National Museums Scotland listings
15 March – 26 April 2010
Highlights
The Jet Age
National Museum of Flight
The Jet Age
National Museum of Flight
Opens 1 April
New permanent exhibition
Included in museum admission
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 of passengers and crew. 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
Opens 1 April
New permanent exhibition
Included in museum admission
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.
Marriage in the Movies
National Museum of Costume
Fri 9 April – Sun 31 October
Entrance included in Museum admission
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.
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.
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.
Edinburgh International Science Festival
Thu 8 – Sat 17 April
Learn about science and technology in fun family workshops and activities. Discover Science with the University of Edinburgh, join a Science Secrets workshop, or visit the National Museums Collection Centre on a guided tour. Full details below.
Sir Jackie Stewart: World Champion – 1969, 1971, 1973
National Museum of Scotland
Free
National Museum of Scotland
Free
Proud Scots, motor-racing fans and sporting enthusiasts can now speed into the National Museum of Scotland to see the famous Formula One car belonging to three times Formula One World Champion and Scottish sporting legend, Sir Jackie Stewart OBE. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of his first World Drivers’ Championship in 1969 and Scotland’s Year of Homecoming 2009, Sir Jackie has loaned his 1971 World Championship-winning Tyrrell 003 car to the Museum for up to three years. The car has won eight Grand Prix races, more than any other individual car, and is displayed alongside Sir Jackie’s 1971 Monaco Grand Prix and German Grand Prix trophies, and his famous tartan-rimmed helmet.
Exhibitions
Garden Detectives
National Museum of Rural Life
Free with museum admission
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 to mark his 200th birthday, 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. Darwin200 is a national programme of events celebrating Charles Darwin’s scientific ideas and their impact on society.
Treasured: Wonderful Things, Amazing Stories
National Museum of Scotland
Until 2011
Free
Until 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
Edinburgh International Science Festival
Thu 8 – Sat 17 April
Learn about science and technology in fun family workshops and activities. Discover Science with the University of Edinburgh, join a Science Secrets workshop, or visit the National Museums Collection Centre on a guided tour.
Discover Science with the University of Edinburgh at the Museum
Meet real scientists and find out what’s happening in the changing world of science and technology. See a show, take part in a workshop or just drop in to get hands-on! This year’s highlights include:
Discover Biodiversity
Thu 8 – Mon 12 April
Special Exhibitions gallery, Level 3
10:00 – 17:00 (Drop-in)
Age 5+
Free
This year is the International Year of Biodiversity. Let’s celebrate themind-boggling range of living thingson our amazing planet!
Design a Superbug!
Thu 8 – Mon 12 April
Special Exhibitions gallery, Level 3
10:00 – 17:00 (Drop-in)
Age 7+
Free
Using balloons, bags and slime, make a model of a ‘superbug’ and the antibiotic to challenge it!
Build a Monster Workshop
Thu 8 – Mon 12 April
Dunfermline Room
11:00 – 12:00 (Drop-in)
Age 6-10
Free – book on 0131 553 0322
The Gene Jury team explain how living things use genes to grow and survive. You decide whether monsters should uncover all their gene secrets!
GM’ll Fix It?
Thu 8 – Mon 12 April
Dunfermline Room
14:00 – 15:00 (Drop-in)
Age 10-13
Free – book on 0131 553 0322
Genes can’t be changed by us. Or can they? Join the Gene Jury team down on the farm and discover the importance of genes.
Fire and Ice
Tue 13 – Sat 17 April
Special Exhibitions gallery, Level 3
10:00 – 17:00 (Drop-in)
Age 10+
Free
Join our expert geoscientists to discover how volcanoes and glaciers formed the land we live in.
R2D2 – Where Are You?
Tue 13 – Sat 17 April
Special Exhibitions gallery, Level 3
10:00 – 17:00 (Drop-in)
Age 7+
Free
Why is it so hard to build an intelligent robot? Find out more with our friendly informatics students.
More Edinburgh International Science Festival at the Museum…
Science Secrets
Mon 12 – Fri 16 April
Connect gallery
Age 7+
Free
Surprising shells, fascinating fossils and mysterious Morse code! Come and meet Museum scientists and curators as they reveal the science secrets behind their work. Each day has a different theme – visit www.nms.ac.uk for times and details.
National Museums Collection Centre Tours
Free
Visit our website for dates, times and booking details
This is an exclusive chance to see behind the scenes at the National Museums Collection Centre, where we store and conserve many of our amazing objects and specimens. Join a guided tour led by curators and collections experts.
Full programme and booking details available from 16 February – 0131 553 0322 or www.sciencefestival.co.uk
Talks and lectures
Understanding Technology: Museums of Machinery
Thu 18 March
Dunfermline Room
15:00 (1hr 30mins)
Free
Book now on 0131 225 7534
Professor Christine MacLeod from Bristol University explores how technology took shape in Edinburgh, London and Paris.
In association with the Institute for the Study of Science, Technology and Innovation, University of Edinburgh.
Professor Christine MacLeod from Bristol University explores how technology took shape in Edinburgh, London and Paris.
In association with the Institute for the Study of Science, Technology and Innovation, University of Edinburgh.
Curator’s Choice: Out of the Box – Reaching New Audiences
Fri 26 March
Dunfermline Room
14:00 (1hr)
£5 / £4 / Members free
Book now on 0131 225 7534
Christine McLean, Community Engagement Manager, talks about reaching out to people for whom visiting and using our museums can be a new and challenging experience.
Christine McLean, Community Engagement Manager, talks about reaching out to people for whom visiting and using our museums can be a new and challenging experience.
The Treasures of Traprain
Wed 31 March
Early People gallery
19:00 (1hr)
£5 / £4 / Members free
Booking essential on 0131 225 7534
The great hill-fort of Traprain Law, near Haddington, has provided a wealth of archaeological surprises. Dr Fraser Hunter explores the latest work on the famous late-Roman silver treasure, as well as lesser-known aspects of the hill’s history.
The great hill-fort of Traprain Law, near Haddington, has provided a wealth of archaeological surprises. Dr Fraser Hunter explores the latest work on the famous late-Roman silver treasure, as well as lesser-known aspects of the hill’s history.
Honouring the Ancestors
Wed 21 April
Early People gallery
19:00 (1hr)
£5 / £4 / Members free
Booking now on 0131 225 7534
Dr Sarah Worden, Curator of African Collections, focuses on African objects that are used as vehicles to contact, remember, recall and placate the ancestors who are important in the world of the living.
Dr Sarah Worden, Curator of African Collections, focuses on African objects that are used as vehicles to contact, remember, recall and placate the ancestors who are important in the world of the living.
Curator’s Choice: Minerals in Ultraviolet Light
Fri 23 April
Dunfermline Room
14:00 (1hr)
£5 / £4 / Members free
Book now on 0131 225 7534
The colourful effects produced in minerals can be spectacular when illuminated by ultraviolet light. Brian Jackson will explore the reasons for fluorescence, with opportunities to view specimens fluorescing.
The colourful effects produced in minerals can be spectacular when illuminated by ultraviolet light. Brian Jackson will explore the reasons for fluorescence, with opportunities to view specimens fluorescing.
Special events
Ceilidh Culture Concerts
Sun 28 Mar
Sun 28 Mar
Hawthornden Court
12:45/13:45/14:45 (30mins)
Free
Celebrate Edinburgh Ceilidh Culture Festival 2010 with an afternoon of Scottish traditional music. Visit www.nms.ac.uk/events for the full line-up!
Easter Family Trail
Sat 3 – Sun 4 April
Sat 3 – Sun 4 April
10:00 – 17:00 (Drop-in)
Free
Try out our Easter-themed trail around the galleries this weekend. Can you complete all the egg-citing challenges? Collect your trail from level 1, or download it from our website from the start of April – visit www.nms.ac.uk
Meet Your Maker Special Events
Exploring Ceramics with Fran Priest
Sun 14 March
Special Exhibitions Gallery, Level 3
13:00 (45mins)
13:00 (45mins)
Free
Explore the themes of pattern and ornament and create mini-collections in these hands-on sessions. Places are limited – advance booking recommended. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Explore the themes of pattern and ornament and create mini-collections in these hands-on sessions. Places are limited – advance booking recommended. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Weekend events
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)
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 War Museum
Special events
Women at War
Sat 3 – Sun 4 April,
Sat 3 – Sun 4 April,
9:45–16:00 (Drop-in)
Free (included in Castle admission)
Find out how women joined the war effort. Did they enrol or face conscription? Discover the jobs they may have done, from driving ambulances to manning search lights. Listen to stories of the horrors of casualty stations and the backbreaking toil of digging the land.
National Museum of Flight
Special events
Flying Start
Fri 2 – Mon 5 April
Fri 2 – Mon 5 April
10:00 – 17:00
Included in Museum admission
Join our weekend of activities to celebrate the Edinburgh International Science Festival. Find the answers to flight questions, build your own egg aircraft, and celebrate the opening of our Parachute Store and newly refurbished 707 cabin! Join in at cabin crew school to learn the skills needed to serve the rich and famous. See what it was like to work in the Parachute Store and enjoy a specially devised drama.
National Museum of Rural Life
Spring
Spring Stargazing
Wed 17 March
Wed 17 March
19:00-21:00 (2hrs)
Booking essential 0131 247 4369
Try your hand at astronomy with the Clydesdale Astronomical Society and find out what the heavens have to offer in springtime (weather permitting).
Try your hand at astronomy with the Clydesdale Astronomical Society and find out what the heavens have to offer in springtime (weather permitting).
Special events
Spring into Easter
Sun 4 April
Sun 4 April
10:00 – 17:00
Come and see nature spring back to life! Find out about bee-keeping and making honey, bird watching and building nest boxes. Listen to stories at our Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and follow our Easter Trail for eggs. Take a springtime wild food walk or pick up the pace with the Quack Commandos. Spot the winner at our pet show and say hello to our new lambs and calves at the farm.
National Museum of Costume
Special events
Spring into Easter
Sun 4 April
Sun 4 April
11:00 – 16:00
Discover the secrets of our garden on a guided tour. Join our Easter family craft workshops and follow Easter egg trails through the house and grounds.
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
Meet Your Maker, the creative minds behind Scotland's crafts. National Museum of Scotland, 29 January - 14 March. www.nms.ac.uk/maker
National Museums Scotland, Scottish Charity, No. SC 011130
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