Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum

26/05/2026

20/05/2026

This past Monday was International Museum Day and we shared a short blog relating to it on our website. You can read it here:

May 18th marks International Museum Day, and this year’s theme, Museums Uniting a Divided World, really resonated with us here at the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum. The International Council of Museums, or ICOM, says the theme, “ highlights the potential of museums to act as bridges across c...

17/05/2026

This is St Kilda in the mighty Atlantic Ocean, in July.

On 17th of May, 1848 Andrew, brother Thomas and their parents, Margaret and William Carnegie, left Charleston on their way to Glasgow to board the Wiscasset sailing ship to cross this body of water, destined for America,

Andrew's own words in his autobiography,
"Uncle Lauder also lent his aid and advice, managing all the details for us, and on the 17th day of May, 1848, we left Dunfermline. My father's age was then forty-three, my mother's thirty-three. I was in my thirteenth year, my brother Tom in his fifth year—a beautiful white-haired child with lustrous black eyes, who everywhere attracted attention."

They all arrived safely in New York seven weeks later.

They never forgot the friends they left behind.

Want to find out more? Book a ticket to this Thursday's (21st May) RSA Talk with Cat Berry, "A Life-long Friendship - Andrew Carnegie and The Patons".

A friendship forged in Dunfermline between two very different but ultimately successful families, the Patons and Carnegies.

Cat will talk more about the friendship between Andrew, Noël and Amelia. Tickets are on Eventbrite.

05/05/2026

The next talk in our RSA200 Talk Series is taking place on Thursday the 21st of May, at 7:30pm with Cat Berry presenting as the descendant of an RSA member. Cat will explore the connections between the Carnegie and Paton families which started over 200 years ago. We hope you can join us. 😃
🎟️https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-life-long-friendship-andrew-carnegie-and-the-patons-tickets-1987123992353?aff=erellivmlt

28/04/2026

We would love to have you join us for Ian Shearer's talk. Head over to our Eventbrite page to book yourself a ticket! 🎟️🏛️

Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/james-shearer-rsa-and-the-shearers-of-dunfermline-tickets-1986512701967

25/04/2026

Looking forward to sharing the Beltane theme of "Threshold" at our next Nidra at the Museum!
What are you standing at the start of? What might you be ready to leave behind? Can you take a moment to stand on the Threshold and rest in the wonder of our your own becoming...

Spaces are limited to 14 this month so claim your spot as soon as you can!

16/04/2026

It's been a few weeks since we opened our new temporary exhibition "Carnegie and the Royal Scottish Academy: A Celebration of the Carnegie Travelling Scholarship". We have had an amazing response to this little known part of Carnegie's story. This exhibition is on for the rest of 2026, so you have plenty time to see it or attend our associated events programme.

02/04/2026

Easter holidays are nearly upon us, and the theme for this spring's Past-Port is 'Architecture - if buildings could talk'. We've recently discovered interesting archival materials relating to this theme, more specifically the designing of the new Carnegie Baths and Gymnasium, known today as the Carnegie Leisure Centre. The Carnegie Dunfermline Trust held a competition for architects in 1900 for designing the facility, detailing what the venue needs to entail and asking for the designs to be sent to their solicitor William Reid "without name, motto, or distinguishing mark of any kind" by the end of November that same year. Many local Dunfermline architects sent in their pitches, such as James Scobie, Andrew Muirhead, and Misters Beveridge and Swinton. The chosen design was that of Edinburgh architect Hippolyte Jean Blanc, and the baths officially opened on May 31st, 1905. Can you recognise Blanc's winning design from these drawings!

31/03/2026

Sadly, due to illness, we have had to postpone today's Bobbin Babies and rescheduled for next Tuesday. Anyone booked for today will be automatically registered for next week.

If you'd like one of the remaining few slots, please book through: www.bit.ly/ACBMEvent

20/01/2026

We are excited to announce our new temporary exhibition for 2026.

Carnegie and the RSA: A Celebration of the Carnegie Travelling Scholarship
23 March – 13 December 2026

This exhibition celebrates the wide ranging impact of the Royal Scottish Academy’s Carnegie Travelling Scholarship as part of RSA 200: Celebrating Together.

Founded in 1903, the Carnegie Travelling Scholarship was awarded to promising members of the RSA’s Life School to support their travels to study the “great art collections on the continent of Europe, United states or elsewhere”. The scholarship is still awarded today.

From the founding of the scholarship to the present day, the exhibition will showcase works from renowned Scottish artists such as Joan Eardley and Elizabeth Blackadder, some of which will be on display for the first time.

The exhibition will be complimented by a programme of events and activities throughout the duration of the exhibition.

14/01/2026

It's going to be an eventful week the last week of January. 📆

👶We have our monthly Bobbin Babies sessions starting on Tuesday the 27th of January 9:30 or 10:30
Book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/andrew-carnegie-birthplace-museum-17247214261

🏦Signed in Stone: The Mark of the Mason is a talk hosted by The City of Dunfermline Heritage Group is happening on the evening of the 29th of January at 18:30
Book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/signed-in-stone-the-mark-of-the-mason-tickets-1968513375497?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&keep_tld=1

🧘‍♀️Lisa from .scot will be hosting Yoga Nidra at the museum on Friday the 30th of January, starting at 19:00.
Book here: https://www.theyogasocial.scot/classes