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Dynamic Earth
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Dynamic Earth

See all things to do
See all things to do
Dynamic Earth
4.5
2,824 reviews
#37 of 525 things to do in Edinburgh
Speciality Museums • Science Museums • Children's Museums
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Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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About
A visit to Dynamic Earth is like nothing else on Earth. It's a chance to experience the primeval forces of nature as they shaped our planet, to journey through space and time and even go on a 4DVENTURE around the world. You'll be embarking on the interactive adventure of a lifetime - the lifetime of our planet! As if this wasn't enough, Dynamic Earth is also home to one of Scotland's only fully digital, state-of-the-art 360° Planetariums, with a wide variety of live presenter-led shows and films showing throughout the year.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Southside & Holyrood
Many of Edinburgh’s student hangouts gather around university buildings in Southside, the sort of neighborhood that supports a long string of second-hand shops and eateries serving ethnic food for just a few pounds. In August the student population is replaced by vast numbers of boisterous visitors here for the Fringe, Edinburgh’s world-class comedy and arts festival which headquarters itself here. Flanking Southside are two great parks. The Meadows is a vast flat and sporty space where football, rugby, tennis, cricket, croquet, and golf often all take place side by side. Kids in its big playgrounds add to the joyful noise. Far bigger and much wilder, Holyrood Park extends to the east and provides a real hike up Arthur’s Seat, but the district is best known as the site of Scotland’s Parliament and its premier Royal Palace—and their steady stream of sightseers.
Best nearby
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1,968 within 3 miles
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Attractions
496 within 6 miles
Palace of Holyroodhouse
11,845
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1,805
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
2,824 reviews
Excellent
1,627
Very good
679
Average
302
Poor
121
Terrible
95
stephenj67912
Cambridge, UK183 contributions
Fun family afternoon
Oct 2021 • Family
Managed to get a decent booking where many other attractions fully booked up (England half-term). Used the Hop On/Off bus tour to access, which was easy enough and added some extra local history.
Staff were consistently friendly and helpful and attentive to our young children. The walk-through tour is great, fun, interactive, educational. The time machine & visiting of ancient history is great fun, our kids were so excited. The 4D rain forest flight was also a firm favourite.
We saw the CapCom film at the planetarium which was exceptional. Really worthwhile doing.
Losing one star/rating owing to the cafe experience. Young staff seemed overwhelmed, the queue to be seated rarely abated all the time we were there (early afternoon on a Wednesday). Once seated, and all we really wanted was water or some soft drinks, after some wait we had to request service. Arrival of drinks was slow and finding anyone to request the bill prior to our pending Planetarium showing was hard work. It was apparent from other diners comments to staff that ours was not a unique experience. The only thing marring an otherwise lovely family trip.
Written October 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
General Manager
Thanks so much for providing your feedback! We are so pleased to hear that overall your family had a great experience, and had fun exploring all our interactive galleries & learning all about our amazing planet (and beyond!). We will pass your comments on to the Cafe Manager to address and apologise for any disappointment this element of your visit may have caused. With best wishes, DE
Written November 8, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
rebeccalballantyne
8 contributions
Fantastic place - just concerns about COVID and the enclosed planetarium
Aug 2021 • Family
Absolutely fantastic place! The main tour itself was great, lots to see and do for all ages. The only negative really relates to COVID and the planetarium feature (which is an additional fee to attend). Although there were sanitizer stations positioned all over, the entrance to the planetarium was cramped with around 35/40 people in a really small space. In our opinion the cinema room was too full to effectively reduce transmission risk. Most seats were taken (even seats with stickers saying do not use had people on them). We didn't feel comfortable so got up to leave when a kind lady in a smaller group offered to move so we could spread out. Before the film started all doors were closed which again didn't help with air flow but we decided to stick it out as our daughter was desperate to stay. The film was excellent but I'd be reluctant to go again with the current arrangements in place.
Written August 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
General Manager
Thanks so much for your review and feedback, we are delighted to hear that you all enjoyed your visit and had fun exploring our interactive galleries! We are working very hard to ensure that our guests continue to have a safe and comfortable visit to the attraction now that restrictions have been eased - we will be sure to pass your comments on to the Operations Team regarding your visit to the Planetarium, to discuss how we can improve this going forward. With best wishes, Dynamic Earth
Written August 27, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kate W
Barnard Castle, UK17 contributions
Educational and fascinating
Aug 2022 • Family
We last visited 5 years ago, with our (much younger) children. They got a lot from it then, finding the exhibits interesting. We took them again today, we didn’t pre-book, just paid as we entered and now, at early teen age, they got so much from it. It felt like a very different experience to last time, as the children were so much more interested in different things and were older to understand it all. The planetarium was fantastic and the speaker doing the What’s Up talk today was fantastic - enthusiastic, informative yet not at all patronising. Also, the man on the reception desk was so lovely and helpful, a brilliant first impression.
Written August 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
General Manager
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback and for giving us a 5* review - we really appreciate this! It's great to hear that you had such a great experience at Dynamic Earth and everyone learned from the interactive exhibits. We will be sure to pass on your kind comments to our Planetarium & Visitor Services teams also. Best wishes, DE
Written September 9, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Emily C
12 contributions
Saved by Planetarium and Amazing staff
Jun 2021 • Couples
Visited with my boyfriend and we ultimately concluded that we were too old to enjoy the experience (aged 20 & 23 respectively). As previous comments stated the walk through experience was mediocre and full of videos which were similar to ones we’d seen at school. The whole thing was very quiet which made the experience a bit awkward as it was just the both of us walking around for about 30 minutes until we seen other visitors.
However, our day was saved by the wonderful staff. Firstly at the cafe as a girl with dyed hair (sorry didn’t make out the name tag) went out of her way to get us ice and sealable cups that we could take around with us. The planetarium was incredible and we were both in awe of the man’s knowledge. The visuals were amazing and it really did make up for the whole experience.

Overall if you’re looking for value for money I wouldn’t really recommend, I’d honestly just go back for the planetarium only.
Written June 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
General Manager
Thanks for taking the time to share your views with us, we are really glad to hear that overall you enjoyed your visit and were blown away by our new Planetarium live show! We will be sure to pass on your positive feedback to the Planetarium Manager, and also to the Cafe team regarding your experience here. The attraction may seem less busy at the moment, as we are severely restricted on the number of visitors we can permit indoors due to social distancing measures and the current covid guidelines - we wish to ensure all our guests and staff are safe & comfortable in their experience, and this may mean you will have some areas to yourself while visiting! Best wishes, DE
Written June 20, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
LondonMummy76
18 contributions
Fabulous
Mar 2022 • Family
Absolutely brilliant visit to Dynamic Earth with my 7 and 10 year olds. They really liked the footage of Apollo 11 landing (CapCom show at the planetarium) and the tour of the biomes. They thought that the graphics were great quality and they “weren’t expecting anything like it.”

One thing stood out to me. All the staff were really relaxed, friendly, chatty and seemed to really enjoy being at work. It made for a really great atmosphere and there was no shortage of staff to explain the different areas and engage with the children.

The cafe could be slightly more exciting but I’m typing while my children demolish their lunch here so clearly they hit the mark with children.

Highly recommend a visit here, great value and we could easily have spent 3-4 hours here.
Written April 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
General Manager
Thank you so much for your fantastic feedback and 5* review! We're delighted to hear that you all had a fantastic time visiting Dynamic Earth, and travelling through time in our interactive galleries. It's always great to hear how amazing you found our staff and we'll be sure to pass this on to the rest of the team. We hope you'll be back again next time you're in Edinburgh! Best wishes, DE
Written April 11, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rachael
Liverpool, UK17 contributions
Don’t bother if your over 8 years old
Jun 2021 • Couples
Very disappointing experience. Waited 20 minutes over our booked time slot to be allowed in. We were then guided around the back corridors rather than through the ‘time travel’ lift. They’d stuck a few random dinosaur figures to play out the fact that they were taking us through around the back. Each room is just a big video screen with stuff you learn in school, couple more figures along the way. A few interactive screens. Then had to wait 15 minutes to do the final video experience with 3D glasses at the end. Couldn’t wait for it to finish.

I absolutely appreciate that covid means things have to be run differently but this was a joke. It needs to be looked at again. Space out people’s bookings so each group can go around at a good pace instead of having to wait between each section.

Credit to the staff who are doing their best to keep things light and entertaining.

If you’ve got kids then it’ll be somewhat entertaining for them, but if you’re an adult thinking this is going to be something to pass an hour or so on a trip to Edinburgh go somewhere else.
Written July 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
General Manager
Thank you for providing us with your feedback, and sorry to hear that you did not enjoy your time at our attraction. We are currently operating under very strict legislation due to the global Covid 19 pandemic and all visits must be booked in advance into timed slots, so as to limit the numbers permitted in each area of the attraction, and to allow for the required physical distancing measures etc to be adhered to. Unfortunately, this can mean that on particularly busy days or where customers arrive late etc there can be issues and delays in entering areas of the attraction. The 'Time Machine' lift cannot be used at the moment as it would mean a large group of people in an enclosed space together, hence we are having to take an alternative route back to the beginning of time right now. We do apologise that this has impacted your experience on this occasion and we are looking at ways to improve this for our guests going forward. With best wishes, DE
Written July 30, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Elle H
9 contributions
Enjoyed More Than Expected!
Dec 2022
Finally got round to visiting Dynamic Earth and I actually had a really good time. My partner and I visited on a weekend - and yes it was busy and full of kids - but we found ourselves enjoying the experience far more than we thought we would.

Loved the lift down into the main exhibit and the volcano room in particular. Lots of interesting exhibits and interactive experiences and ends with an amazing film in the 3D style dome which is super immersive. Great rainy day activity and one for older kids I'd say.
Written January 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sparky1985
Ayr, Scotland37 contributions
Amazing place to visit
Apr 2022 • Family
What can I say about this amazing place! I visited during the Easter holidays with my husband (who had a broken foot) and my 5 year old son. The staff were amazing from the moment we walked through the door. The place is extremely accessible as we had a wheelchair with us to help my husband get around.
My son spent an hour at the Lego table which was set up to introduce the new deep sea exhibit. Special mention to Emma who was so lovely and engaging with my son.
We ended up visiting the planetarium before doing the tour where we watched the CAPCOM film about the Apollo mission to the moon. Great informative film but still kept the attention of my 5 year old.
After we had lunch in the cafe which had a good variety of choices. Again staff were very nice.
We then moved on to the tour which is a serious of different rooms each with a different theme around the earth. All very interactive and informative. I feel the level is pitched extremely well to give adults a good grounding of information but not too much that the kids get bored. Again the staff were all amazing and so engaging. Juta at the rainforest room was lovely and fun!
We spent 4-5 hours and could have stayed longer.
As we went to leave I asked at the ticket desk how we would get a taxi that would fit the wheelchair in. James was so helpful, calling for a taxi for us and even came outside to see where the taxi was and that we got in okay.
The staff are a credit to this place and we will definitely return for another visit.
Written April 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
General Manager
Wow, thank you so much for sharing your feedback - we're over the moon to hear what a positive experience you had visiting Dynamic Earth! We're so glad that the whole family enjoyed exploring our interactive galleries and adventuring through time... and, we especially love to hear how our staff have gone above and beyond - we'll be sure to pass your kind comments on to the rest of the team! With best wishes, Dynamic Earth
Written April 11, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Becky C
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom3 contributions
Superb - A really good day out
Feb 2020 • Family
We visited on 9th February and had an excellent family day out. The staff were really engaging and friendly without being overbearing and from the moment you enter the building there are things to do.

The attention to detail for each section of the tour was really something and each area was its own sensory experience full of learning material. We loved it as two adults for what we could learn and our 18 month old daughter was enthralled by the lights and sounds.

There was a lot on offer for the entrance fee, as well as the tour there is a 360 showdome and a soft play area. We didn’t use the showdome on this occasion as our little one was getting tired but we can’t wait to see it in action.

The cafe food was actually edible and there was good choice. The gift shop had lots of the usual soft toys and trinkets but it also has a nice selection of maps, science kits, minerals and lots of interesting books. I was particularly impressed with the books on offer.

Overall I highly recommend a visit and i cannot believe that this was our first visit after 12 years of living in Edinburgh. We will definitely be back soon.
Written February 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
General Manager
Thank you so much for your 5* review and excellent feedback! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your experience in all areas of Dynamic Earth from the attraction, to the Cafe & Gift Shop and we will look forward to welcoming you back again soon. Keep an eye on our social media pages and website for lots of additional events coming up too! Best wishes, Dynamic Earth
Written February 18, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kelly S
Livingston, UK77 contributions
Not worth the money
Jul 2021 • Family
Rather disappointing, I would not say this is a child friendly exhibit. There is a lot of reading and not much interactive exhibits to keep kids entertained. You are hearded through in groups of 4 families through each section and it takes 90min to get around the exhibit. Staff were friendly and appeared knowledgeable and enthusiastic, but I do not recommend this as a family day out with young children.
Written July 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
General Manager
Thanks for your feedback and sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your visit. We realise that this type of immersive / interactive attraction and the content may not appeal to everyone, however we are glad that you found all our staff to be so friendly and knowledgeable. Best wishes, DE
Written August 6, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Dynamic Earth (Edinburgh) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Dynamic Earth
Dynamic Earth is open:
  • Wed - Fri 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Sat - Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Dynamic Earth tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 6 Dynamic Earth tours on Tripadvisor