trade.
Dr Brooke Vandermolen has taken the internet by storm as ‘The OBGYN Mum’, smashing down taboos and debunking myths about overlooked and misunderstood areas of women’s health and medicine.
In this special event, join Dr Brooke Vandermolen and host Prof Philippa Saunders, as they navigate the biggest myths, misinformation, and medical jargon about female health, and show how the internet is making it harder than ever to find accurate information you can trust.
In remote Himalayan regions of Nepal, yaks are vital for local livelihoods, yet crossbreeding with cattle – where antibiotics use is common – may help spread resistant germs.
Join an international team from the Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology in Nepal and the University of Edinburgh to explore this urgent issue, its implications for yak milk safety, and the challenges of conducting science in the Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park.
Six Bronze Age shields have been brought together for the first time ahead of a new exhibition opening at the National Museum of Scotland this summer. Dating from 3300 to 3500 years ago, the shields include the only intact examples to survive from Scotland.
nms.ac.uk/ScotlandsFirstWarriors
Five of the shields are part of National Museums Scotland’s collection, discovered in the Borders and Aberdeenshire in the 19th century. The sixth, from Beith in North Ayrshire, was found around 1779 and presented to the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1791.
Ahead of going on display in Scotland’s First Warriors (27 Jun 2026 – 17 May 2027) it has been brought back to Scotland on loan for the first time.
The bronze shields are exceptional examples of technological skill. Previously thought to be purely ceremonial, recent experiments have shown that they would have been effective at deflecting sword and spear blows. Wooden or leather shields were more common and it is believed these rare bronze examples were not only for defence, but also symbolic of the status of the warriors who owned and used them.
Experts are using this unique opportunity to examine all six shields together. By comparing signs of craft and damage, they will be able to uncover similarities and differences between how these shields were made and used. Decorative techniques and damage from swords or spears will reveal more about the origins of Scotland’s first warriors and the communities they fought and defended.
Dr Matthew Knight, Senior Curator of Prehistory at National Museums Scotland, said: “The moment the sixth shield arrived back in Scotland and was unpacked at the National Museums Collection Centre was breathtaking.
“The Beith shield is such a spectacular, intricate object and thanks to the generosity of the Society of Antiquaries of London, this is the first time it has been seen in Scotland since its discovery over 200 years ago.
“Bronze shields from this period are exceptional to Britain and by bringing all six of these incredibly rare shields together, we can gain a deeper understanding of life and conflict in Bronze Age Scotland and beyond.
“It really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Dr Alexandra Ault, FSA, Head of Collections, Society of Antiquaries of London, said: “We are delighted to lend the Beith Sheild to the National Museums of Scotland.
“Discovered in a peat bog in Ayrshire around 1779, the Shield has been cared for by the Society of Antiquaries of London ever since. This loan marks the first time in over 235 years the Shield has been back to Scotland and is an exciting opportunity to see it alongside other important Scottish Bronze Age artefacts.”
Four of the shields will go on display alongside never-before-seen, internationally significant archaeological discoveries from across Scotland, such as the Carnoustie Hoard.
Scotland’s First Warriors is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, the exhibition spans thousands of years, from the Neolithic (late Stone Age) to the coming of the Romans.
It will explore how people fought, the motivations for fighting, the brutal impact of war on people’s lives and the long-lasting legacy of prehistoric conflict.
Scotland’s First Warriors will be complemented by a programme of events including talks and curator tours.
Scotland’s First Warriors
27th June 2026 – 17th May 2027 National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Admission Free
nms.ac.uk/ScotlandsFirstWarriors
Scotland’s First Warriors is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
The Great Instauration by British artist Gayle Chong Kwan takes over the Grand Gallery of the National Museum of Scotland for the duration of the Edinburgh Science Festival (4 – 19 April).
Commissioned by Edinburgh Science Festival, Gayle Chong Kwan has created an art installation that brings together contemporary sculpture and reflections on science’s cultural legacy.
Chong Kwan explored the theme rethinking scientific histories through research into scientific artefacts and archives across eight major collections and through speaking with communities. These included: National Museums Scotland, Wellcome Collection, Wellcome Collection at the Science Museum, Science Museum Collection Centre in Swindon, Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh, Surgeons Hall Museum Edinburgh, and community gardens in Edinburgh.
Chong Kwan has explored the history of thescientific canon and the Scientific Enlightenment in Scotland,rethinking science’s stories and reframing who and what gets to be remembered.The artworkfocusses in on Scotland’s complex historical connections with slavery, enslaved people, plant and botanical origins of medicine, the University of Edinburgh, medical infirmaries, the advent of geology, and scientific instruments.
Installed in the Grand Gallery, The Great Instauration is an underground, upside-down world filled with forms hanging from railings and columns.
Large-scale sculptures of scientific instruments are transformed into fantastical roots, hanging fabrics of the geological strata of Edinburgh with archival and painted images, and steel plinths inscribed with lesser-known histories fill the space.
Chong Kwan connects exploitative and extractive histories, the scientific gaze, and roots, upturning the stories that shape our understanding of scientific knowledge and discovery.
Chong Kwan’s research highlighted how we tend to think of science, the scientific method, scientific instruments, and the Scientific Enlightenment as bringing understanding and clarity – light to see things we did not understand.
Dr Gayle Chong Kwan, Artist, said: “I am truly excited to present ‘The Great Instauration’, an installation in the Grand Gallery of the National Museum of Scotland that explores science as a culturally embedded process shaped by social history, power, and omission.
“I have been inspired by objects and narratives across multiple collections and museums, the history of the scientific canon, and the Scientific Enlightenment.
“My research included scientific instruments, the botanical origins of medicine, and Scotland’s historical connections with slavery.
“I was interested in how we tend to think of the scientific method, scientific instruments, and the Scientific Enlightenment as bringing understanding. I have explored histories connected with the theodolite, microscope, thermometer, clock, chronometer, and the telescope.
“The resulting three-dimensional, surreal sculptural and printed works act as forms of resistance. Developed through archival collage and painting, I was inspired by forms from microscopic slides and medical illustrations, and working through two-dimensional forms, redolent of flattened and sliced scientific specimens.
“The title ‘The Great Instauration’ refers to Francis Bacon’s 17th-century founding text on the scientific method, but this time as a contemporary call to restore and renew perspectives on the complex histories of science.”
The Great Instauration will form part of the wider exhibition Science Under the Lens, where visitors can experiment with some of the instruments which inspired the installation, make their own versions to take home and play with the science of light. Younger visitors can use art to tell their own science stories, exploring how light works and the power of story in sharing information.
There will be two tie-events linked to the installation: Exclusive Viewing: The Great Instauration(Sat 4 Apr) allows visitors to view the installation after hours followed by an in-depth discussion of the process with the artist and experts who assisted with research, and Artist Tour: Dr Gayle Chong Kwan(Fri 17 Apr), presented by Edinburgh Art Festival, where visitors join the artist for a guided tour of the artwork, as she speaks through the artist, material and research process that underpin the commission.
World’s first and still one of Europe’s biggest science festivals, Edinburgh Science Festival takes over the city during the Easter break, between 4 and 19 April, with a wide range of workshops, talks, exhibitions and much more, aiming to inspire people of all ages to get hands-on with science.
This year’s theme of Going Global reflects on science as a shared human story: connecting people across countries and continents, joined in scientific breakthroughs and failures, conducting experiments and sharing results.
The Festival goes global while also celebrating the local: universities, laboratories, hospitals, schools and cultural spaces.
The Great Instauration has been commissioned by Edinburgh Science, developed with support from Creative Scotland through the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund, additional funding from the Henry Moore Foundation, and guidance and support from Edinburgh Art Festival, National Museums Scotland, Scottish International Storytelling Festival and Wellcome Collection.
Two spectacular stone altars from a Roman fort near Edinburgh have been acquired for the National Collection ahead of a major exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland.
The rare carvings are among the finest examples of sculpture from Roman Britain and will go on display for the first time in Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire (14 November 2026 – 28 April 2027).
Once the centrepiece of the most northerly known temple to the god Mithras in the whole of the Roman empire, the altars were excavated at Inveresk, East Lothian and are the only examples to be found in Scotland.
Dating to the 140s – when southern Scotland was reoccupied under Antoninus Pius – they reveal new details about the lives and beliefs of soldiers on the frontier.
Mithras was a secretive, male-only religion which celebrated the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. The altars would have been a striking focal point in the underground Mithraeum.
One depicts the face of the sun god Sol and would have been illuminated from behind so that in the low light of the temple, worshippers would have seen his eyes, mouth and the rays of his solar crown glowing.It also features carvings of the four seasons – depicted as female deities – conveying the passage of time, another prominent theme within the cult of Mithras.
The second honours Mithras himself and is adorned with carvings linked to the god Apollo, another god of light – a griffin, lyre and plectrum – as well as two ravens, which are often seen in Mithraic imagery.
Both altars were dedicated by a legionary centurion whose name was abbreviated on the altar as G CAS FLA, probably Gaius Cassius Flavianus.
He was probably in command of the fort garrison at the time. Evidence for Mithras in Britannia mostly dates to the third century, but these earlier altars demonstrate that his cult was flourishing within the army by the middle of the second century, as it was on the continent.
The altars had broken into fragments during their long burial and have undergone extensive conservation work to reconstruct them and prepare them for display. During the process, conservators identified traces of paint on the carvings, revealing that they would originally have been painted in vibrant colours.
Dr Fraser Hunter, Principal Curator of Prehistory and Roman Archaeology at National Museums Scotland said: “These stunning altars really bring the beliefs of the Roman frontier to life.
“The quality of the carving, traces of paint and dramatic lighting effects show they were impressive and expensive monuments. The cult of Mithras represented the triumph of good over evil and gave soldiers a sense that there was a purpose to their world and a life after death.
“I’m sure visitors will be amazed by them when they can see them up close in our new exhibition, Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire.”
Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire will tackle the common misconception that the Romans never got beyond Hadrian’s Wall. The famous landmark is often thought of as the northernmost reach of the Romans in Britain. However, three times the Empire extended its reach much further north, up to Scotland’s central belt and deep into north-east Scotland.
The Antonine Wall was built across the narrowest part of Scotland from Forth to Clyde, with additional forts along the coasts to east and west. Inveresk was one of these, and grew to became a major centre with a substantial population.
Recent excavations at Inveresk have transformed our understanding of the site, highlighting its significance in the story of Roman Scotland.
Finds from the site will be displayed together for the first time, shedding new light on the Roman occupation in Scotland, and demonstrating how this significant frontier outpost was supplied from across the Empire, and the impacts this occupation had on the local population.
Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire
14th November 2026 – 28th April 2027
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
A major new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland will tackle the common misconception that the Romans never got beyond Hadrian’s Wall.
The famous landmark is often thought of as the northernmost reach of the Romans in Britain. However, three times the Empire extended much further north, up to Scotland’s central belt and deep into north-east Scotland.
Bringing together recent research, significant loans from across Europe and previously unseen archaeological discoveries from Scotland, Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empirewill tell new stories of Roman occupation and reshape our understanding of Scotland’s relationship with the Roman world.
Central to the exhibition are finds from a 2nd century AD Roman fort at Inveresk in East Lothian, a site whose full significance will be revealed in this exhibition.
The Antonine Wall was built across the narrowest part of Scotland from Forth to Clyde, with additional forts along the coasts to east and west. Inveresk was one of these, and grew to become a major centre with a substantial population.
Recent excavations have transformed our understanding of the site, highlighting its significance in the story of Roman Scotland.
A thriving town surrounded the military base at Inveresk. This bustling community, ranging from soldiers and their families to traders, craftworkers and enslaved people, will be brought to life in the exhibition.
Locals in this occupied land had to interact with these invading groups, and the exhibition will paint a vivid picture of their relationships, from bloodshed to diplomatic deals.
Dr Fraser Hunter, Principal Curator of Prehistory and Roman Archaeology at National Museums Scotland said: “This rich exhibition is the first to explore Roman attempts to conquer Scotland in detail, asking why they failed, what effect they had on the locals, and examining the legacy they left behind.
“The extraordinary material found at Inveresk sheds new light on the peak of Roman occupation in Scotland, revealing how this significant frontier outpost and fortification was supplied from across the Empire, and taking visitors beyond the soldiers and into the lives of a vibrant and diverse frontier community.”
An immersive exhibition of giant prehistoric animals opens at the animals opens at the National Museum of Scotland this weekend. Giants (31 January – 14 September 2026) showcases the enormous but often overlooked creatures that roamed the Earth after the extinction of the dinosaurs.
This is the Scottish debut of the spectacular touring exhibition developed by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and toured by Nomad Exhibitions.
Giants invites visitors on a journey through time, from 66 million years ago to the present day. The exhibition features life-sized 3D models, fossils and nearly complete skeletons including Paraceratherium species , the largest land mammal ever known to have walked the Earth, Otodusmegalodon, the mightiest shark of all time, and the terrific Titanoboa cerrejonensis, the world’s longest ever snake.
Immersive displays transport audiences into the natural habitats of these colossal beings, providing context to their existence and eventual extinction. Interactives also invite visitors to step into the shoes of palaeontologists and biologists, engaging with the scientific processes behind fossil discovery and reconstruction.
New giants have since emerged, such as elephants, rhinoceroses and whales, but they too are now under threat of extinction. Giants closes with a poignant reminder of nature’s fragility and the urgent need to protect these animals for future generations.
Dr Sarah Stewart, Assistant Curator Paleobiology at National Museums Scotland, said: “I am delighted that visitors will have the opportunity to experience the spectacular Giants exhibition from this weekend.
“Popular attention on prehistoric life tends to focus either on dinosaurs or on our own earliest human ancestors, which leaves a relatively neglected gap of around 60 million years of natural history.
“The exhibition is a striking invitation to us all to think about that period, to see how nature adapts over time, and also to reflect on the ways in which current human activity is denying that time to today’s endangered giants.”
Giants is supported by a programme of events including talks by award-winning wildlife photographers Doug Allan and Gordon Buchannan.
Tickets for Giants are available to book now at nms.ac.uk/Giants
Edinburgh Science is pleased to announce the return of its annual Careers Hive, a 4-day long schools’ event at the National Museum of Scotland.
Returning for its 10th iteration between 27 – 30 October, P7 and S1-3 pupils from schools across Scotland will be in attendance, uncovering the possibilities of a career in STEM (science, technical, engineering, maths) through hands-on activities and discussions with STEM professionals.
Throughout the day, Careers Hive can be accessed by pre-booked schools only, with families and visitors invited to explore the Grand Gallery Interactive Exhibition activities each evening from 3:15 to 5pm.
Initially developed in 2016, to address the problem of young people not choosing STEM subjects in school, Careers Hive continues to support the development of a STEM skills pipeline across Scotland, empowering young people to develop the skills they need to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
At Careers Hive pupils will be able to experience:
Grand Gallery Interactive Exhibition with four themed zones where they engage with STEM professionals and try out different hands-on activities related to real jobs including examining artifacts in the NMS collection, testing forms of housing insulation, and exploring the technology behind hearing aid devices.
The Think Tank, a dedicated space for pupils to informally chat one-on-one with STEM professionals and ask the questions that matter to them most.
Life After Leaving School: A panel discussion during which they hear from early-career STEM professionals from a range of industries about their education and career stories.
Showcasing that there is no one pathway to achieving your careers goals, this year’s Life After Leaving School panel includes speakers with diverse educational backgrounds and journeys who are working in industries across Scotland today.
Panellists include Cameron Clark, a modern apprentice with Scottish Water who was recently named Net Zero Apprentice of the Year 2025, and Mahzabin Sheikh who gained a Master’s degree in Mental Health before discovering an interest in coding and completing a Software Engineering Apprenticeship.
Also appearing as a panellist is Patricia Berakova who completed an apprenticeship with Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and now works with rare and endangered plants in their research collection.
Meg Scott is on-track to become a civil engineer, having completed a three-year Graduate Apprenticeship job and was recently named Graduate Apprentice of the Year, recognising her contribution to meeting Scotland’s net zero targets through her work on active travel schemes with AECOM.
Named as one of The Young Women’s Movement’s 30 under 30 in 2022, Abi Gardner is a geographer and ecologist at NatureScot and the youngest ever Trustee at Changeworks, one of Scotland’s largest environment charities.
Hassun El-Zafar, Director and CEO at Edinburgh Science said:“We are delighted to bring Careers Hive back to the National Museum of Scotland for its tenth iteration, offering 2,000 pupils an opportunity to think about their futures and discover the wide-ranging opportunities available in the STEM sector.
“As the demand for STEM skills continues to grow, addressing the skills gap is more urgent now than ever before.
“By connecting with real-life STEM professionals, Careers Hive visitors will learn about the incredibly varied skills and strengths required by the organisations and industries working to make the world a better place.”
Careers Hive is supported by a range of funders, please see below for a full list. Edinburgh Science school projects reach around 20,000 people every year.
Careers Hive 2025 supporters: Baillie Gifford, Edina Trust, City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Airport, British Army, Illumina, Institute of Acoustics, Merck, Red Rock Renewables, Resilience Skills, ST, Vattenfall.
Venue and programming partner: National Museum of Scotland
All aboard the National Museum of Scotland’s new tram!
Edinburgh tram passengers have the chance to climb aboard a ‘mobile museum’ as a new tram launches with special National Museum of Scotland livery.
The moving museum will travel through the city for the next two years, introducing passengers to some of the best-loved objects from the National Collection and giving them a taste of what it’s like to visit the National Museum of Scotland.
The tram will take its passengers on a journey through the history of Scotland, the beauty of art and design, the wonders of nature and science and cultures from around the globe. The exterior features iconic museum objects including the Lewis chess pieces, the Hunterston brooch and Dolly the sheep. Inside, tram users have the chance to learn interesting facts about everything from dinosaurs and dresses to Romans and robotic hands.
Dr Chris Breward, Director of National Museums Scotland, said: ““The National Museum of Scotland is home to thousands of spectacular objects, and we’re excited to be able to share a selection of them beyond the museum walls.
“We hope that both locals and visitors from around the world will discover something new aboard the museum tram and be inspired to explore more remarkable collection stories at the National Museum of Scotland.”
Sarah Singh, Head of Service Delivery at Edinburgh Trams, said: “We’re delighted to have the National Museum of Scotland represented on one of our trams for the next two years.
“The museum offers an incredible space for exploring Scotland’s history and place in the world in a meaningful way, and we’re proud to offer some small extension of that. Look out for a 3,000-year-old toy mouse and a Saltire which has been to space – some of our favourite additions to the design!”
A short walk from the Princes Street tram stop, the National Museum of Scotland attracts over 2.3 million visitors each year. It is Scotland’s most-visited attraction and the most popular museum in the UK outside London.
The museum is currently staging the world’s biggest exhibition of primate behaviour, Monkeys: Our Primate Family and hosts a programme of seasonal events and activities.
National Museum of ScotlandChambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open daily, 10:00 – 17:00 Free entry
To plan your visit and find out more about the exhibition and events programme, visit nms.ac.uk
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.
Immersive showcase of giant prehistoric animals opens at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery on 2 August before moving to Scotland in January 2026
Visitors will encounter awe-inspiring creatures that roamed the Earth after the extinction of the dinosaurs
Exhibition also highlights need to protect current natural giants such as elephants and whales.
To coincide with World Environment Day, Birmingham Museums and National Museums Scotland are delighted to announce the UK debut of Giants, a spectacular touring exhibition developed by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and toured by Nomad Exhibitions.
This immersive showcase of giant prehistoric animals will open at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery on 2 August 2025, before travelling to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh in January 2026.
Giants invites visitors on a journey through time, from 66 million years ago to the present day, to encounter the awe-inspiring creatures that roamed the Earth after the extinction of the dinosaurs.
The exhibition features life-sized 3D models and nearly complete skeletons, including the formidable Otodus megalodon, the mightiest shark of all time, the Mammuthus primigenius or woolly mammoth, weighing in at between six and eight tons with long thick fur and imposing tusks and Gigantopithecus blacki, an Asian primate comparable in size to three orangutans.
Interactive elements allow visitors of all ages to step into the shoes of palaeontologists and biologists, engaging with the scientific processes behind fossil discovery and reconstruction.
Immersive projections transport audiences into the natural habitats of these colossal beings, providing context to their existence and eventual extinction.
New giants have emerged since, such as elephants, rhinoceroses and whales, but they are now too under threat of extinction.
The exhibition also serves as a poignant reminder of nature’s fragility and the urgent need to protect these animals for future generations.
The announcement of the exhibition’s arrival coincides with World Environment Day on 5 June, which this year is focused on ending plastic pollution.
Zak Mensah and Sara Wajid, co-chief executives of Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Giants exhibition to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. This inspiring installation not only captures the imagination with its monumental scale but also delivers a vital message about sustainability and our shared responsibility to protect the planet.
“Birmingham Museums is committed to using storytelling to engage communities with the challenges of our time and Giants does exactly that in a powerful and accessible way.”
Dr Nick Fraser, Keeper of Natural Sciences at National Museums Scotland, said: “We’re really looking forward to bringing Giants to Scotland next year. Popular attention on prehistoric life tends to focus either on dinosaurs or on our own earliest human ancestors, which leaves a relatively neglected gap of around 60 million years of natural history.
“Giants is a striking invitation to us all to think about that period, to see how nature adapts over time, and also to reflect on the ways in which current human activity is denying that time to today’s endangered giants.”
Exhibition details:
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery: Opening August 2025
National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh: 31 January – 14 September 2026
