Underground Unlocked May 2025
Step beneath the Royal Mile and experience The Real Mary King’s Close like never before—alive with the echoes of the past.
When is Underground Unlocked?
Thursday 15th May
What’s included?
A rare opportunity to explore The Real Mary King’s Close at your own pace for up to 2 hours.
Meet and interact with up to 13 former residents of The Close, each with a story to tell.
Feel the energy of the past as you roam freely through preserved homes and businesses, exactly as they stood centuries ago.
Times
Book one of the following entry times:
18.00 / 18.10 / 18.20 / 18.30 / 18.40 / 18.50 / 20.00 / 20.10 / 20.20 / 20.30
The Close will be open from 18.00 until 22.30 for Underground Unlocked.
Experience Mary King’s Close as it once was—bustling, thriving, and filled with life.
For one night only, the past bursts into the present as Underground Unlocked brings the hidden streets of Edinburgh back to life. Unlike our traditional guided tours, this immersive event lets you step into the sights, sounds, and spirit of the 17th century.
The Close hums with voices once more—shopkeepers call to customers, plague doctors tend to the sick, poets weave their words, and shadowy figures go about their business. For the first time in centuries, this hidden world thrums with energy, just as it did when Mary King herself walked these streets.
Wander at your own pace, encountering the people who lived, worked, and struggled here.
Meet the formidable plague doctor, John Paulitious, as he delivers his chilling diagnoses. Step into the world of Mary King, a sharp-witted businesswoman making her mark. Exchange words with poet Robert Fergusson before crossing paths with the Foul Clengers—the eerie cleaners of plague-ridden homes. Pause to listen to David Chesney, one of the Close’s last residents, as he reminisces about a life now lost to time.
Every alleyway whispers a story. Every flickering lantern casts shadows of the past. But this moment won’t last forever. Will you seize the chance before the Close falls silent once more?
Book Your Tickets NOW
Due to the exclusive nature of this event, tickets are non-refundable. Secure your place now before they disappear into the past…
BOOK TICKETS
