Visiting our museum
Opening Hours:
Monday – Closed
Tuesday – 10:00 – 17:00 – Last entry at 16:30
Wednesday – 10:00 – 17:00 – Last entry at 16:30
Thursday -10:00 – 17:00 – Last entry at 16:30
Friday – 10:00 – 17:00 – Last entry at 16:30
Saturday – 10:00 – 17:00 – Last entry at 16:30
Sunday – Closed
Doors Open Day
Doors Open Day | 28th September 2024 | 10:00 – 17:00 | FREE
Join us on Doors Open Day for a series of performances, demonstrations, taster sessions and tours!
What’s On?
Demonstrations / Tours / Give it a Go
10:00 Edward Dewhirst – keyboard demonstrations
- Explore the sounds of historic keyboard with demonstrations in our galleries
11:00 Edward Dewhirst – organ demonstrations
- From churches to Concert Halls, discover the sounds of the different organs at St Cecilia’s Hall.
12:00 theSitarProject
- Join us for a unique chance to play a sitar, one of the most recognised instruments from India and learn the basics from an experienced teacher.
13:00 Traditional Chinese Instrument performance
- listen as members of the Edinburgh Chinese Orchestra demonstrate Chinese traditional instruments.
14:00 John Verney introduces the hurdy-gurdy
- Have a chance to ‘turn the wheel’ and play the hurdy-gurdy, an instrument with ancient roots and a topsy turvy history.
15:00 Toby Hawks and the Scottish-Finnish Society: Come and try the kantele
- Come and flex your fingerpicking skills on Finland’s legendary national instrument, the 5-string kantele. Learn how to play a tune or two whilst understanding more about its central place in Finnish history and culture.
16:00 Traditional Chinese Instrument performance (Laigh Hall
- listen as members of the Edinburgh Chinese Orchestra demonstrate Chinese traditional instruments.
Five-Minute Focus at ’40, with the St C’s Curators
10:40: The Montrose pipes
11:40: The Stroh fiddle
12:40: The Anaconda
13:40: The 1668 Keene Virginal
14:40: The Natural Trumpet
15:40: The late-18th-century Viennese-style piano
Weekly Tours
September Tour Dates
Thursday 5th September | 14:00 | FREE | Tickets via Eventbrite
Join Claire for a tour of some of our early keyboard instruments and learn all about some of our oldest keyed instruments!
Wednesday 11th September | 14:00 | FREE | Tickets via Eventbrite
Join David for ‘The Pipes: From Bliss to Bedlam‘ and learn about all things keyboard to bagpipes!
Saturday 21st September | 14:00 | FREE | Tickets via Eventbrite
Join Jim on a tour of the Laigh Hall and learn all about how playing in a group works!
Friday 27th September | 14:00 | FREE | Tickets via Eventbrite
Join Dona for a tour of our keyboard galleries and learn all about our early keyboard collections!
Concerts at St Cecilia’s Hall
A Celebration of Lute Music featuring lutenist Eric Thomas and soprano Héloïse Bernard | 7th September 2024| Free | 12.00-13.00 | Reserve tickets via Eventbrite
Acclaimed lutenist Dr Eric Thomas is joined by soprano Héloïse Bernard in a celebration of lute music. In a concert inspired by the University of Edinburgh’s acquisition of an exceptional 1620 volume of lute manuscript, will feature a selection engaging and captivating works by John Dowland, Vincenzo and Michaelangelo Galilei, and René Mesangeau, including pieces some from the volume.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center at St Cecilia’s Hall | 23rd September 2024 | FREE | 18:30-19:30 | Tickets available via Eventbrite
Join Michael Stephen Brown (piano), Wu Han (piano), Julian Rhee (violin) and Nicholas Canellakis (cello) in an intimate performance of music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Robert Schumann in Scotland’s oldest concert hall.
Concert for Ukraine | 12th October 2024 | 19:30-21:30 | £25 | Tickets available here
This concert, with pianist Daria Golovchenko, winner of Channel 4’s The Piano, will raise funds for families affected by the war in Ukraine and every penny from ticket sales will go to Sunflower Scotland. There will be an opportunity to donate on the night as well.
Queer Voices in Music Concert Series
An Autumn concert series centered around unique artists whose work relates to LGBTQ+ narratives and themes.
Opening Social: Museum Late | 7th September 2024 | 18:30-21:00 | Tickets: £0/£6/£10 | Tickets via Eventbrite
Join us for an evening social full of food, friends, and mini tours of the galleries to mark the opening of this year’s Queer Voices in Music series!
Concert One: Lauren Bianchi | 21st September 2024 | 18:00-19:00 | Tickets: £0/£4/£8 | Tickets via Eventbrite
Join us for a performance by Lauren Bianchi, a Scottish storyteller, as she weaves storytelling and musical elements to explore Scottish culture, feminist themes, and queer narratives.
Concert Two: Bogle Mufty | 5th October 2024 | 18:00-19:00 | Tickets: £0/£4/£8 | Tickets via Eventbrite
Join us for a performance by the acclaimed group Bogle Mufty, a folk band playing Scottish/Irish folk and trad, plus occasionally some American or pop or whatever takes their fancy.
Concert Three: Finn Anderson | 19th October 2024 | 18:00-19:00 | Tickets: £0/£4/£8 | Tickets via Eventbrite
Join us for a performance by Finn Anderson, one of Scotland’s most enchanting storytellers and composers. His work bridges the worlds of music and theatre, crafting songs that go straight for the heart.
St Cecilia’s Informal Talk Series 2024
November | Faust and Furious: A History of Edinburgh’s Old Town | Tickets: Pay What You Can | Bookings will open on Eventbrite on October 1st
Join us for a talk by a member of Edinburgh Detours that will take us on a tour through the history of Edinburgh’s Old Town.
Family Activities
Halloween Family Trail | 1st – 31st October 2024 | FREE | Tickets bookable via Eventbrite
Join us this October for a free, fun Halloween-themed family trail!
Following the usual route around the museum, see if you can spot the 8 ghosts hidden throughout the galleries and answer each of their music-related questions to win a Halloween themed sticker at the end!
Family Programme
Families and children of all ages are always welcome at St Cecilia’s Hall. Come and have fun together while learning about the history of musical instruments.
Our children’s tour can help introduce the instruments to young children while our hands-on interactive ‘discover drawers’ allow visitors both young and old the opportunity to uncover how instruments work.
Children can explore the museum with our Discovery Trail – ask for it at the front desk when you arrive!.
We run a wide range of practical, hands-on workshops, led by musical instrument specialists throughout the year. Look at the Upcoming Events section below to see when the next activity is taking place or contact SCHevents@ed.ac.uk for more information.
In addition, tours or other activities can be arranged to cater for special interests and a varied needs. Please contact SCHgroupvisits@ed.ac.uk for more information.
Venue Hire
St Cecilia’s Hall, located off the iconic Royal Mile in Edinburgh’s Old Town provides contemporary facilities and comfort, within the stunning 1763 heritage building, uniquely home to a world class collection of musical instruments.
We welcome bookings for events that support the museum’s core purpose as a concert hall for live music, and museum of music and musical instruments.
We have two separate spaces available for hire to suit a range of events / activities and budgets:
The Sypert Concert Room (first floor) – max capacity 180 (this number includes all staffing/performers/speakers etc).
The Laigh Hall* (ground floor) – for receptions/refreshments max capacity 80.
* Note that the Laigh Hall itself is divided in 2 by a glass wall creating 2 spaces, both these spaces comprise the Laigh Hall.
Please note absolutely no catering is permitted in the Sypert Concert Room however refreshments can be served in the ground floor Laigh Hall and Historic Foyer. Catering must be arranged separately by the client as St Cecilia’s does not provide this service.
If you would like to enquire about venue hire at St. Cecilia’s full details and prices are available here or email us for more details: SCHEvents@ed.ac.uk