Welcome to Trimontium Museum, the face
of Roman Scotland!
Our award-winning museum in Melrose tells the story of the Roman Empire’s invasions of Scotland, and of the local peoples’ interactions with the advancing legions. Trimontium fort is one of the largest and most archaeologically important Roman forts north of Hadrian’s Wall, and at times was the uttermost frontier of the Roman Empire in Britain.
Our collections include an array of Roman weapons and military equipment, deeply personal treasures like intaglios and dragonesque brooches, fragments of Trimontium fort itself, and much more. We’re not just a museum gallery – through educational outreach, archaeological excavations, authentic object handling sessions, and cutting-edge technologies such as virtual reality, we’re bringing Roman Scotland to life for the 21st century.
Opening Hours
Trimontium Museum is open 7 days a week 10:00am – 4:30pm (last entry 3:45pm) from April to October 2024
The Trimontium Walks run weekly April – October
Please see our Events page for current operating times
The Trimontium Fort site is open all year round and is ideal for all abilities.
Please see the Fort Site page for further details
Ticket Prices
Access to the Trimontium Fort site is free all year round
Entry to the Museum & Walks:
| Adult (Ticket valid for 12 months from date of purchase. If you are a UK Tax payer, you can gift aid your ticket at no extra cost.) | £7 |
| Concessions (60+, Students) (Ticket valid for 12 months from date of purchase. If you are a UK Tax payer, you can gift aid your ticket at no extra cost.) | £6 |
| Children (5-15) | £3.50 |
| Younger Children (0-4) | Free |
| Family Ticket (2 ad + 2 ch) (Ticket valid for 12 months from date of purchase. If you are a UK Tax payer, you can gift aid your ticket at no extra cost.) | £28 |
| Family Ticket (2 ad+ 3 ch) (Ticket valid for 12 months from date of purchase. If you are a UK Tax payer, you can gift aid your ticket at no extra cost.) | £21 |
| Members of Trimontium | Free |
| Carers | Free |
| Trimontium Walk Full/ Short | £8/ £5 |
Tickets for the museum can be booked in advance. Please consider adding Gift Aid to your ticket purchase. With your permission, this will allow us to claim gift aid on the total amount of 25p for every £1, which will help support the continuing work of the Trust in preserving our local heritage.
There is a booking fee applied by our ticketing platform at time of purchase. The Trimontium Trust is a registered charity and this small fee allows us to offer this service to visitors who prefer to book in advance.
Do I need to book in advance?
We always advise booking in advance for the walks as numbers are strictly limited.
You don’t have to book in advance to visit the museum unless you have a limited schedule. We always accept walk-ins, subject to availability. Occasionally, there may be a short delay to enter the museum to ensure the museum is not overcrowded.
Walks must be booked in advance as we need contact numbers for all participants in case of emergency.
Members
You can become a member of the Trimontium Garrison, which entitles you to free entry to the walks and museum, 10% off purchases in the shop, early access to events and regular updates. Members do not need to book in advance as they have priority entry.
Find out more about membership.
There is free public WIFI in the Trimontium Museum.
There’s so much more to see and do!
Trimontium Museum is your starting point for exploring the history of Roman Scotland and the Scottish Borders. While you’re here, you can:
- Take a guided tour of Melrose and the Trimontium fort site led by one of our experiences and knowledgable guides, or enjoy self-guided local routes
- Come along to one of our forthcoming events and expert-led monthly talks
- Take a deep dive into Roman archaeology with our Hands on History sessions and explore Trimontium fort like never before with the all-new Trimontium Experience
- Become a volunteer and take part in metal detecting, archaeological finds sessions, and the running of Trimontium Museum
FAQs and visiting details
For visitor comfort we have:
– One level throughout the museum
– Portable gallery stools
– Magnifying glasses with lights
– Large print gallery guide
– Subtitles on main AV film
Our gallery is designed as a dark space. However, we can raise light levels on request. For visitors who may find loud noises disorientating, we can also reduce volume on our AV. Please ask one of our volunteers for assistance. You can find out more here.
We take our visitor and volunteer safety very seriously at Trimontium. You can be sure of a safe visit with us, with measures including:
– Hand sanitisers throughout the Museum
– Masks available and welcome
– Regular cleaning of touch screens and surfaces
– Timed entry to prevent overcrowding
– First Aid kits and trained volunteers
Group bookings are welcome at the Trimontium Museum. We would be delighted to discuss the needs and interests of your group and create a great experience for them. We can offer combined experiences with the museum and fort site, private viewings, school group visits and more. Please get in touch to discuss your requirements
If you are not able to visit in person we can offer outreach visits to locations or online. We will be happy to discuss your requirements.
Visitors can purchase additional guides to the museum and Fort, which give more detail about its history. ‘Trimontium Top 10 Treasures’ is available for £1 at Reception, along with other useful guides.
Large print versions of the display labels in the gallery are available at Reception. We have Gallery Guides available in French, Spanish and German. We also have Trimontium Top 10 Treasures illustrated booklet and Fort Site information in the above languages for sale at Reception.
We share our story through exhibits, audio-visual presentations and interactive displays activities.
Our AV Theatre is fitted with a hearing loop.
There is free public WIFI throughout the museum.
Our gallery is designed as a dark space, to allow our fantastic artefacts to stand out. However, we do offer reading lights for use with gallery guides. The lighting can be raised on request. Please just ask at reception for assistance.
Children have a great time at Trimontium and can be Roman Scouts, seeking out missing Roman soldiers hidden around the museum. We have a dress up area complete with helmets & swords. All our intrepid scouts can choose a treat at the end of their visit, as long as their commanding officers allow it!
If your child is too young to be a Roman scout, you are welcome to bring buggies and prams into the museum, or leave them at reception if you prefer. You are welcome to breastfeed in the museum and we have seats and a sofa available for use but if you should want a private space in which to do this, please let us know. Changing facilities are available.
We have a shop selling high quality gifts and souvenirs, in keeping with the story of our museum. Our suppliers are often independent craftspeople who create beautiful and bespoke ranges for Trimontium. We source our stock from local suppliers whenever possible and have something to suit every budget. You can also visit our Online Shop for our full range of products.
We have 7 unisex toilets available for visitors, accessed via Reception. There are also 2 unisex accessible toilets, one of which is accessible via a chair lift, and one on the ground floor. Full accessible changing facilities are available in Galashiels Transport Interchange. More information here.
All dogs, not just assistance dogs, are welcome:
– In the Trimontium Museum
– On the Trimontium Walk
– On the Melrose Town Trail
There is water available outside the museum and doggie treats at reception!
On very hot days, please consider leaving your dog at home if you are doing the Trimontium walk as there is little shelter or shade en route.
Our work would not be possible without the support of Live Borders, National Museums Scotland, private collectors, and visitors and museum Members like you.
