There is a lot to see and do at the Museum
The National Museum of Scotland is putting on some festive events which are part of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and also has some other events to entertain your wee ones all the way from December into January.
Drawn Together at the Museum
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
28 Dec – 30 Dec 2022
Daily, 10:30 – 16:30
Grand Gallery, Level 1
Free drop-in
Escape to the museum between Christmas and Hogmanay and enjoy sketching around our galleries. Your artwork will be added to our informal public gallery for everyone to enjoy.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/Drawn-Together
Sprogmanay
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
1 Jan 2023
14:00 – 16:30
Grand Gallery, Level 1
Free, drop-in
Sprogmanay at the museum is back! A warm welcome to 2023 with music and fun for all the family.
This afternoon of fun for children of all ages is free and unticketed and families can drop in to enjoy a programme of live music, comedy, magic and arts and crafts.
Find our more nms.ac.uk/Sprogmanay
Exhibitions & Displays
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Bernat Klein: Design in Colour
5 Nov 2022 – 23 Apr 2023
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free entry
Marking the centenary of his birth, Bernat Klein: Design in Colour will celebrate the work of the influential émigré textile designer. Visitors will be able to explore Klein’s creative process and varied career, from providing couture fabrics for fashion designers to his influence on modernist architecture and interior design in the UK and Scandinavia
Find out more nms.ac.uk/BernatKlein
Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder
9 Dec 2022 – 1 May 2023
Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder features eight zones filled with immersive, hands-on experiences. Travel through the Time Vortex Corridor, discover Sonic Screwdrivers, teleportation technology and much more in a TARDIS Tech room, and get up close with some of the series’ weird and wonderful creatures in the Monster Vault. Join us for the Scottish premiere of this ground-breaking exhibition. It’s bigger on the inside!
Book now nms.ac.uk/doctor-who
Japanese Contemporary Design
Until 5 Mar 2023
Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1
Free entry
From striking statement jewellery to prints and porcelain vases, this new free display considers how Japanese contemporary makers have combined innovative and traditional art, craft and design elements over the past five decades. The star object is Hitomi Hosono’s A Large Pine Tree Pool, a sculptural porcelain bowl with complex hand-carving made and acquired in 2019. Further highlights include Junko Mori’s intricate New Pinecone Silver Organism, and colourful body adornments by jeweller Suō Emiko’s adapted from metalworking and engraving techniques traditionally used in the making of Japanese sword fittings.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/JapaneseContemporaryDesign
Inspiring Walter Scott
Until 18 Jun 2023
Exhibition Gallery 4, Level 1
Free entry
Following the 250th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott’s birth, experience his novels through objects that inspired him. In this small exhibition we show how Scott drew upon real historical objects for inspiration, placing objects alongside Scott’s words, and the stories in which they feature. While you view these fascinating objects, you can listen to an actor reading extracts from these tales.
In association with Walter Scott 250: Celebrating 250 Years of Scotland’s Greatest Storyteller and supporting Year of Stories 2022.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/walterscottexhibition
COMING SOON Beyond the Little Black Dress
1 Jul – 29 Oct 2023
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3
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/beyondthelittleblackdress
Events
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Relaxed Morning
8 Jan 2023
10:00 – 12:00 (quiet space open until 12:30)
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.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/relaxed-morning
Art at the Start in the Museum
18 Jan 2023
14:00-16:00
Imagine Gallery
Free, drop-in
The Art at the Start team, based at the University of Dundee, will be running drop-in creative and sensory play activities within the Imagine Gallery, all aimed at babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers and their grown-ups. You can join us at any time throughout the session for baby-safe activities using light boxes, collage, and colourful and tactile materials.
Read more nms.ac.uk/Art-at-the-Start
Magic Carpet Minis
Various times and dates
£15 per child for block of 3
Magic Carpet Minis introduces you and your little one to some of the wonderful galleries, objects and themes in the museum in a fun and gentle way. Taking place in different spaces around the museum, you will explore subjects such as the Natural World, Space, World Cultures and Scottish History through songs, stories, rhymes, actions, objects and sensory play.
Book now nms.ac.uk/magic-carpet-minis