Museums: what's on in October 2026
All our museums are FREE to visit. We have some fantastic exhibitions and annual events to look forward to.
EXHIBITIONS
NEW EXHIBITION: Cinematic East Lothian
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of East Lothian Libraries’ Local History Centre, this exhibition showcases a brief history of the old picture houses of East Lothian, popular film locations in the county, nostalgic items in the Museum collection as well as items in the private collection of local residents and groups, and screenings of short films with a local history theme. This exhibition aims to evoke treasured memories of Saturday matinees, crowded foyers and nights spent lost in the visual pleasures of the silver screen.
Friday 2 October 2026 to Thursday 8 April 2027.
Open Thursday and Friday from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm and Saturday from 10am to 1pm and 1.30pm to 4pm. Free admission.
John Gray Centre – Museum 15 Lodge Street, Haddington EH41 3DX.
NEW EXHIBITION: John Muir Country Park 50th Anniversary
Exhibition of photography and reflections by staff, volunteers and junior rangers.
20 October 2026 to mid January 2027.
Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 1pm to 5pm.
John Muir’s Birthplace, High Street, Dunbar EH42 1JJ.
Free admission.
NEW DISPLAY: Working Lives at Dunbar Town House
Dunbar’s Town House or Tolbooth is more than 400 years old and touched the lives of many people through the Town Council, Police Station, Library, Registrars, Tourist Information, Housing Office, MP and MSP office, Museum and many more.
Do you know someone who worked here? Have you been to a wedding here? We would love to hear your stories and see your photos.
Step back in time as we help you discover the hidden past of this iconic building.
October to March
Open Saturday 2pm to 4pm courtesy of Dunbar and District History Society.
Free admission.
Dunbar Town House Museum & Gallery, High Street, Dunbar EH42 1ER.
Place-names of East Lothian: A journey through time
East Linton. This settlement was recorded as Lintun in 1127, which means 'farm by the torrent', from Old English tūn 'substantial farm' and hlynn 'torrent'. The hlynn is the waterfall which tumbles over what are now called the Linn Rocks. By about 1840 the village had become known as East Linton, to distinguish it from Linton in Peeblesshire, now known as West Linton.
Dunbar? Lamer Street? Friarscroft?
What does it mean?
Where did the name come from?
Dunbar and District History Society’s latest exhibition is based on the online publication, Place-names of East Lothian: A journey through time, researched by History Society member Liz Curtis. The exhibition presents a selection of names and their meaning from North Berwick to Dunglass and is supported by artefacts and historical images.
As Liz explains: "Over thousands of years, a succession of different peoples arrived in East Lothian, mostly seeking the excellent agricultural land. They spoke different languages – Brittonic, Old English, Old Norse (Scandinavian), Gaelic, and Norman French. Then Scots developed locally, based on Old English. Each group named the land in their own way. They adopted the place-names of their predecessors or adapted them or created new names. As a result, East Lothian has a wonderfully varied collection of place-names, which illuminate our history."
The full version of the online publication can be found on the Scottish Place-Name Society’s website: https://spns.org.uk
Courtesy of Dunbar and District History Society
Open Saturday 2pm to 4pm.
Free admission.
Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery, High Street, Dunbar EH42 1ER.
LAST CHANCE TO SEE: Coastal Communities Museum
George Mitchell and his Combine, Archerfield, Dirleton, 1962 © East Lothian Council Archives
Come and visit our fascinating local museum located in the seaside town of North Berwick. We’re run entirely by enthusiastic volunteers and our aim is to enable locals and visitors to explore the culture and heritage of the coastal communities that make up East Lothian’s North Berwick coastal ward.
Wednesday to Saturday 11am to 4pm. Free admission.
Coastal Communities Museum School Road, North Berwick EH39 4JU.
Events and activities
Art Route Dunbar
Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October 2026
Explore incredible art in Dunbar: 32 venues and 55 artists
www.dunbarartroute.co.uk
Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery will be hosting eight installations:
Dunbar Cancer Tapestry
Barbara Gardener Rowell – textile
Alexandra Bell – sound and light installation
Mandy Thomson – painter
Iona Molleson – painter
Annie Green – painter
Anne Gillies – painter
Karin Chipulina – mixed media
Open Friday to Sunday 10am to 4pm.
Free admission.
Dunbar Town House Museum & Gallery, High Street, Dunbar EH42 1ER.
Family drop in activities
Our museums all have free admission and have drop-in craft activities for families.
Autumn and Winter museum opportunities
- explore historic records and online exhibitions or pop in for a visit to discover the history of East Lothian in 1000 objects in this innovative, interactive museum at John Gray Centre in Haddington. Uncover how ordinary and extraordinary people earned their living and spent their time from the Stone Age to the present day. Temporary exhibition about local D Day veteran, fisherman, husband, father and great dancer Charlie Horn! johngraycentre.org
- visit John Muir’s Birthplace and discover how a boy born in Dunbar became one of the driving forces behind the global conservation movement. His life and work continue to inspire people all over the world. Today his legacy helps connect with wellbeing, sustainability and communities. jmbt.org.uk
- explore the woods and grounds of Prestongrange Museums using the mobile phone tour as a guide through 400 years of local industry. The harbour, glass works, pottery, colliery and brickworks have all left their marks on the landscape including winding gear, a vast brick kiln and a Cornish beam engine. eastlothian.gov.uk/prestongrange
- take a tour of Dunbar Town House Museum & Gallery with Dunbar & District History Society. The Town House has been the focus of town life since the 16th century and is home to a local history display and the temporary exhibition about shopfronts. eastlothian.gov.uk/dunbar-town-house
Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery, High Street, Dunbar EH42 1ER.
Our Museums:
John Gray Centre (Museum)
15 Lodge Street, Haddington EH41 3DX.
Thursday and Friday 10am to 1pm, 2pm to 5pm, Saturday 10am to 1pm, 2pm to 4pm.
www.johngraycentre.org
John Muir's Birthplace
126 High Street, Dunbar EH42 1JJ.
Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 1pm to 5pm.
www.jmbt.org.uk
Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery
High Street, Dunbar EH42 1ER.
Saturday 2pm to 4pm courtesy of Dunbar and District History Society.
www.eastlothian.gov.uk/dunbar-town-house
Prestongrange Museum
Morrison’s Haven, Prestonpans EH32 9RX.
Visitor Centre closed until April 2027.
Site still open for outdoor visits using mobile phone tour.
www.eastlothian.gov.uk/prestongrange
Coastal Communities Museum
School Road, North Berwick EH39 4JU.
Wednesday to Saturday 11am until 4pm every week until 31 October.
www.coastalmuseum.org
Musselburgh Museum
65 High St, Musselburgh EH21 7BZ.
Closed until April 2027.
www.coastalmuseum.org
Autumnal delights – music, theatre, films and talks from The Brunton in East Lothian
The Brunton has a packed programme this month at its Corn Exchange, Haddington venue.
They are delighted to welcome back veteran mountaineer Simon Yates, of Touching the Void fame, with gripping tales of highs and lows of a decade of adventures in Pleasure and Pain on Thursday 29 October. https://www.thebrunton.co.uk/whats-on/simon-yates-pleasure-and-pain/
Gilded Balloon is well known as an Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue, and they also tour rip-roaring comedy nights throughout the year. Settle in for The Big Comedy Roadshow with well-known live stand-ups and the hottest up and coming acts on Friday 16 October. We welcome social media star Jack Skipper, Irish comedian Alison Spittle, Scottish BAFTA winner Raymond Mearns, rising star Tamsyn Kelly and MC Gareth Mutch to Haddington. https://www.thebrunton.co.uk/whats-on/gilded-balloon-the-big-comedy-roadshow
If you can’t make this comedy night, then have a look at our other comedy nights on our website https://www.thebrunton.co.uk/whats-on/event-categories/comedy/
We’ve had great feedback from patrons about how much they enjoy attending live music at the Corn Exchange. We aim to create a programme with a broad range of genres and styles. A highlight this month has to be FARA on Saturday 10 October. Inspired by the rich traditions of the Orkney Islands, FARA convey the dynamic sound and beautiful emotion of Scottish folk music in their incredible, award winning performances.
https://www.thebrunton.co.uk/whats-on/fara/
And if you enjoy Trad music you should also try Ímar on Friday 30 October. This Irish/Manx/Scottish quintet is amongst Glasgow’s hottest folk property and a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winner. Imar’s music is a mesmerising blend of bodhrán, bouzouki, concertina, uilleann pipes and fiddle.
https://www.thebrunton.co.uk/whats-on/imar/
Families are in for a treat with Gaggle on Tuesday 13 October at 2.30pm and 4pm. This immersive theatre experience is designed specially for young people with additional support needs and blends physical comedy, circus and live music. Find out more on our website www.thebrunton.co.uk/whats-on/gaggle but call our box office team on 0131 653 5245 to book this one, so we can be sure to understand your young person’s needs.
We celebrate some of the best loved and best-known bands of our time with Do I Love You – Northern Live on Wednesday 14 October. An 11 piece band with four vocalists perform over 30 Northern Soul hits from Gloria Jones, Al Wilson, Garnet Mimms and more. https://www.thebrunton.co.uk/whats-on/northern-live/
The Americana Revue Legends of Country Rock on Friday 23 October pays tribute to icons such as Eagles, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, Johnny Cash, Creedence Clearwater Revival and more with songs that inspired a generation. https://www.thebrunton.co.uk/whats-on/the-americana-revue/
Dust off your platforms and bring some friends to the ultimate ABBA tribute – Thank You For The Music on Friday 13 November. You’ll have the time of your life with all the hits performed with unmistakable harmonies, colourful costumes, and dazzling performances by a talented cast. https://www.thebrunton.co.uk/whats-on/thank-you-for-the-music/
Films
Have you tried our film programme at the Corn Exchange?
This autumn we invite you to pay what you can from £3 to £10 for titles including Pressure, Sense and Sensibility, The Uprising and French language film Lost Illusions. Book here https://www.thebrunton.co.uk/whats-on/event-categories/film
Concerts in Musselburgh
Don’t forget if you or someone you know is about during the day, our Bite-Sized Afternoon Concert series at Northesk Church in Musselburgh offers a lovely hour long concert in a relaxed environment, followed by a free cuppa and chat.
Grace Stewart Skinner’s Clarsach concert on Tuesday 13 October at 1.30pm features some of her favourite traditional tunes alongside her own compositions. On Tuesday 10 November our concert Women In Love and Life introduces mezzo-soprano Amy Karensa and pianist Catriona MacKenzie with Romantic to twentieth century song, exploring women’s experience of love and life through the ages.
https://www.thebrunton.co.uk/whats-on/bite-sized-concert-grace-stewart-skinner/
www.thebrunton.co.uk/whats-on/bite-sized-concert-women-in-love-and-life/
Whatever brings you through our doors this month, we look forward to welcoming you.