National Museum Celebrates Building Project Start

Submitted by edg on Wed, 16 Apr '08 12.21pm

The National Museum of Scotland is marking the start of its 3-year, £46.4
million building upgrade with a free two-day Celebration Weekend on 26 & 27 April at the Museum (10am-5pm).

The two days will see live music, workshops, children's activities, performances, a ceilidh and appearances by authors Kate Atkinson and Maggie O'Farrell at a free ticketed book festival event. The weekend's festivities end with a performance by The Red Hot Chilli Pipers.

The main part of the Victorian era Royal Museum building will be
closed for three years from 28 April 2008 until completion anticipated in 2011. Among the key features of the upgrade will be a new street level welcoming hall and 16 new galleries that will allow the Museum to exhibit twice as many objects from its archived collection.

More than half the building will remain open, including all of the National Museum of Scotland, during the construction work.

‘Last chance' tours of the museum will be available over the two days.

National Museum of Scotland