The first free tickets to visit the Stone of Destiny at the new Perth Museum to be released a week before opening

Perth Museum announced today that free tickets to view the Stone of Destiny on the opening weekend, 30 and 31 March 2024, will be released online at 10am on 22 March 2024 via Perthshire Box Office.

The Stone of Destiny experience will be at the heart of the new museum and will take visitors on a 10-minute immersive journey through the Stone’s long and mysterious history, before providing an up-close encounter with the object itself.

The first timeslot available for bookings will be at 12:30pm on 30 March 2024. Tickets are timed at 10-minute intervals and from the 25 March 2024 can be booked up to seven days in advance of a visit to Perth Museum. A limited number of tickets are also available to book in person at the Museum on the day of your visit, on a first come, first served basis.

As part of the opening celebrations, events will be taking place throughout the city centre, around the Museum and in Perth Art Gallery and beyond. Visitors to Perth Art Gallery will have the chance to create their own Mythical Beasts, Heraldic Symbols, and have a go at writing their own magical creature story in a children’s creative writing workshop.

Perth will come alive with song, stories, and an enchanting display by Dragonfyre, marking the occasion with flair. Renowned comedian Bruce Fummey will entertain audiences with a new show delving into the intriguing history of James I, and Scottish Caribbean poet Courtney Stoddart will enlighten listeners with tales of Frederick Douglass’s remarkable journey. Author Jess Smith, who lives near Comrie, will recite stories of Perth and Kinross Travellers. There will be some marvellous music over the weekend, including the Craigie Choir, who will perform a newly commissioned song, which commemorates the march of 3,000 women towards Perth Prison in protest against the force-feeding of suffragettes. Details of all events taking place can be found on the Perth Museum website, https://perthmuseum.co.uk/events

Tickets are already available to book for Unicorn, the first major UK exhibition to explore the cultural history of Scotland’s national animal from antiquity to the present day. Through the material culture of this mythical beast the exhibition will explore themes such as Scottish Royalty and national symbolism that also relate to the objects and stories on display in the new permanent galleries, including the Stone of Destiny.

Visitors to the Fair City will have an opportunity to enjoy free workshops at Average Gallery on Perth High Street and at WASPS Creative Exchange, alongside a spectacular fire display, and engaging family activities, which promises to deliver an action-packed Easter weekend for all.

Perth Museum has been funded by £10m UK Government investment through the Tay Cities Deal and by Perth and Kinross Council; Perth Museum is a £27m transformation of the former City Hall. Through Nationally Recognised museum collections it will tell the story of Perth’s place in ancient and modern Scotland. The building has been designed by award-winning architects Mecanoo.