National Museums Scotland listings
20 September – 1 November 2010
Highlights
The Jet Age
National Museum of Flight
New permanent exhibition
Included in museum admission
Take a look at the UK’s only Boeing 707 cockpit and cabin as we launch The Jet Age. The exhibition features the reminiscences of former cabin crew and passengers from the heyday of commercial travel. Visitors can revel in the glory of 1960s air travel, when photographing celebrities at the airport was still a novelty! Discover how the aircraft was made and watch interviews. Uniforms, baggage trolleys, airline jet engines and an airport fire engine all help tell the story of the airline that ushered in the ‘Jet Age’.
Parachute Store
National Museum of Flight
New permanent exhibition
Included in museum admission
Experience an evocative glimpse into life at East Fortune in the Second World War. Newly restored to its original appearance, the Parachute Store is where parachutes were hung from the ceiling to dry and repacked ready for use.
Exhibitions
Land Girls and Lumber Jills
National War Museum
26 February 2010 – February 2011
Included in Edinburgh Castle admission
This new exhibition tells the important story of the Women’s Land Army (WLA) and Women’s Timber Corps (WTC) in Scotland. >From roots in the First World War, these Land Girls and Lumber Jills played a vital role in feeding the nation and providing timber. Objects include a formal uniform from the 1940s right up to the 2008 medal awarded to all surviving members of both the WLA and WTC.
‘Land girls’ took on all types of agricultural work from sowing to harvesting, calving to shearing, whilst the Women’s Timber Corps supplied the wood. Some volunteered but others were conscripted as by 1941 all women under the age of 60, without children under 14, could be called up for essential war work. Public recognition of the vital hard work and commitment from these women arrived in 2008 when they were issued with a medal which incorporated the designs from both the Land Army badge and that of the Timber Corps, along with a certificate of thanks from the Prime Minister.
Garden Detectives
National Museum of Rural Life
Free with museum admission
What lurks at the bottom of your garden? See the natural world through the eyes of a detective. Delve into hedges, take a peek in our shed and unearth wonders from our flower beds and pond. Explore habitats, study food chains, track animals and discover what they get up to while you’re asleep! Inspired by the work of Charles Darwin, Garden Detectives turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. Take a larger-than-life look at plants and flowers, learn fascinating facts about nature and experience all the sounds and smells of a real garden, without getting your hands dirty.
Marriage in the Movies
National Museum of Costume
Fri 9 April – Sun 31 October
Entrance included in Museum admission
Marriage in the Movies presents some of the most memorable wedding moments captured on film as we showcase gowns and accessories from the big (and small) screens.
The exhibition features wedding dresses worn by Keira Knightley, Helena Bonham-Carter and Meryl Streep, examines the iconic work of Oscar-winning costume designers, and explores the history of the wedding gown from its symbolism and tradition to fashion and style. While all the wedding gowns on display were made especially for the screen, they also represent the story and the style of the time – from the 1770s in Frankenstein and the late eighteenth century in The Duchess, to the early 1900s in Howard’s End.
Treasured: Wonderful Things, Amazing Stories
National Museum of Scotland
Until 31 October 2011
Free
This exhibition offers the chance to discover some of the most extraordinary treasures in the care of National Museums Scotland. Featuring over 300 objects drawn from the four corners of the globe and spanning across centuries, Treasured: Wonderful Things, Amazing Stories celebrates the wonder and diversity of the National Museums’ world-class collections. From a Sumatran tiger to a Victorian corset, Treasured is an eclectic mix of the spectacular, extraordinary, precious and personal. The exhibition provides a link to the Royal Museum collections during closure, casting new light on familiar objects and also giving a first glimpse of some of the objects which will feature in the redeveloped National Museum of Scotland when it re-opens in 2011.
Events/activities
National Museum of Scotland
Talks and lectures
Curator’s Choice: Approach with Caution
Fri 24 September
Dunfermline Room
14:00 (1hr) £5/£4/Members free
Book on 0131 225 7534
Museum objects are precious, preserved… and poisonous? Join Tayce Phillipson, Curator of Computing and Modern Science, to discover some of the more challenging objects in the collection – like radioactive chemicals acquired 25 years before the discovery of radiation.
Romans Go Home?
Spotlight On: Traprain Treasure
Sat 25 September
Early People Gallery
15:00 (30mins)
Free – Book on 0131 225 7534
The great hill-fort of Traprain Law, near Haddington, has provided a wealth of archaeological surprises. Explore one of the most famous finds, the Traprain Law Treasure, with Dr Lucy Grig of the University of Edinburgh
In association with the Roman Society and the University of Edinburgh.
Stevenson’s Pacific Adventures
Wed 29 September
Early People Gallery
19:00 (1hr)
£5/£4/Members free
Book on 0131 225 7534
Brenda McGoff, Assistant Curator of Oceania, America and Africa, guides us through the travels and adventures of Robert Louis Stevenson and his extended family. Objects collected by Stevenson’s mother on these travels will be displayed in the National Museum’s new World Cultures galleries from summer 2011.
Curator’s Choice: Commonwealth Games – playing and winning
Fri 8 October
Dunfermline Room
14:00 (1hr) £5/£4/Members and Patrons free
Book on 0131 225 7534
The 19th Commonwealth Games will be held in Delhi this autumn. Join John Burnett, Principal Curator of Modern Scotland, as he explores the cultural background of the event, its identity as the ‘friendly games’ and the sport too.
Scottish Lighthouses – Past and Present
Wed 27 October
Early People Gallery
19:00 (1.5hrs)
£5/£4/Members and Patrons free
Book on 0131 225 7534
Scotland’s earliest lighthouse was a coalburning grate on top of a tower on the Isle of May in 1636. Dr Alison Morrison-Low, Principal Curator of Historic Scientific Instruments and Photography, explains how our dangerous coasts have been lit since then.
Half-term events
The Big Draw – Marvellous Maps!
Sat 16 – Sun 17 October
Hawthornden Court
12:00 – 16:00
Free (drop-in)
Old sea maps aren’t boring! They’re full of beautiful illustrations of lighthouses, ships, mermaids, whirlpools and sea monsters! Make your own antique-style map to guide you safely home through troubled waters.
New Science Show – To the Lighthouse!
Sat 16 – Sun 24 October
Connect gallery
12:15, 13:15, 14:15, 15:15 (20mins)
Age 5+
Free (drop-in)
Come and help us build a giant model lighthouse and explore how science and engineering saves lives.
www.infoscotland.com/science
Ultimate Lighthouse: Family Challenge
Tues 19, Thu 21 October
Hawthornden Court
12:00 – 16:00
Free (drop-in)
Lighthouses have to stand up to all sorts of weather conditions to do their job. Do you think you can build one tough enough? Take up our challenge and put your design to the test!
Lights Alive!
Wed 20 October
Level 2
14:00 – 16:00
Age 8+
Free (drop-in)
Make your own working lighthouse to take home in this crafty science workshop! Activity lasts about 30 minutes – limited places at any one time. Children
must be accompanied by an adult.
Lighthouse DIY!
Mon 18, Fri 22 October
Hawthornden Court
12:00 – 16:00
Free (drop-in)
Design and make your own lighthouse. Find inspiration in some famous examples or use your imagination to create your ideal lighthouse. All materials are provided but feel free to bring along any crafty extras you require.
Relic – Guardians of the Museum
Sat 23 – Sun 24 October
Start in Hawthornden Court
10:00 – 17:00
Free (drop-in)
Join our History of the World object trail as seen on the BBC. Can you complete all the challenges set by dead tour guide Agatha in time to be awarded a certificate? Only then will you truly be a guardian of the Museum…
Weekend events
Rock On: Scottish Geology Festival
Sun 19 – Mon 20 September
Connect gallery
12:00 – 16:00
Free (drop-in)
Join us for two days of fun-packed activities as part of the Scottish Geology Festival 2010. Create your own fossil out of clay, make a mini-dino world and more! For details visit www.nms.ac.uk/events
Romans and Gladiators
Sun 3 October
Hawthornden Court
12:45, 13:45, 14:45 (25mins)
Free (drop-in)
It’s 1600 years since the Romans left Britain. Come and meet our retired soldier, now a gladiator. Learn about life in the Roman army, try out combat techniques and find out how gladiators entertained the screaming crowds.
Halloween
Sun 31 October
Hawthornden Court
11:00 – 16:00
Free (drop-in)
Join us for a day of spooky Scottish traditions, encounters and activities. See www.nms.ac.uk for more details.
Connect Super Science Shows
Connect gallery
Every Sat and Sun
12:15/13:15/14:15/15:15 (20mins)
Age 5+
Limited space (seating for 20)
Free
Come along to our free events every weekend in Connect. Find out about science in the real world at our Meet the Scientist events or enjoy a Super Science Show!
Free Tours: Scottish Collections
Tours leave from the Hawthornden Court meeting point:
Highlights Tour (1hr)
Daily 11:30/13:30
Themed Tour (1hr)
Daily 14:30
Family Tour (15mins)
Sat 14:00
Treasured: Wonderful Things, Amazing Stories Tour (1hr)
Tue 15:00/Fri 12:00
Information about topics for themed and family tours can be found on the museum’s information screens and on our websitewww.nms.ac.uk/tours.
National Museum of Flight
Special events
Magnificent Machines
Sat 25 – Sun 26 September
10:00 – 17:00
Adult £10, Conc £8, Child 12 and under free, Members free
Parking £4
Call 0131 225 7534 to book
See monster trucks, classic and vintage cars, scooters and fire engines at the transport event of the season! Get close to our car-crushing extravaganza and marvel as engines parade in front of you. Climb inside an aircraft cockpit and discover what it might be like to fly your own magnificent machine!
Air and Scare Halloween
Sun 31 October
10:00 – 17:00
Event included in Museum admission
Dress up in your scariest costume and take part in creepy art and craft workshops and enjoy traditional Halloween games.
National Museum of Rural Life
Special events
Autumn Stargazing
Wed 13 October
19:00 – 21:00 (2hrs)
Free with museum admission
Try your hand at astronomy with the Clydesdale Astronomical Society and find out what the heavens have to offer in autumn (weather permitting).
Halloween Party
Sun 31 October
15:00 – 17:00
Free admission from 15:00
Revel in apple dooking, scary games and creepy crafts as we celebrate the most frightening day of the year!
National Museum of Costume
Special events
Doors Open Day
Sun 26 September
11:00 – 16:00
Free
Enjoy all that the museum has to offer for free as we celebrate Doors Open Day.
A Halloween Happening
Sat 23 October
17:30 – 18:30 and
18:30 – 19:30
Age 5 -12
Adult £4, Conc £3, Child 12 and under free
Book on 0131 247 4030
Feeling brave? Meet ghosts and ghouls and join our spooky storyteller on a tour of the house. Book for the 17:30 or 18:30 tour.
Listings are now available as RSS feeds:
National Museum of Scotland
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National War Museum
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National Museum of Rural Life
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National Museum of Flight
National Museum of Costume
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Museum addresses:
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
National War Museum, Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, EH1 2NG
National Museum of Flight, East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian EH39 5LF
National Museum of Costume, Shambellie House, New Abbey, Dumfries, DG2 8HQ
National Museum of Rural Life, Wester Kittochside, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR
For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0131 225 7534/www.nms.ac.uk