Visit to the National Museum of Scotland
Mon, Jul 11, 2011With the rainy summer we’re having here in Edinburgh I’m looking into options for indoor entertainment for my family. Last weekend we had some serious downpour so my husband and I decided to take our son to The National Museum of Scotland . Entry is free and there is a lot to see and do, making it a popular place for families to spend a morning or afternoon.
Getting There
The museum is on Chambers Street, a few minutes walk away from the Royal Mile in Edinburgh’s Old Town. There is metered parking on Chambers Street but it is expensive and there are always wardens around so if you take this option then make sure you’re back at your car on time if you want to avoid a hefty fine. There aren’t any buses which go directly to Chambers Street but you can take a bus to George IV Bridge or South Bridge and walk from there in a few minutes.
The Museum
The museum is made up of an interlinking old and new building. At the moment the old building is closed for renovation and is due to reopen on the 29th of July 2011. For now you can explore several galleries in the new building: Early People; Kingdom of the Scots; Industry and Empire; A Changing Nation; Communicate; Scotland Transformed; Connect and Jackie Stewart’s Formula One Car. We didn’t have time to explore them all on our recent visit but Euan was fascinated by every room we went into and we will definitely be back soon to visit the rest.
Euan kept coming back to this exhibit, typical boy!!
Visiting with Children
The National Museum of Scotland is particularly child friendly. All the basics are in place – there are lifts or ramps to every level to suit those bringing their buggy and the cafe has plenty of high chairs. There are also changing facilities in various locations around the building. Have a look at the museum’s Visiting with Children page for more information.
I was most impressed with all the extras the museum has put in place to make it a fun destination to visit with kids. There were ‘live exhibits’ – actors taking on the roles of historical characters to bring their stories to life. There was also a chance to dress up in historical costume and Euan’s favourite – plenty of buttons to press.
This character was talking about the punishments for gossipy women in the Middle Ages. I wonder what the authorities would have thought of women bloggers!
Euan LOVED pressing the button to make this steam engine go. I remember this as being my favourite part of the gallery when I was growing up, I’m so glad it’s still there!
Pressing more buttons in the Industry and Empire room with Daddy.
Thanks to Mara at Mother of All Trips for bringing together bloggers’ dreams this Monday. I wish mine wasn’t a dream for a rainy day!
Have you got a recommendation for a child friendly outing in your local area? Please share your ideas below.
Live interpreters are such a great idea – my kids always end up more engaged when museums have people in costume.
I can’t believe how big Euan is!!!
I absolutely agree, Mara. This was our first experience of one and while Euan was too wee to understand what was being said he was certainly intrigued!
I know, people always say that you should enjoy every minute because ‘they grow up so fast’ – they always say it because it’s true! He turned 18 months a few days ago and I’m still getting my head around the fact that my baby is going to be a big brother!!