diff --git a/ogre_mesh_viewer.py b/ogre_mesh_viewer.py
index 111ffee..d7847aa 100755
--- a/ogre_mesh_viewer.py
+++ b/ogre_mesh_viewer.py
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ def __init__(self, app):
         self.show_about = False
         self.show_metrics = False
         self.show_render_settings = False
+        self.side_panel_visible = True
 
         self.app = app
 
@@ -209,6 +210,8 @@ def preRenderTargetUpdate(self, evt):
 
             if entity is not None and ImGui.BeginMenu("View"):
                 enode = entity.getParentSceneNode()
+                if ImGui.MenuItem("Show/Hide Side Panel", "N", self.app.axes_visible):
+                    self.side_panel_visible = not self.side_panel_visible
                 if ImGui.MenuItem("Show Axes", "A", self.app.axes_visible):
                     self.app._toggle_axes()
                 if ImGui.MenuItem("Show Bounding Box", "B", enode.getShowBoundingBox()):
@@ -246,6 +249,10 @@ def preRenderTargetUpdate(self, evt):
             # no sidebar yet when loading .scene
             return
 
+        if self.side_panel_visible is False:
+            # hide side panel
+            return
+
         # Mesh Info Sidebar
         mesh = entity.getMesh()
 
@@ -404,6 +411,8 @@ def keyPressed(self, evt):
             self.getRoot().queueEndRendering()
         elif evt.keysym.sym == ord("b"):
             self._toggle_bbox()
+        elif evt.keysym.sym == ord("n"):
+            self.gui.side_panel_visible = not self.gui.side_panel_visible
         elif evt.keysym.sym == ord("a"):
             self._toggle_axes()
         elif evt.keysym.sym == ord("p"):