About
1,000 years of dark history
From plague doctors to body-snatchers, The Edinburgh Dungeons tells the true stories Edinburgh would rather forget.
Why we exist
Edinburgh has one of the richest and darkest histories of any city in Britain. Plague, witch trials, cannibals, body-snatchers, murderous cannibals — the reality of life in the Old Town was far grislier than any ghost story. Most of it happened within a short walk of our front door on Market Street.
The Edinburgh Dungeons brings that history to life. Not through display cases and audio guides, but through live actors, real-world sets, special effects and two underground rides. It's part theatre, part history lesson, part rollercoaster — and it takes about 80 minutes to walk through.
The stories we tell
Medieval Edinburgh
Plague & poverty
Rats, ratcatchers and the terrifying Doctors of the Plague — Edinburgh's cramped Old Town was the perfect breeding ground for disease.
16th century
Witch hunts
Hundreds of Scottish women were tried and executed as witches. Their spirits haunt our Witchfyre Tavern.
17th century
Sawney Bean's cave
The legendary cannibal clan of Galloway — 48 people, one cave, decades of horror. History or hoax? Come and decide.
18th century
Burke & Hare
Two Irish labourers turned Edinburgh's most infamous body-snatchers, supplying corpses to Dr Knox's anatomy school.
19th century
The Green Lady
The ghostly Green Lady of Mary King's Close still walks the buried streets beneath the Royal Mile.
Today
Live-actor theatre
A cast of professional actors, purpose-built sets and two underground rides retell it all in one 80-minute tour.
What makes us different
Live actors, not animatronics. Every character you meet is a professional performer trained in improvised interactive theatre — so no two visits are the same.
Real Edinburgh stories. Every show is rooted in local history, from Burke & Hare's grave-robbing to the vanished world of Mary King's Close beneath the Royal Mile.
More than a walk-through. Two indoor rides — the Drop Dead free-fall drop tower and the Boat Ride to Hell — sit alongside the shows for a fuller experience.
Ready to visit? Plan your visit and buy tickets, or read up on the 11 live shows.
Book your tickets
Secure timed-entry tickets below. Prices in GBP, instant confirmation, mobile tickets accepted at the door.