From the civil wars to the Act of Union, Jacobites to Jack and the Beanstalk and fishwives to flatirons, come and find out about some of the surprising items in the collections, and the work going on by Museums Galleries Edinburgh curators and conservators. There's something for all interests, guaranteed!
The Museums Collection Centre stores a huge variety of objects from the City’s Social History, Applied Arts and Childhood collections. We also have a small conservation lab. The building is accessible but some objects are stored on an upper floor accessed by a wide metal staircase with open risers and a handrail. Accessible toilets are available.
Tours are led by Museum Collections Centre staff and volunteers. Because we all have our own interests and perspectives, each tour is different.
Here’s your chance to join Dave and delve into the back-room stores of Edinburgh’s museum collections. Get up very close with a vast range of incredible artefacts whilst hearing about Edinburgh’s attempts at time-keeping, the “truth” about Greyfriars Bobby and the story about Edinburgh’s own Great Fire and the birth of the modern fire brigade thanks to Fireman James. See examples of bygone train sets, still in their original boxes and hear about the escapades of Edinburgh’s citizens as they consumed alcohol in copious quantities in a bid to keep up with the brewer’s output in the most important brewing centre on the planet.
Museum Collections Centre Store Tour