Museums & Galleries Edinburgh.
Festive Period Opening Times
All of our venues will be closed Wednesday 25 December/Thursday 26 December and Wednesday 1 January/Thursday 2 January, Please check our individual venue pages for any additional festive closures.
On Tuesday 24 December and Tuesday 31 December, the last entry to venues is 3pm
On Friday 27 December and Friday 3 January, we will open at 11am.
We would like to wish all our visitors a happy holiday period and we look forward to seeing you in 2025.
Museums & Galleries Edinburgh is a collection of 13 varied and fascinating venues owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council. Many of these venues are A or B listed buildings and the venues boast an exciting and vibrant programme of events and exhibitions, offering something for everyone to enjoy.
Our team also cares for 200 historic monuments, including two of Edinburgh's tallest monuments, namely the Scott Monument and Nelson Monument.
We hold, care for and develop rich and varied collections relating to the historical and cultural life in Scotland's Capital. We have around 220,000 objects in our care and a number of these are recognised by the Scottish Government as being of national importance.
We look forward to welcoming you to one of our venues very soon!
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City Art Centre
Free entry unless otherwise advertised | Recommended donation £5 | Last entry 4.30pm
Festive Opening hours:
24th and 31st December: Last admission 3pm
25th and 26th December/1st and 2nd January: Closed
27th December and 3rd January: Open 11am-5pm.
We wish you a happy festive season.
The City of Edinburgh’s Art collection is one of the finest in Scotland, and includes works by the most important Scottish artists.
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Lauriston Castle
Free entry to the grounds | Gates open 8am - 4.30pm | Mimi's Mon - Fri 9am - 4pm; Sat & Sun 10am - 4pm
A 16th century tower house with early 19th century additions set in stunning grounds overlooking the Firth of Forth.
For our diverse and exciting events programme, click here.
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Makars' Court
Next to The Writers' Museum
Makars’ Court is an evolving national literary monument where you can see some of the famous words of great Scottish writers inscribed in the flags
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The Writers' Museum
Free entry | Recommended donation £5 | Last entry 4.30pm
Festive Opening hours:
The Writers' Museum will be closed from Monday 23rd December - Friday 3rd January (inclusive), with the exception of these dates:
24th December: Last Admission 3pm.
27th December: Open 11am-5pm (last admission 4:30pm)
29th December: 10am-5pm (last admission 4:30pm).
We wish you a happy festive season.
The Writers’ Museum celebrates the lives of three giants of Scottish Literature – Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.
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Museum of Edinburgh
Free entry | Recommended donation £5 | Last entry 4.30pm
Festive Opening hours:
24th and 31st December: Last admission 3pm
25th - 27th December, 29th December/1st and 2nd January: Closed
3rd January: Open 11am-5pm.
We wish you a happy festive season.
Iconic items, beautiful objects, fascinating facts and gruesome tales are waiting to be discovered in this beautiful 16th century museum.
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The People's Story Museum
Free, Suggested Donation £5
Festive Opening hours:
23rd December: open 10am-4pm (last entry 3:30pm)
24th December - 3rd January: Closed with the exception of the following dates:
Saturday 28th December, 10am-5pm (last entry 4:30pm)
Monday 30th December, 10am-5pm (last entry 4:30pm)
We wish you a happy festive season.
The People's Story gives an unique insight into Edinburgh's working class people from the 18th to the late 20th century.
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Museum of Childhood
Free entry | Recommended donation £5 | Last entry 4.30pm
Festive Opening hours:
31st December: Last admission 3pm
23rd - 30th December / 1st and 2nd January: Closed
3rd January: Open 11am-5pm.
We wish you a happy festive season.
The Museum of Childhood has a place in the hearts of millions. The first museum in the world dedicated to the history of childhood, it displays toys and games from across the generations.
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Travelling Gallery
The Travelling Gallery is on tour round Scotland with a show that explores and illuminates our human capacity for mutuality, connection and interdependence through movement, language, and film. The exhibition will visit Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Arbroath, Aberdeenshire, Dundee, Thurso and the Orkney Islands.
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Queensferry Museum
Temporarily closed
Due to circumstances beyond our control, Queensferry Museum will be closed until further notice. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Queensferry Museum shows the traditions and historic past of the village and neighbouring Dalmeny. With wonderful views onto the Firth of Forth, the museum is a perfect starting point to learn all about history of the Ferry.
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Museum Collections Centre
Free tours | Recommended donation £5
Take a look behind the scenes and discover how museums look after the city's past
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Scott Monument
Adult £8 | Child/Concession £6 | Family Ticket £20 (Card Only)
Festive Opening hours:
24th and 31st December: Last tour 3pm
23rd, 25th and 26th December/1st and 2nd January: Closed
27th December and 3rd January: Open 11am-3:30pm (last tour).
We wish you a happy festive season.
Discover one of Edinburgh's most iconic landmarks. We offer fully guided tours daily from 10am.
Please note that the Scott Monument is only able to take card payments at the moment. We apologise for any inconvenience.
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Nelson Monument
Tower admission £6 | Recommended donation for Museum £5 | Card Only
Festive Opening hours:
24th, 25th and 26th December/1st and 2nd January: Closed
27th December and 3rd January: Open 11am-5pm.
31st December: Last admission 3pm
We wish you a happy festive season.
Perched high on Calton Hill is the monument to Admiral Lord Nelson's victory, and death, at the battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805.
