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Edinburgh · Museum
Museum on the Mound with kids
See a million pounds, build a model home and try cracking a safe at this free money museum in central Edinburgh. It makes a compact afternoon stop between other city plans, with family activities to try as you look around.
- Best ages
- Primary age; shorter visits with preschoolers
- Cost
- Free admission
- Weather
- Indoor galleries; uphill walk to reach them
- Visit length
- A compact stop within a city afternoon
Our family take
Primary-age children who enjoy asking questions will get most from the money displays and activities. Preschoolers can enjoy the objects too, but keep their visit short. If your children need lots of space to play or a wider choice of things to see, National Museum of Scotland is the better fit.
- Afternoons only. Regular opening is Tuesday–Saturday, 1–5pm. Last admission is 4:45pm.
- The approach. The museum is at the top of a steep hill; allow for the climb with a buggy.
The practical details
Plan your visit
- Opening pattern
- Tuesday–Saturday, 1–5pm; last admission 4:45pm. Closed Sunday and Monday except bank-holiday Mondays, 1–5pm. Closed 25–26 December and 1–2 January. Check current holiday notices before travelling.
- Entry
- Free admission. Advance booking is not required for ordinary visits; contact the museum to arrange a group visit.
- Arrival
- The Mound, Edinburgh EH1 1YZ. The walk up from Waverley is steep. There is no museum car park; check city-centre parking restrictions and charges.
- Access and changing
- A ramp at the gate leads to a level path, and the galleries are step-free on one level. There is an accessible toilet with baby changing, but no Changing Places toilet. Ask the museum about your wheelchair or buggy setup if access will decide the visit.
- Food
- There is no café on site. Use a nearby café for food before or after your visit.
Accessible toiletsFamily ActivitiesMoney And Banking DisplaysQuiet SpaceSensory Map And Sensory Bags
3 October 2026
Check current visitor information (official)A little more detail
Make it work for your family
What children can investigate
The million-pound display and historic banknotes give children something concrete to look at. Building the model home and trying the safe add activities to the visit, alongside the displays about banking and Edinburgh.
Best ages and family fit
Primary-age children who enjoy unusual museums, money stories and family activities, plus adults who want a free indoor option.
Adults can follow the banking and Edinburgh history while children try the activities. This is a small museum to fit into a city afternoon; plan another stop or a meal if you want a longer outing.
Plan your afternoon
Have lunch or visit another attraction before coming here: the museum opens at 1pm on its regular opening days. Leave time to look around before the 4:45pm last admission.
Access and sensory support
The steep approach is the main effort with a buggy; you do not need a lift to move between galleries. For a particular wheelchair or buggy, ask staff about the entrance and route before travelling.
You can borrow ear defenders, sensory bags and communication cards at reception, and ask staff for somewhere quiet. The visual story and sensory map can help you prepare, but the visual story still shows the old morning opening hours: use the current visitor page for your date.
Compare nearby museums
Choose Museum on the Mound for a free, central money theme and family activities. Museum of Childhood is temporarily closed, with reopening expected in January 2027; keep its Royal Mile toy collection in mind for a future visit. At National Museum of Scotland, mixed-age groups get much more variety under one roof.
Plan it as a compact stop within a wider city day. Compare the nearby options if you want one venue to fill more of the day or your children prefer another subject.
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