The Battle of Prestonpans Museum contains three main spaces:

the main hall; the Jubilee Room; and the reception/shop.

The main hall features a Children’s Encampment area, where youngsters are able to take a little time out to play, dress-up, and relax in one of our mini-tents. There is also an art-cart with activity sheets available.

There is a private staff room provided for our volunteers, with facilities to provide teas/coffees by prior arrangement for certain pre-booked events.

Male – 2 cubicles and 2 standing

Female – 3 cubicles

Accessible – 1 room

Baby changing table – in the accessible toilet

Please be aware that our main hall exhibition – and some of our supporting exhibitions in the Jubilee Room – includes both mannequins and tailor’s dummies.

There are three full-body mannequins in the main hall:

One is to your left when you enter, crouching beside our replica cannon. He is dressed as a sailor from 1745.

The second is positioned beside the Children’s Camp, kneeling beside a large flag by a small stone wall. He is dressed as a Jacobite soldier.

The third is positioned at at a table on the main stage, and is dressed as Bonnie Prince Charlie.

In addition to the mannequins, there is also a life-sized horse in the gallery.

All our mannequins are static, do not make noise, and cannot harm you. Please do not touch the mannequins.

The museum entrance is at street level, on Prestonpans High Street. The double-doors open to a width of 103cm.

From the entrance the corridor slopes upwards at a gentle angle to another set of double doors. On windy days our team sometimes leaves one of these doors closed, but they push open in both directions and we will always be happy to assist by opening the second.

Access to the main hall is then level, via double doors from the reception area.

From the main hall it is possible to access the Jubilee Room directly. This is where our temporary exhibitions are displayed. Access is via the stage, which has 5 steps up with a handrail on the left-hand side). The doorway into the Jubilee Room from this direction is Victorian and so a little narrow at 70cm. Alternatively, the Jubilee Room can be accessed from the lobby.

The lobby is accessed from reception, either by five steps with handrails on both sides, or by using our platform lift. The lift is to the right of the steps as you approach from reception, and can be operated either independently or with the assistance of a member of our team. The lift measures 82cm wide x 138cm deep, and is certified to 250kg.

The lobby provides direct access to the accessible toilet, to the male toilets (via a small ante-room), and to the female toilets (via a short corridor). It also provides easy access into the Jubilee Room, via double-doors measuring 110cm wide.

On most occasions our museum presents visitors with a calm and welcoming environment. There are however some features of our exhibitions of which visitors with additional sensitivities may wish to be aware.

Recorded music is sometimes played in our reception area or in the Jubilee Room. This is kept to a low volume so it will not prevent normal conversation. If you find it distracting, however, please notify a member of our team.

In our main hall exhibition, there is a television screen which plays an animated video of the Prestonpans Tapestry. This video has an accompanying narration. If you find the volume to be either too loud or too quiet, please let us know and a member of our time will fix it for you.

Some sound effects on videos played in our exhibitions may include the sounds of gunfire and combat.

We often hold special events in the museum within opening hours, which we hope our visitors will enjoy. This does mean that sometimes there will be additional obstacles, such as display boards, chairs, or projection equipment in the gallery. It also means there may be additional noise from conversation, demonstrations, or presentations. Our volunteers will advise you at reception and support you with any concerns.