People’s Story Museum
Housed in the historic Canongate Tolbooth on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, the People’s Story Museum offers a compelling insight into the lives of the city’s working-class residents from the late 18th century to the present day. Through evocative displays, personal testimonies, and original artefacts, the museum explores themes of labour, activism, domestic life, and community spirit. Life-size tableaux and wax figures bring to life the stories of print workers, servants, co-op clerks, and trade unionists, while Britain’s largest collection of early reform banners highlights Edinburgh’s long tradition of political engagement. The museum’s approach is rooted in oral history and lived experience, making it a rare and radical space where everyday voices take centre stage. Visitors are invited to reflect on the city’s social evolution and the resilience of its people, all within a building that once served as a jail and meeting hall.
Edinburgh ScotlandThe People’s Story Museum is located at 163 Canongate on Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile, housed within the late 16th-century Canongate Tolbooth building. This unique museum explores the lives of Edinburgh’s ordinary people from the 18th century to the present day with displays featuring life-size models, original objects, and personal stories that reveal work, leisure, social struggles, and community life. Visitors can experience recreated scenes such as a wartime kitchen or a bookbinder's workshop, giving a vivid insight into the city’s social history. Positioned opposite Canongate Kirkyard and just across the street from the Museum of Edinburgh, it sits in a culturally rich part of town. The Royal Mile connects it to numerous other landmarks and attractions including St Giles’ Cathedral and Holyrood Palace, while local cafés and eateries provide a welcoming atmosphere for visitors exploring this historic area. The museum’s free entry offers a rewarding experience for those keen to understand Edinburgh’s working-class heritage and day-to-day life.
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Museum of Edinburgh
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Surgeons’ Hall Museums
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Museum of Childhood Edinburgh
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Museum on the Mound
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National War Museum of Scotland
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Newhaven Heritage Museum
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Writers’ Museum
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St Cecilia’s Hall
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Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage
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Corstorphine Heritage Centre
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Queensferry Museum
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Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum
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Royal Observatory Visitor Centre
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Our Dynamic Earth
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Trinity House Maritime Museum
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Museum of Magic, Fortune-Telling & Witchcraft
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King’s Theatre
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Festival Theatre
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Edinburgh Playhouse
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Queen’s Hall
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Usher Hall
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Royal Lyceum Theatre
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Traverse Theatre
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Bedlam Theatre
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Church Hill Theatre
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Rose Theatre
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Scottish Storytelling Centre
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Summerhall
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St Stephen’s Theatre
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Festival Square Theatre
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Leith Theatre
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Portobello Town Hall
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Scottish National Portrait Gallery
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Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
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City Art Centre
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Collective Gallery
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Fruitmarket Gallery
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Open Eye Gallery
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Leith Walk Gallery
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Braewell Gallery
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Dovecot Studios
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Morningside Gallery
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West End Craft & Design Fair
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Bourne Fine Art Gallery
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Red Door Gallery
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Marchmont Gallery
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Talbot Rice Gallery
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Torrance Gallery
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Gallery TEN
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Wasps Patriothall Studios and Gallery
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Rhubaba Gallery and Studios
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Edinburgh Castle
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Palace of Holyroodhouse
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Craigmillar Castle
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Holyrood Park
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Princes Street Gardens
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The Meadows
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Inverleith Park
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Calton Hill
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Harrison Park
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Victoria Park
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Pilrig Park
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Camera Obscura & World of Illusions
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Arthur’s Seat
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Scott Monument
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The Royal Mile
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St Giles’ Cathedral
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Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
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Dean Village
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Innocent Railway Tunnel & Path
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The Real Mary King’s Close
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The Scotch Whisky Experience
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The Edinburgh Dungeon
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Grassmarket
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Stockbridge Market
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Edinburgh Farmers’ Market
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Leith Market
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Tron Kirk Market
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Ocean Terminal Market
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