In case you weren’t aware, national museums in the United Kingdom, and therefore Edinburgh, are free to the public. This is fantastic news for museum lovers, history buffs, and anyone looking for a good indoor activity when the weather gets rough! However, it can also pose a problem for travelers – how do you decide which museums are worth your limited time? For those who, like me, struggle to make these decisions, this guide to Edinburgh’s free museums will help you find the spots most worth your time.
Admittedly there are…an overwhelming amount of free museums in the city. I wouldn’t be surprised if I missed any – and if you know them, please let me know in the comments! I tried my best and will add new spots as I find them and visit.
There are a few more free museums that you unfortunately won’t see on this list (at least, not yet!). These museums are currently closed due to COVID but all plan to reopen sometime in 2022:
- The People’s Story Museum
- The Writer’s Museum
- The Museum of Childhood
While the permanent exhibits at these museums are free, some host temporary exhibits that may have an entry fee. I reviewed only the free sections of these museums, so trust me, there’s still plenty to see if you decide paying extra for a special exhibit is not for you!
National Museum of Scotland
Okay, I’ll be first to admit I was genuinely intimidated when I looked up the National Museum of Scotland online. I decided to go in with bare minimum preparation to feel how manageable it is to just walk in. I was immediately overwhelmed. Please, do some research before visiting unless you have literally the entire day to explore inside. This museum has 7 levels including a roof terrace with two main connected buildings set up in different styles. There are definitely some areas set up more so for children, but they’re still interesting to see as an adult.
Most of the exhibits are open, though some were still closed for COVID safety reasons. There are a lot of interactive screens and activities and those are more likely to be closed because they’re high touch zones – but there are still plenty that are open. They have several “trails” that have maps and audio tours if you’re interested in a specific kind of visit/history. For example, the Family Puzzle Trail, the Wellbeing Trail, the LGBTQIA+ Hidden Histories trail, the Staff Picks Trail, and more! This is by far the most interactive of all of Edinburgh’s free museums. That’s an easy way to hit some highlights without getting overwhelmed by everything there is to offer.
You can bring your own food and eat in the designated food area or order food from the brasserie in the lobby. There are also plenty of restaurants and food spots surrounding the museum, so you could go outside for a food break before diving back in. This is a definite necessity if you’re planning on seeing the entire museum in one day!
The Breakdown
I would recommend this to: any groups that have a lot of different interests. There are so many different kinds of exhibits, there’s absolutely something for everyone. This is a great museum to split up and let everyone explore their favorite thing. If you’re traveling with children, this is a great place to take them for hours of entertainment. There’s plenty of interactive areas and lessons to keep children entertained and learning. Otherwise, honestly anyone. There is absolutely at least one room/exhibit that touches on every interest.
Access: There’s both a main entrance and a wheelchair accessible entrance that are only 50 feet apart. There are elevators in both buildings which makes it easy to get around without stairs and the walkways are plenty wide.
Admission: Admission is free and there’s no checkpoint you need to go through to enter. There are a few limited time exhibits that require advanced booking, but they’re also free of charge. There are donation points scattered around the lobby and museum, so you can easily donate some money, but nothing is required.
Location: This museum is right across from Greyfriars Kirkyard on George IV, about 3 minutes off the Royal Mile on Chambers Street. You can easily get there from both George IV and South Bridge. There’s a bunch of banners and signs pointing you to the entrance.
Time Spent: On my first visit, I spent 2 hours there and maybe got through…a sixth of the museum? You could spend 10 minutes or 10 hours here depending on what your schedule looks like and what you want to see. This is why I highly recommend you look over the map and plan what you want to see ahead of time. If you want to see every exhibit, prepare to spend many hours here or split up your visits across multiple days like I did.
Scottish National Gallery
The Scottish National Gallery is currently under renovation, set to be complete sometime in 2022, so there are fewer rooms on display than normal. The layout is very simple with the permanent exhibit making up a U-shape of rooms with occasional one room offshoots and one area upstairs. This means you don’t have to spend any time preparing for your visit to hit the highlights if you’re tight on time.
I really enjoyed that the loop is set up chronologically. This really amplified my experience because I could see the art build off each other over time. As you get to the more populous time periods, the rooms became mainly separated by the origin of the artist (so a room of Scottish artists, one of French, one of Dutch, etc) which made it really easy to see the similarities and differences between the different schools of art.
The Breakdown
I would recommend it to: anyone who enjoys the Old Masters of art (there are a few big names scattered throughout the gallery) and a focus on European art specifically. The later half of the exhibit really focuses on Scottish artists and the influence of the Scottish art scene on the rest of Europe, which is an emphasis I really enjoyed. The areas currently under renovations will focus particularly on Scottish art and large paintings, which I’m excited to see when it opens. There are also mainly paintings with a few cassones and statues scattered throughout, so a good choice for the canvas-minded art lovers.
Access: There’s a separate entrance for those who cannot climb stairs, but unfortunately while the renovations are ongoing, the elevator access to the upper floor is currently unavailable. That still leaves the majority of the exhibit open. There are also plentiful seating options which I really appreciated.
Admission: Admission is free, but it is recommended/encouraged that people book their time slots in advance. From my experience, they didn’t even check tickets when letting the next group in, so it really just depends on how busy it is at the time. Essentially, they let people in as others leave. When you look online, you can see how many tickets are available for the different time slots, so you can get an idea of which times will be more impacted than others. I went at 3pm on a weekday which I highly recommend! The final entrance is at 3:45 so for the whole later half of your visit, the number of attendees goes down the closer you get to 5pm.
Location: The Scottish National Gallery couldn’t be more centrally located. It sits between the mound, Waverley Station/Princes Garden, and Princes Street. There’s two buildings with Roman pillars: the one closest to the Royal Mile is the main gallery and the one closer to Princes Street is the special exhibits that are booked separately.
Time Spent: I spent a little over 90 minutes at the gallery, reading most of the informational plaques and one brief sit down. Once the additional rooms open again, you’re looking at 90-120 minutes if you want to savor your time there. It’s possible to stay shorter and still have a wonderful experience if you’re more choosy about which paintings you read more about.
Museum of Edinburgh
I’ve passed the Museum of Edinburgh so many times because it’s located right on the Royal Mile, yet never went in. The buildings themselves are part of the museum because they retain their 16th century architecture and design. That also means tight spiral staircases and very creaky wooden floors.
This museum focuses specifically on Edinburgh history, including specific people, arts, and city design. The sections are grouped together, so you can walk past any parts you’re less interested in. Areas focus on Edinburgh city history, silverwork, pottery, glasswork, Field Marshal Earl Haig, professions like fire service, and more. I was most interested in the first part which focused on Edinburgh history because I learned so much.
The Breakdown
I would recommend this to: people who enjoy niche topics, who want to learn more about the history of Edinburgh, and who like craft work (i.e. ceramics, glasswork, goldsmith, etc). There’s also a whole section dedicated to Field Marshal Earl Haig who fought during WWI, so war history buffs have a section as well.
Access: The museum has a convenient access guide that goes into details about access points and restrictions. While the 16th century buildings are nice for a historical feel, they’re not the most accessible.
Admission: Admission is free and there’s a donation box when you exit the museum into the gift shop. You don’t need to book anything in advance and most of the museum is set up as a one way path through the rooms.
Location: Right on the Royal Mile in Canongate (closer to Parliament/Holyroodhouse than Edinburgh castle) with signs pointing in the right direction. Enter through the courtyard and exit through the gift shop.
Time Spent: I spent about an hour and a half here reading the majority of the plaques and informational signs. You could go through it faster if you don’t spend as much time reading each sign or select which areas you want to spend more or less time on.
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
I have to admit, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery is the first portrait gallery I’ve ever been to! I can confirm that, as the name suggests, the art on display is mainly portraits and busts of significant figures made by significant figures. The Scottish National Portrait Gallery has a specific focus on Scottish figures in history, so this is another good pick for those looking to hone in on Scottish history.
The gallery is set up chronologically if you follow the room order (1 to 12) and don’t do what I did which was start at rooms 11 and 12 because they’re on the lower floor. Or just start hopping around. If you’re familiar with Scottish history, it’s perhaps not a big deal, but it’s helpful for people that aren’t. Especially with the monarchy. And the whole…attempted revolution thing.
If nothing else, I’d recommend popping in just to see the great hall. It’s the first room you enter and goes up two floors. Every inch of that room is decorated and intentional – even the ceiling!
My favorite part of this gallery (other than the great hall) was the Remaking of Scotland: Nation, Migration, Globalisation 1760-1860 room. It was intentional about recognizing the impacts of western colonialism and imperialism and the cost of Scottish success on other people and the environment.
The Breakdown
I would recommend this to: people interested in history on a person-level. Due to the nature of building a gallery around portraits, you get a lot more focus on individuals rather than broad-strokes history. I’d also recommend for fans of prominent Scots like Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott to see them “in-person”.
Access: This gallery was renovated in 2009 so it has lifts and broad aisles and doorways. There is a Sensory Map you can view ahead of time that gives advice on expected sensory inputs, seats, and toilets.
Admission: Admission is free and there’s an option to book in advance, but in my opinion, that’s not really necessary. Unless there’s a reason to believe the gallery is going to be busy, you can expect to be able to just walk in.
Location: Just a short block away from St Andrews Square. Very central is you’re in New Town, but about 10-15 minutes if you’re coming from Old Town.
Time Spent: I spent an hour and a half there reading about half the plaques with a few rooms closed.
Museum on the Mound
The Museum on the Mound is actually in the Lloyds Banking Group/Bank of Scotland headquarters right on the mound. The building itself is an iconic part of the Edinburgh skyline and stands out perched on the mound bracketed by Princes Garden on one side and Old Town on the other.
I knew the least about this museum out of all of Edinburgh’s free museums ahead of time. I had passed the signs outside almost daily because the museum was so close to my Airbnb and that’s about all I knew. Interested in money? Want to see a million pounds? Come on in!
They also had handouts for children to fill out and draw on that could make this an interesting visit for kids. There are typically several interactive displays as well, but they were closed during my visit for COVID safety reasons.
The Breakdown
I would recommend this to: anyone with an interest in the history of banking and insurance. There’s also interesting information about money and trade around the world that I think would have a wider audience of interest.
Access: The entire exhibit is on one level without any steps. The garden entrance has two gates with ramps and stairs as options.
Admission: No advance booking required, you can just drop in during their open hours.
Location: As the name implies, this museum is right on the mound! You can spot the building in many of the iconic shots of Edinburgh and has been a staple for hundreds of years. There are two gates, one on North Bank Street and one on Market Street.
Time Spent: I spent about 50 minutes here reading most of the plaques/signs. The amount of general blurbs in the rooms aren’t too much, but there are a lot of smaller plaques with information about individual items. If you spend time reading all the small plaques, expect to take a little longer.
City Art Centre
I didn’t even know this museum existed until I saw the name in gold on the outside of the building while I was on Princes Street. The City Art Centre doesn’t give off the same museum-feeling as the rest of Edinburgh’s free museums. This feels more like a gallery or somewhere for art curators to turn art into a discussion with the visitors.
The Centre typically runs 2-3 exhibits at a time which, from my brief research, appear to have more turnover than the other museums I’ve seen. The new acquisitions exhibit is a staple and contains a wide variety of art styles, themes, and time periods. I would definitely recommend taking a look at their website to see which exhibits they have coming up to see what sparks your interest.
The Breakdown
I would recommend this to: those interested in a more highly curated art experience. The exhibits here seem to rotate out more often than the other museums. I think this gives them more flexibility to showcase more niche artists and artworks. I felt most like I was in an art class, learning about the techniques and themes found in the artwork.
Access: The main entrance door is a revolving door, but there are other doors for more accessible entry. There are elevators available to move between floors otherwise it’s a mix of escalator and stairs.
Admission: No booking required, but make sure to look at the exhibit dates if there’s something specific you’re looking to see! Admission is free and there’s donation points in the gift shop/lobby.
Location: Located right next to the Market Street entrance to Waverley Station and a quick close-stairs trip down from Cockburn Street. You can see the name in gold on the building when you’re standing on the east end of Princes Street.
Time Spent: I spent about an hour here looking at the 2 available exhibits. The new acquisition exhibit took up less of that time because it’s smaller than the special exhibits they tend to hold.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art consists of two buildings (Modern One and Modern Two) and a sculpture park. Modern Two was closed when I went while they set up a new exhibit so I only went to Modern One and walked through the sculpture park.
Like many of these museums, the main exhibit in Modern One is set up chronologically. I really appreciate how these Scottish museums make the route pretty clear. Now it’s so easy to see the art movements grow over time and influence each other.
Out of all of Edinburgh’s free museums, the descriptions in each room made the art style and explanation the most accessible and easy to understand. So many of these modern art movements are conceptual and go over my head, unlike art like…realism for example. The descriptions explained them very well, including how they fit into the time period and how the big names of the movement come into play.
The Breakdown
I would recommend this to: lovers of contemporary and modern art (big surprise). They have a lot of big names (Picasso, Magritte, and Dali to name a few), so even anyone who isn’t the familiar with the art world can appreciate. This is also a good spot for people who enjoy non-paint mediums because there’s a good mix of art types. Honestly, this is a great stop for anyone looking for a different kind of museum experience!
Access: There’s lift access for every room, even the one set half a floor above the rest. Some of the doorways were narrow, mostly for single rooms that don’t lead into others.
Admission: There are two separate buildings: Modern One and Modern Two. They’re located across the street from each other, but are still the same complex. When I went, Modern Two was closed to set up a new exhibit. Both are free, but bookings are separate. When I went, they did check if you had a booking so I wouldn’t recommend trying to walk-in without one. In addition to the museums themselves, there is a sculpture park that’s always open across both grounds.
Location: Compared to the rest of Edinburgh’s free museums on this list, this one is out of the way if you’re centrally located in Edinburgh. It took me 30-40 minutes to walk there from the Royal Mile. It’s next to Dean Village so if that’s where you are/will be, then it’s easy to get to.
Time Spent: I spent an hour in Modern One. Modern Two looks smaller on the map, so I’d guess 30-45 minutes if you plan to go there as well. I walked through the sculpture garden going straight from Modern One, to Modern Two, to Dean’s cemetery. You can either do that which took 5 minutes or follow the map and see every sculpture in about 30.
Want more ideas for your visit to Edinburgh? Check out my Edinburgh City Guide for a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know!
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