It's our mission to make our venues user-friendly for all visitors.  The City Art Centre Visual Guide is a go-to source of information for anyone visiting who is neurodivergent or has additional support needs (ASN). From planning your visit, knowing what to expect when you arrive, the things you will see and hear, as well as what to expect from the venue. Scroll further down this page to click on our Visual Story.

Located in the heart of Edinburgh close to Waverley train station, the City Art Centre’s aim is to champion historic and contemporary Scottish visual and applied arts.

Artworks from our Nationally Recognised collection of Scottish art are displayed on a rotating basis. Visitors can also enjoy our richly diverse programme of changing exhibitions, which include historic and modern Scottish painting and photography, as well as contemporary art and craft.

An escalator and lift provide easy access to six floors, and the Centre also houses a great shop on the ground floor. Admission is normally free, although charges apply for some temporary exhibitions. Mimi's Bakehouse is situated on the ground floor, open daily 9am-5pm (last sit ins at 4:30pm)  offering coffee, cake and an all day brunch menu. (View a sample menu below or hop over to mimisbakehouse.com)

 

Details

  • Opening times
  • How to get here
  • Contact the venue
  • Facilities and access
  • Groups
  • View on a map

Explore

The City of Edinburgh’s art collection is one of the finest in Scotland, and includes works by the most important Scottish artists from the 17th century to the present day. It encompasses drawings, prints, photographs and sculpture as well as paintings, and numbers over 4,500 items. 

Prints of many of the pieces in our collection can be purchased on ArtUK; below are just a few examples of our most popular images.

It is a richly diverse collection, ranging from civic portraiture to contemporary abstraction. It continues to grow, using a generous bequest left to the City in the 1960s, with a focus on acquiring contemporary work as well as filling historic gaps.

Mimi's Bakehouse

Menu for Mimi's Bakehouse

City Art Centre Access Guide

Click on the link below to download our comprehensive access guide and find out how you can get to and around the City Art Centre.

City Art Centre Visual Story Guide

View our detailed step-by-step visual story guide for the City Art Centre to help you plan your visit. 

A drawing of the City Art Centre by Liza

City Art Centre

City Art Centre BSL Tour

City Art Center Digital BSL Tour

For all accessibility enquiries please contact the venue on: 

+ 44 (0) 131 529 3993​
museumsandgalleries@edinburgh.gov.uk

Family Sensory Backpacks

Our vision is to mainstream the range of services for all autistic visitors, their families and carers, across all ages in the City of Edinburgh. Our sensory packs are now available  for anyone visiting who is neurodivergent or has additional support needs (ASN). It's our mission to make our venues user-friendly for all.  We have launched sensory backpacks in the City Art Centre for families to borrow and use during their visit.  The pack contains:

  • Ear Defenders
  • A range of Fidget Toys
  • Notepad and Drawing Pencil
  • Emotion Cards

Please ask at reception desks to borrow the pack during your visit to the museum. The City Art Centre has two backpacks.

A red backpack with various sensory toys, including ear defenders, fidget toys, a notepad and pencil and emotion cards
Inspiring, astonishing, just perfect. Thank you. Visitor from Switzerland, August 2017

City Art Centre is a 4 star Visitor Attraction

Exhibitions

Events