A multi-level open museum space with balconies and an arched ceiling. There are lots of visitors looking at objects on display.

National Museum of Scotland

With thousands of amazing objects across multiple galleries, the Museum offers you a world of discovery all under one roof

Visitor information for National Museum of Scotland

Admission details:

Free entry

Contact:

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

Tel: 0300 123 6789

Opening hours:

Open daily, 10:00 - 17:00

Closed 25 Dec. Open 26 Dec, 12:00 – 17:00. Open 1 Jan, 12:00 – 17:00.

What's on

  1. A person is looking at a framed picture. The picture looks like a square block of pink from a distance, but on closer inspection it's a stream of code for a virus.
    Exhibition

    Injecting Hope: The Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine

    –
    Injecting Hope is a free exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland, that presents the science behind the COVID-19 vaccine.
    Coming soon

    National Museum of Scotland

    More info
  2. Two people sitting at a table listening to a member of museum staff talk about a sword from the collections.
    Event

    Museum Socials

    Fri 16 Aug – Fri 17 Jan, third Friday of the month, 10:30 – 12:00
    Our Museum Socials are designed for people living with dementia, their relatives, friends, carers, and supporters.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more
  3. An adult helping a child with a science experiment
    Event

    Find Out Fridays

    10 Jan – 27 Jun 2025, every Friday afternoon during term time 13:30 – 16:00
    Taking a different theme and activity each week, our Engagement team will share some of the fascinating facts and surprising stories behind our collections.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more
See what else is on

Stories from the collections

  1. Twelve bronze objects, including some rounded fittings with concentric circle designs and a rattle pendant.
    Discover

    What is the Peebles Hoard?

    The Peebles Hoard is a spectacular collection of bronze, leather and wooden material. Dating to the Late Bronze Age (c.1000-800 BCE), it contains several hundred elements from a complex set of objects. A complete sword in a wooden scabbard…
    Keep reading
  2. A black and white photograph of women dressed in tall coned decorative hats and flowing, straw like tops and skirts.
    Discover

    9 ways to welcome winter in rural Scotland

    Explore stories of winter in rural Scotland through tools, machinery, craft objects, and paintings from the rural history collections.
    Keep reading
  3. Colourful painted ceiling panel depicting King David playing his harp
    Discover

    Early Modern Scottish belief in 10 objects

    These 10 key objects help paint a picture of belief and devotional practice in Scotland. By showing how people used and interacted with these objects, we get a glimpse into the everyday experience of faith in early modern Scotland.  In…
    Keep reading
  4. A cream telephone, with a receiver on one side and a keyboard on the other. A small screen sits above the keyboard.
    Discover

    10 stories of disability history in the collections

    Disability History Month begins in November each year. But all year round we care for and interpret objects connected to the lives and experiences of D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people, past and present. This list highlights…
    Keep reading
View more stories

Awards