Judi and I went there today, and were pleasantly surprised at the presentation, we expected an old jail or something. I won't ruin your surprise if you don't know, but id highly recommend a visit. The staff were incredible from the front of shop to the crew inside. Well done you guys and well worth a visit. read more

Gord and I headed to the Edinburgh Dungeon Sunday afternoon. We thought we were signing up for an actual tour of dungeons but it turns out it was a theatre production. Despite it not being what we thought we'd be experience, we enjoyed it. The actors played their parts well and it was was fun, interactive and entertaining. read more

The Edinburgh Dungeon - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

My lovely girlfriend and I took this tour and we were sure glad we did. It wasn't especially expensive, easy to find and an absolute blast. We had no idea what to expect but as we headed down dark stairs into the exhibit, our excitement grew. This adventure has several costumed and well rehearsed actors and actresses that really play into their parts. The decor in the various rooms and the stories they tell are spooky, creepy and fascinating. Be prepared for moving chairs, strobing lights and little spritzes of water that catch you completely off guard. We loved this tour and recommend it to anyone seeking a really engaging and entertaining show. read more

See all

I thought it was a haunted house. It's not. It's an interactive show where you learn history. It starts with all the customers going into a courtroom with "Judge Mental" to get convicted of a crime. From there we learn about history and murder. It's not scary at all. It's more surprising. The last bit is a shock that will have you laughing... if you don't scream. That was worth it, but the rest was just okay. The crowd you are with matters A LOT. If you can hype yourself up, it will be fun. If it's a dead crowd, like we had, it will just be okay. read more

I was looking for something different and this did not disappoint. Very funny and was paired with a good group. Everyone stayed in character from the moment you passed the front door. This was an experience without a ton of gore other than the detailed stories. read more

This was a fun way to kill an hour before the airport. It's definitely not a "must-do" in Edinburgh, but it's a fun way to learn about some darker periods of the city's history if you have an hour to spare. It's not actually that scary and the one "ride" aspect is optional. read more

Okay so this is a truly late review. I visited The Edinburgh Dungeon October 2014. I had never heard of it before driving past it on route to somewhere else. I was seriously like a "5 year old about get on a plane" excited. We figured out a day to visit and I am pretty sure I skipped all the way there. We got inside picked a photo package and the tour. Took the crazy tourist shots which look completely silly but were fun to do. They take tours through in groups so we waited for the people walking in and in line and in the meantime we picked up trinkets to buy and I bought a boatload of postcards. It's kind of my thing. Our group was ready to head through and I was psyched!!! There were different rooms and the actors portraying each scene were so great! They moved around us, stood next to us, turned out the lights and were directly in front of us. I LOVED IT! I screamed and laughed and held my breath and laughed so more. Planning another trip back Scotland for once the world reopens and of course the dungeon is high on list of the must do again. read more

The Edinburgh Dungeon - Entry. - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Whole experience was amazing actors did a great job and the drop tower was amazing we loved the ambience of the 1500 Scotland really immersed our group loved it! So scary it will make you cry with laughter! read more

Scary but not too scary for the chicken-hearted. Fun, gory, worth doing, esp with kids. A bit of Scottish history is mixed into the narrative. You'll walk down many stairs, but there's an elevator at the end. read more

Ok, I guess this just wasn't what my friend and I expected, but this place was ....odd. We thought we were going to a historical kind of your, but ended up with this show. If you're looking for some dramatic reenactments, this may be for you, but we didn't love it. read more

This is a bit touristy, but for some reason I was compelled to try it. And I'm so glad we did. It was really really really fun. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be so that was good. When we got there. I started getting a little worried, lol. It was very informative about different aspects of old life in Edinburgh. And the actors all did an amazing job. It just got better and better as it went on. I will actually go back to it next time I visit. And I usually don't like to do the same things twice. read more

We visited the Edinburgh Dungeon a couple of years ago and were back. Overall it was an enjoyable experience, going underground through a number of rooms with actors acting parts of old Edinburgh and involving the audience. Often more comedic than scary, one hour disappeared quickly, mixing theatre with some facts. We'll worth the visit. read more

We had a great time on this tour! The actors present a fun and interactive show, with enough thrills and excitement to make the experience fun. I'm not normally a 'haunted house' person, but this one had enough spook and drama with some light hearted mockery and fun to make the entire experience enjoyable! read more

I went to the Edinburgh Dungeons with my boyfriend today. I got discounted tickets from the visitors centre outside of Edinburgh Waverley station (14 pounds instead of 17). We had so much fun! We were really surprised with the performances by the staff and were both scared and also laughing our heads off. They do a really great job there. There are many chances for you to get picked as a volunteer for different skits (i.e., picking body parts out of a body, getting tortured, getting locked up, etc). I would highly recommend this to anyone, I loved that when I wasn't scared from the effects I was laughing my butt off from the comedy. Would definitely go again! read more

The Edinburgh Dungeon - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

My son and his friends (who are all teens) went to this attraction. At the show, they called up one boy (who is 14) and made very sexually explicit comments to him. They said he had a 'one-inch wonder' and then asked him to turn over where they proceeded to stick something up his backside. He was extremely embarrassed and felt violated. Isn't this sexual harassment or possibly even abuse? With today's standards, I am quite surprised that this would occur and Merlin would not be more careful to provide harassment training to their employees. As a parent, I am absolutely livid that they experienced this -- this is truly horrific and possibly even illegal. read more

Not as scarey as I hoped. Mostly adults in our group - group of 15-20! Good fun but disappointingly not scarey at all! One 4 year old started crying when a corpse fell out during the Sawnry Bean enactment (the most grotesque part I'd say relating to cannibalism) and there where parts where they startled members of the crowd. My highlights were the room with the ghost haunting of the woman killed by her husband and The Drop Dead ride. There were some technical issues and only half the group could go on at one time, so I crossed my fingers nothing would go wrong! The boat ride was anticlimatic as it hardly moved. The maze was confusing as there was no way out until later revealed. A highly entertaining activity especially for children but don't think it was worth paying full price (£16.75). Look for 2 for 1 deals or book online (£11.25) but you have to choose a time. We brought a voucher from an Edinburgh map which turned out to be expired but they gave us the same deal (£6 off full price ticket). Children under 5 are free which is a bonus (but have to be 1,5m to go on the drop ride). Be sure to make your entry photos good as you get a chance to see /buy them at the end (quite pricey - we spent £25 for 4 photos, one in a glass frame). The best was the look of fear on our faces as we were 'hanged'! read more

The Edinburgh Dungeon - At the gift shop at the end of our guided tour - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I am well hard but Edinburgh Dungeon is genuinely terrifying! The actors are fantastic and the sets and props as gory as you can stomach! What is most disturbing though is that all the different attractions are based on real events that took place in and around Edinburgh. The Anatomy Theatre tells the story of medical autopsies in Edinburgh in the 1820s and how a shortage of bodies led to a couple of unsavory characters doing despicable things to up the death rate! The Extremis Drop Ride is based on the hangings which used to take place at Grassmarket and was a bit too much for my delicate nature but if you like scary rides which make you want to be sick then you'll love it! Mary Kings Close is where hundreds of plague victims were left to rot in Edinburgh in the 1640s. Mary King apparently haunts the close seeking revenge and the Edinburgh Dungeon team has got this section disturbingly accurate, right down to the smell of rotting flesh, yuck. There is a boat ride called the Cave of Sawney Bean. Sawney Bean was a mass murdering cannibal who killed travelers in order to feed his family of 46, the family being so large due to numerous incestuous relationships, lovely. Eventually the family was caught after they had killed over 1000 people. The men of the family had their limbs hacked off and were left to bleed to death where as the women and children were burned alive, double lovely! There is also a William Wallace section where you hear his infamous story told by one of his followers. I'm sure you all know the story but it is great to see it brought to life in all the gory detail, freeeeeedooooom!! All in all the Edinburgh Dungeon is a great day out if you like being scared shitless. read more

See all

The dungeons is a great experience, it is a really fun to learn history. This is a great scare attractions. The actors are really good and highly enjoyable. Shane boat ride not working. Would recommend to all. read more

Edinburgh is quite a spooky city. It has a history, lots of horror stories such as Burke and Hare, and so the Edinburgh Dungeon is one of the scariest! The lay-out is typical of most dungeons, blood seeping through the walls, creepy music and ominous dark curtains everywhere. The staff are brilliant, they really get into it and include people in the show. I prefer it when people are included, it gives you a sense of being part of it, rather than just watching a show. There is a really cool (but really scary) boat-ride as part of the trip, I am one of those people who jumps at anything, including sneezes, ringing phones and creaks. And I jumped at all 3 in the Edinburgh dungeon. At times I felt it was a bit over-rehearsed and a bit boring, but overall it was a great experience and I would thoroughly recommend it. read more

The Edinburgh Dungeon - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Take it for what it is .... a FUN way of learning history. I really cannot understand those few negative reviews. We are 'oldies' and loved it. It was obvious, in hindsight, that certain people in a group are picked out immediately as the fun people who will be happy to interact. Ours was a smaller group and out of this number were one Asian girl (scared to bits all the time), a blonde young girl and my partner, of the aged group. Throughout the time she was Sweaty Betty, funny how that name has stuck since arriving home LOL. It was a great time with differing scenarios of those horrid times. I won't go into too much as it would spoil any future visitors but the guys and gals are brilliant. I would say, though, not for the faint hearted nor for young children. The final drop is not for people with a heart condition. I avoided it with a pacemaker as I didn't want to sue the owners at a later date. Read the positive reviews, ignore the negatives. It was a fun couple of hours. We LOVED IT. read more

We visited the Edinburgh Dungeon during our recent honeymoon to the UK. My wife had been here before, but I hadn't and she said it was pretty fun and there were a couple new attractions so we decided to give it a go. It was very empty when we showed up in the middle of the day, so we were a little hesitant about going in since we were literally the only two people there. We weren't hesitant because of the place not looking popular, but more because things like this are usually quite a bit more fun when there are decent sized groups involved. A larger group gives the actors more "targets" for their little showcases. Luckily, a lady and three kids showed up, as well as a group of LDS missionaries (three from the States and one from South Africa). Our group more than tripled in size, which was great! This isn't a history lesson, per say, but you will learn a few things if you know nothing about Edinburgh or Scotland in general. I don't know too much myself, so it was interesting going online later and looking up people like Sawney Bean and others that show up in the Edinburgh Dungeon. The Green Lady was our favorite, I think. She was one of the new "attractions". We bought our tickets in the massive building right out front of the Edinburgh Castle. There was a little booth area all the way at the top of the building (the same building where there are thousands of souvenirs and kilts and even weaponry in some parts) where they sold the tickets. I think they were slightly cheaper here than some of the other places we saw. Enjoy! read more

The Edinburgh Dungeon - The entrance to the Dungeon! - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

You've got to appreciate the cheese factor of this classic Edinburgh attraction, that has actually been around since the dawn of time. It's gimmicky, and pretty tourist orientated, but it is also education...sort of... made fun, and it's good banter for a random visit. So many parties and birthdays when I was at school included a visit to the dungeon, so I think I had my fill of it when I was younger, and it was on the old site on Shandwick Place. Now that I'm older, and people are doing mature things for their birthday, I no longer get the regular opportunity to prowl around the dungeon, however, I am keen for a visit now and again when friends are visiting from other places. Guides in costumes, a guillotine, stories and legends about gruesome events in Scotland's past, the black death, Burke and Hare and various other dark and spooky features designed to terrify you, make up the tour of the dungeon. Worth a visit for the craic. read more

The Edinburgh Dungeon - Photo from the-dungeons.co.uk/edinburgh - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

Interesting museum brought to life by the guides who are in full costume/character. Be aware they do pick on unsuspecting members of the audience to help with their demonstations. Its all underground as well so gives a bit of a eerie feeling. Great for taking the kids - I went with a group of girls so imagine the squealing that went on, especially on the boat trip when things fall out the ceiling! Can be a bit pricey so look out for vouchers which you can get from a number of places. Theres a good gift shop at the end of your experience which has loads of goodies and tricks! read more

The Edinburgh Dungeon - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This place is ridiculous. Cheesy props, cheesy acting, long, and anticlimactic. If there's history in this event, I never heard it. This is a theatrical event... touted as scary, but as someone else mentioned... you could turn off your lights and have someone randomly scream in your face and you'd have the same experience. Not worth the money or the time... it's like a bad haunted house with awful acting. P.S. It smells really bad in there. read more

Lauren does not do ''feart'' very well so I am not actually a fan as such of this place, the 4 stars reflect the effort I could see has gone into the place and the actors who keep the whole thing running. The actors are fantastic and mostly pretty convincing, the props and sound effects keep the whole spooky thing at it's height. Chuffed I did this, but no-one but my best friend could have convinced me to go in here and if I venture back....well, let's just say I'll probably take spare pants! A great day out for those who like a spook and a scare, and I do have to say some of the historical bits explained throughout were really quite interesting! Also, apologies to the innocent woman standing next to me who's head I nearly climbed up in fright!! :P read more

I had an absoloute blast here. Got the tickets at a very reasonable price through our work adn went with the work crew to enjoy the horrors and hilarity within. You walk in and descend the stairs to get admission and onto the dungeon proper. I wont spoil the suprises and such but i will say that the actors make this, they are pretty convincing for the most part and you learn a little history along the way. You go through various themes and famous stories from the past with set pieces abound and a good variety of actors and scares. You get to a drop ride at the end as well which is a little bit of fun and fright if your up for it. Cant really say much about this without spoiling the surprises except i loved it and would happily go back here anytime! read more

Was not bowled over by the experience a glorified live ghost and horror ride show Features a couple of ride on experiences the best being the hangmans drop The actors were quite good and the maze of mirrors but to be honest for the money felt a bit shortchanged certainly not horrified . read more

I should give myself the official title of Elite Yelp Bargain hunter. The Dungeon has a very dear entry ticket price of 16.50 pounds per person. And if you are a student 16 pounds... woohoo 50 pence off. Well, that isn't good enough for me. Luckily the High Street Hostel provided us with a free map of Edinburgh that included coupons and one was 2 for 1 entry to The Dungeon! So we showed our student IDs and paid a fair price of 8 pounds each! Lisa G. gives a great review of what The Edinburgh Dungeon contains. The actors were quite good and I will admit that there were moments when I wouldn't let go of my boyfriends hand! The Dungeon shoppe at the end it quite cheesy, and for those who are familiar with the chain Hot Topic or and Halloween store, that's all they have to offer. But good rides and a scare none-the-less! read more

If you want to do something fun, different and learn some Scottish history at the same time then there can only be one option - The Edinburgh Dungeon. Folk who are not local to Bonnie Scotland may find the accents quite difficult to follow however they will still find the experience enjoyable particularly the hanging simulation at the end. But be warned - take a spare pair of pants with you as it is quite spooky!!! read more

Yes, so it's full of tourists. And the staff assume that you're a tourist too when you're there. But it's still one of those things that you have to tick off your to-do list when you're in Edinburgh. There's always some kind of simulator ride which comes at the end of the tour, and it's always changing. The one they have at the moment is called 'the last drop', and you all get "hanged" for your part in the Burke & Hare bodysnatching scandal. Cheesy, but good fun and it will make you jump in places. And even if they don't the stuff they tell you is really interesting and you'll find out loads of random things about Edinburgh that you never knew before! read more

I was pretty bored on this, and it's definitely over-priced. You can get a discount at the tourist centre by Waverley station (off Princes Street) but it's still pretty pricey. It has the most useless water "ride" in existence which transports guests about 15 feet forwards and then back to the original place of embarkation... Actors are quite funny and when I went there was a bit of banter between actors and one particular guest who appeared to be rather drunk... read more

My first experience with the "Dungeon" chain was when I was 7 and my parents took me to the London Dungeons. My distinct memory of this trip was when we went to have our photo taken like these tourists attractions do. So my dad is put in the stock (is that the right word? The thing you put your head and arms in) and gave me an axe to hold over his head. Now being 7 years old I thought the axe was real and it weighed a tonne making me panic that I was going to chop my dad's head off. So we have this lovely family photo with every one smiling except me, who looks completley terrified. It was only recently I came to terms with the fact that a. it wasn't a real axe, and b. I wasn't actually going to chop my dad's head off. It was traumatic though. So my granny took me here recently. Seriously, my Granny is a social fiend and should have her own Yelp account because most of my reviews stem from places she has taken me. Anyway. Edinburgh has a fantastic history so it is perfect for the Dungeons. They cover everything from Burke and Hare to William Wallace, and they do it in a frickin scary way. The actors are brilliant and quite frightening, everything from the hair and make up to their persona's is so well thought out. There is this boat ride that still haunts me to this day. I was seated in the back corner and upon realizing that I was in the pitch black I decided someone was going to jump up behind me, so I promptly screamed. For no reason. This quickly triggered every other female and child to scream, while everyone else looked around clueless. I am a massive wimp so everything scared the wits out of me here. It is quite a fun day out, but not cheap if you are taking the whole family. I'm not sure how scared younger kids would be by this, if your kid is a big hard man then probably not too scary, but if your kid is scared of the dark not the best attraction I think. And don't let them give your child an axe because it is mentally scarring! read more

The last time I went to the Edinburgh dungeons was a great experience and well worth the student ticket price of £10 or so. I remember waiting in the waiting room for the tour to start and an oddball in period costume stood behind my friend, grabbed his bum and made a disturbing groaning noise - I sincerely hope he was part of the performance as we didn't see him again after that. In fact all the staff seemed to take quite a liking to my friend and he was the object of ridicule in pretty much every scenario throughout the dungeon. First of all he was accused of being a cross dresser in the initial court section where he was referred to as Margaret even though he couldn't look less like a Margaret if he tried. Next up he was told to bend over (don't worry, it's a family day out) in the torture chamber where he nearly came a cropper with some sinister looking objects of medieval torture. It was hilarious for me to watch him looking so embarressed but he took it all in good humour which is what the Edinburgh Dungeons is all about - it's just a laugh after all! After 20/30 minutes of laughing at my friend it was my turn to be ridiculed and I was called up to help an oddball "dissect" a dummy where I recall having to pull out some sausage and a sandwich from the lifeless plastic dummy a rather bizarre experience but funny nonetheless. Overall, I can't say that I found any part of the dungeons remotely scary but it's an absolutely hilarious afternoon out and I can highly recommend it! The actors are all fantastic and I learnt quite a bit about Edinburgh history and various different methods of medieval torture. read more

We came to the Edinburgh Dungeons as part of a school trip at High School, and I vowed I would never be back because I'm what is known as a 'big girls blouse' and scream at anything remotely scary. Now I know the actors and actresses at the Dungeons are exactly that, but in my warped mind they might just have a missing wire and actually believe that they are some mad autopsy doctor and start hacking me up in the corridors. Yeah. I am a weirdo. I am genuinely scared of everything though, and couldn't even watch Scary Movie which is supposed to be funny, but to save face, I went along with my classmates. It is actually a fab experience, and if you like being scared then it's brilliant. Attractions like Mary king's Ghost and The Autopsy Room are highlights and kids who like a bit of yuck and bloodyness will lap this up no end. However, it is a pricey day out at £15.50 for an adult, £11.50 for a kiddie or £49 for a family. If you have more than 2 kids, you're looking at £60-70, way too much for the average holiday maker or even local. I hate how the prices of attractions are so expensive in Edinburgh now, and I think it really puts people off visiting, which is such a shame. Great if you aren't a fearty bum like me, but pricey all the same. read more

The Edinburgh Dungeon - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

Myself and my two friends (all 18) decided last minute to go to the dungeons. We had been to a lot of places that claimed to be spooky and were expecting some half assed scary experience But we were wrong, the actors were brilliant! Genuinely scary and made you believe the storyline you were being told Brilliant overall and would highly recommend read more

I visited the Dungeons with some friends a few years ago. My husband and sons visited a few months ago. We all thought it was fantastic! I love the way it delves into Edinburgh's murky history and incorporates it within the exhibits. The actors and actresses were great fun and played their parts well. Good fun overall! read more

The dark and ghostly depths of the Edinburgh Dungeons promise to revive gruesome and terrifying stories of historic Edinburgh and its ghosts, barbarians and the eerie underground passages and catacombs that lurk beneath the streets as we know it. But upon entering the site, you soon realise that the £12 entry fee is rather a lot for not very much. A tour guide dressed to the role, entices you to swallow your fear and brave the belly of dark 18th century Edinburgh. You are guided through several 'frightening' scenes from Scottish history, including a torture chamber, Mary King's Close, the cannibalistic Bean family, vampires, Dr Knox's autopsy suite etc, all of which are brought alive by actors and elaborate costumes. The actors are generally very good as they assume the role well and joke with the audience, however they do pick on unsuspecting people who, let's be honest, would rather not be picked on and would rather just enjoy the history lesson. It makes one on edge rather than interested! And most of all, you are left with this distinct sense of 'Is that all?', particularly after the ridiculously short 'boat-ride'. read more

I found the Edinburgh dungeons to be a great day out, which was a surprise really as I had not expected much prior to my visit. When we entered we were greated with an ancient courtyard scene and a member of the visiting public was tried and sent to the gallows. This was an excellent start to the tour and it stayed as interesting throughout. The actors throughout the dungeons are very convincing and there was some genuinely scary moments. You have to make sure that you do not have any kids likely to end up having nightmares because even though they say it is suitable for 12 years pluss I think some 12 year olds may be effected by whats inside. Definitely a place I would rcommend to anyone in the region of edinburgh and looking for a fun day out. read more

Fantastic. There is a lot of audience participation and the actors are great at creating a scary atmosphere. If you don't like confined spaces, being touched, or talked to by strangers, or made to react in anyway, you may not want to do this. The employees are really good at what they do. One actually had me trying to climb behind people to get away from him. Even while I felt silly, he scared the hell outta me! I happen to be scared of the dark, jumpy and a screamer - I had no idea it would be so dark in there.. They caught on right away, so left and right I had the actors "attacking" me. It was scarier than I expected, but I was there to be scared so I have no complaints. I loved it (or maybe I loved surviving it - I am not sure). The only disappointment is the water ride, which really shouldn't be called a "ride." The term "ride" was misleading.. But it is creepy still, so it isn't that big of a deal. Everything else more than makes up for it. read more

I can't believe this place has received such high reviews. Granted, I'm a bit of an attractions snob, hailing from Orlando, but I must say that the low-budget nature of this place makes the price of admission a little unreasonable. The 'scareacters' are mostly enthusiastic, but it only takes one half-hearted performance to ruin the scary effect they are going for. Also, the 'boat ride' travels for about 5 feet, or so it seemed. IF you don't mind an over-touristy, plastic type of fun, or if you're a group of 13 year olds whose parents have no idea how obnoxious you are when travelling in large, unsupervised groups, than this is the place for you. read more