Museums in Edinburgh
Despite the fact that Edinburgh is most famous for its history and ghosts, culturally, the city has numerous fascinating museums and art galleries. A plus is that most museums and galleries are free to visit.
These are Edinburgh’s most important museums:
The best three museums
- The collections of the National Museum of Scotland reveal the country’s culture and history from prehistoric times to the present day. It is Edinburgh’s most visited museum.
- At the Museum of Edinburgh visitors will discover the history of the city of Edinburgh from the earliest period to the present day. The museum is situated in a beautiful sixteenth century townhouse.
- Located in a neoclassical building in the heart of Edinburgh, the Scottish National Gallery features several collections of fine art from the Renaissance to the Post-Impressionism.
Three surprising museums
- Toys, playthings, doll houses and games from several periods make the Museum of Childhood in Edinburgh a unique experience.
- The People’s Story Museum explores the day to day of Edinburgh’s citizens from the eighteenth century to the present day. Similar to the Museum of Childhood, the People’s Story Museum is very descriptive.
- Housed in the former Bank of Scotland, one of the most representative buildings in Edinburgh, the Museum on the Mound explores the history of money, economics and the bank of Scotland.
Other interesting museums
- Weapons, shields, traditional clothing and letters…The National War Museum of Scotland explores 400 years of military actions and the country at war.
- The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh features the national collection of modern and contemporary art work. The museum includes paintings by Matisse, Picasso and Andy Warhol.
- The Scottish National Portrait Gallery explores the history of Scotland through the portraits of the most famous people of the country throughout the periods.
- Situated in a historic building, the Writers' Museum in Edinburgh commemorates the life and work of three of the most important and renowned Scottish writers.
Other Edinburgh museums
- Surgeons’ Hall Museums explores the history of medicine and the development of surgery and dentistry throughout the centuries. A museum which is very representative of Edinburgh.
- Our Dynamic Earth can also be defined as the Planet Earth Museum. It offers its visitors the chance to take a journey through time (over 4.500 million years ago) to discover all the aspects of the Earth.