Museums · Glasgow · United Kingdom
7 best museums in Glasgow
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Gallery of Modern Art and Riverside Museum. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 14–16 hours across 6 areas; 5 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 5
- Time to see them all
- 14–16 hours
- Areas
- West End, City Centre and Partick
Museums in Glasgow
Museum · West End
1.Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Glasgow's best-loved museum fills a red sandstone palace with around 8,000 objects, from Salvador Dalí's Christ of Saint John of the Cross and Scottish Colourist paintings to natural history, armour and a Spitfire hanging above the west court.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Art
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Gallery · City Centre
2.Gallery of Modern Art
GoMA occupies the neoclassical former Royal Exchange on Royal Exchange Square and shows contemporary art, often by Scottish artists.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Partick
3.Riverside Museum
Zaha Hadid's zigzag-roofed building on the Clyde houses Glasgow's transport museum: trams, locomotives, a wall of vintage cars and a recreated cobbled street of old shops.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- History
Museum · Pollok Country Park
4.Burrell Collection
Shipping magnate Sir William Burrell's gift to the city holds more than 9,000 objects — Chinese ceramics, medieval tapestries and stained glass, and works by Degas and Cézanne — in a glass-walled building that looks out into woodland.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · West End
5.University of Glasgow and the Hunterian
The university's Gothic Revival main building on Gilmorehill has vaulted cloisters and a landmark tower.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Pacific Quay
6.Glasgow Science Centre
The titanium-clad science centre on the south bank of the Clyde has three floors of hands-on exhibits, a planetarium and science shows.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Museum · Southside
7.Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park
Inside Hampden Park, Scotland's national stadium, the museum covers the country's role in the early history of the game, with the oldest national cup trophy and memorabilia from Celtic, Rangers and the national team.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| West End | Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and University of Glasgow and the Hunterian | 2–3 hours + 2 hours |
| City Centre | Gallery of Modern Art | 1 hour |
| Partick | Riverside Museum | 2 hours |
| Pollok Country Park | Burrell Collection | 2–3 hours |
| Pacific Quay | Glasgow Science Centre | 3 hours |
| Southside | Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park | 1.5–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 5 free, 2 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 5 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (West End): Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum → University of Glasgow and the Hunterian, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (City Centre and Partick): Gallery of Modern Art → Riverside Museum, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Pollok Country Park): Burrell Collection, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Pacific Quay): Glasgow Science Centre, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Southside): Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park, at least 2 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 7°C (45°F), about 13 rainy days, quiet crowds. Still cold with frequent showers; one of the lowest-priced months for hotels outside big concert dates.
- March: highs of 9°C (48°F), about 14 rainy days, quiet crowds. Days lengthen quickly and daffodils appear in the parks, though wind and rain are common.
- November: highs of 9°C (48°F), about 15 rainy days, quiet crowds. Dark and damp, but Christmas lights and markets start to appear late in the month.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- City Centre — Buchanan Street shopping, George Square and both main railway stations
- West End — University spires, Byres Road cafés and the cobbled bars of Ashton Lane
- Finnieston — Argyle Street restaurant strip between the West End and the Clyde
- Southside — Victorian villas, Shawlands bars and Pollok Country Park
More of Glasgow
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Glasgow?
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Glasgow's best-loved museum fills a red sandstone palace with around 8,000 objects, from Salvador Dalí's Christ of Saint John of the Cross and Scottish Colourist paintings to natural history, armour and a Spitfire hanging above the west court.
+Which of these are free in Glasgow?
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Gallery of Modern Art, Riverside Museum, Burrell Collection and University of Glasgow and the Hunterian.