National Museum of Scotland

After undergoing an extensive makeover in 2011, the National Museum of Scotland now boasts 16 additional galleries and thousands of never-seen-before artifacts. Formerly two separate museums – the Royal Museum, built in 1861, and the modern Museum of Scotland - the National Museum was inaugurated in 2008 and is now one of the most popular attractions of Edinburgh’s Old Town.

The museum’s extensive collection features over 20,000 exhibits spread over 36 galleries, bringing to life the colorful history of Scotland and educating visitors on art, science, natural history and outer space, through a series of innovative, themed galleries and uniquely designed installations.  Highlights include the Natural World Gallery, where the dramatic centerpiece is an enormous Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton; the Victorian Grand Gallery, renowned for its spectacular architecture; and the stuffed body of Dolly the Sheep, famously the first successful mammal cloned from an adult cell.

A series of temporary exhibitions also supplement the permanent collection, with past themes including the Vikings! exhibition and a series devoted to Mary Queen of Scots. For children and the young-at-hear, the technology zone is a popular spot, crammed with interactive exhibits that entertain and educate in equal measure. Operate a robotic arm, drive a moon buggy, watch how solar power is created, or race in a Formula 1 simulation.