Talbot Rice Gallery
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Edinburgh
What it’s like
Free contemporary art gallery with workshops, BSL tours and sensory-friendly sessions for families to try together.
This is a proper contemporary art gallery rather than a soft play with paintings on the wall, but it's built in family activities alongside the exhibitions. Kids get interactive displays to poke around in and there are creative workshops laid on, so it's less about wandering past frames in silence and more about actually doing something with the art.
Getting in costs nothing, which makes it an easy one to slot into a rainy afternoon without weighing up whether it's worth the money. It's open 10am to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday for most of the month, with a Saturday and Sunday opening at the end of September if you're after a weekend visit. There's no booking link listed.
The access side is thought through properly. There's a visual storyboard and a sensory map you can download, British Sign Language tours, and sensory-friendly sessions if a quieter visit suits your child better. A wheelchair is available on request for the main level, though the Georgian Gallery needs the stair lift to reach.
If you're driving, Blue Badge holders get free parking on Chambers Street for as long as they need, first come first served. Everyone else is looking at limited paid street parking, so the bus is the easier bet with several stopping on South Bridge and George IV Bridge, both two minutes away on foot.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- Free parking for Blue Badge holders on Chambers Street, unlimited period, first come first served
- Wheelchairs
- Wheelchair available on request for use on main level with stair lift access to Georgian Gallery
- Dogs
- Guide dogs, hearing and registered assistance dogs welcome
- Getting there by bus or train
- Buses 3, 5, 7, 8, 14, 29, 30, 31, 33, 35, 45, 49, 51, 52, N3, N30, N37, X29, X62, X95 on South Bridge (2 min walk)
- Download the visual storyboard or sensory map before you go if a quieter visit matters to you.
- Guide dogs and registered assistance dogs are welcome inside.
- There's one accessible toilet on site, which also has baby changing.
- Buses on South Bridge and George IV Bridge are both a two minute walk away.
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
Nothing, entry's free.
Do we need to book ahead?
There's no booking link listed, so you can just turn up during opening hours.
What can kids actually do there?
There are interactive exhibitions, family activities and creative workshops, plus British Sign Language tours and sensory-friendly sessions.
Is there parking nearby?
Blue Badge holders get free unlimited parking on Chambers Street, first come first served. Otherwise it's limited paid street parking around the gallery.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
Yes, and a wheelchair is available on request for the main level. The Georgian Gallery needs the stair lift to get up to it.
What are the opening hours?
10am to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday for most of September, with a Saturday and Sunday opening at the end of the month too.
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