1 Mammoths are cool

The humble elephant’s woolly ancestors were fascinating creatures, existing up to 55 million years ago along with their shorter, stockier cousins, the mastodons. This brand new exhibition explores the everyday lives of these animals and their chilly surroundings.

2 You’ll meet Lyuba

Discovered in 2007 by a Siberian reindeer herder, 40,000-year-old baby Lyuba is the best-preserved mammoth ever discovered. You may not get to meet her in the flesh but, with an exact replica model on display, it’s sure to feel just as magical.

3 It’ll make history fun

With the help of installations, reconstructions and an impressive collection of skull casts, fossil jaws and tusks, you’ll leave the exhibition having learned about the ice age, how these great beasts lived and the causes for their extinction, without the fatigue of having sat through a two-hour history lecture.

4 See through the eyes of our ancestors

One part of the exhibition displays artwork by humans depicting mammoths between 35,000 and 10,000 years ago. Perhaps when they weren’t being eaten, they were kept as pets.

5 Winter weather will seem more tolerable

Having braved the sleet and snow to visit the exhibition, you’ll look forward to the warmth of the National Museum, but be warned. The ice age is so called for a reason and exploring its history may not be the best way to stay warm. But at least, when you leave, the dreary skies and gusts of wind won’t seem as bad in comparison.

Mammoths of the Ice Age, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Fri 24 Jan–Sun 20 Apr.