Glasgow Museums

Glasgow is home to a world-class collection of museums, covering a wide range of subjects from art and history to science and technology.

About Glasgow Museums

	, Various Locations Glasgow
	01412874350
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Listed Under Attractions - Art Galleries / Attractions - Days Out / Attractions - History and Culture / Attractions - Museums

Whether you want to find out more about an artist, come with your class to see how we used to live, see the latest in contemporary art, or simply meet a friend for coffee, there is a museum for you!

Admission to all Glasgow Life museums is free, most have café facilities and a shop, and they warmly welcome children. A small entry charge may apply to some temporary exhibitions. The National Trust for Scotland manages Pollok House on behalf of Glasgow City Council and charges apply during summer months.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum: This is Glasgow's most popular museum, with a collection of over 8,000 works of art from around the world. Explore the 22 galleries and discover everything from art to animals, Ancient Egypt to Charles Rennie Mackintosh and so much more.

Riverside Museum: This museum tells the story of Glasgow's shipbuilding and maritime history. It has a collection of over 2,000 exhibits, including ships, boats, and marine engines. Visitors can also learn about the history of shipbuilding in Glasgow and Scotland.

The Burrell Collection: This is one of the finest art collections in the world, with over 8,000 works of art from Europe, Asia, and Africa. Highlights include paintings by Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Monet; sculptures by Rodin and Michelangelo; and decorative arts from China and Japan.

Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA): This museum is dedicated to modern and contemporary art. It has a collection of over 5,000 works of art, including paintings, sculptures, and installations. Visitors can also see temporary exhibitions of new and emerging artists.

People's Palace and Winter Gardens: This museum tells the story of Glasgow's working class history. It has a collection of over 50,000 objects, including furniture, clothing, and household goods. Visitors can also see the Winter Gardens, a beautiful Victorian glasshouse with over 2,000 plants.

Provand's Lordship: This is a 15th century merchant's house, one of the oldest buildings in Glasgow. It has been restored to its original condition and now tells the story of life in Glasgow in the 15th century.

Scotland Street School Museum: This is a former school that has been converted into a museum. It tells the story of education in Glasgow from the 19th century to the present day.

St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art: This museum tells the story of religion in Glasgow from the early Middle Ages to the present day. It has a collection of over 2,000 objects, including religious artifacts, paintings, and sculptures.

Glasgow Museums Resource Centre: Glasgow Museums Resource Centre (GMRC) is the store for the museums' collections when they are not on display across Glasgow Life's museums.

We take every opportunity to ensure the details for Glasgow Museums are accurate, if any of the above information is incorrect we would appreciate if you could take a minute to suggest an edit.

All information (whether in text or photographs) is supplied in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.

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Upcoming Events at Glasgow Museums

Family and Kids

Discover! Weekend Sessions

Selected dates between 4th January 2025 - 28th December 2025

The Burrell Collection, Glasgow South Side

Join The Burrell Collection each weekend for a free drop in family session where you can get hands on and find out more about the collection through crafts, music and object handling!

Talks and Lectures

Burrell Bites

Selected dates between 8th January 2025 - 17th December 2025

The Burrell Collection, Glasgow South Side

Enjoy a specially curated talk about the history and context of a new object(s) from the Burrell Collection each week, delivered by Curators, Gallery Assistants, Volunteer Guides and more!

Family and Kids

Saturday Art Club

Selected dates between 11th January 2025 - 20th December 2025

Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow City Centre

The Gallery of Modern Art holds a regular, drop in, Saturday Morning Art Club for 5 to 12 year olds!

Music

Kelvingrove Organ Recitals

13th January 2025 - 21st December 2025

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow West End

Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum holds delightful daily recitals by eminent local organists and visiting players!

Health and Wellbeing

Andy’s Man Club at Kelvin Hall

Selected dates between 13th January 2025 - 22nd December 2025

Kelvin Hall, Glasgow West End

Andy's Man Club meets every Monday at 7pm in the Activity Space at Kelvin Hall... come along for a brew, a biscuit and a chat.

Tour

Behind The Scenes Tour of GMRC

Selected dates between 15th January 2025 - 17th December 2025

Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, Glasgow South Side

Glasgow Museums Resource Centre is home to over a million treasures, come and see for yourself on one of their regular Behind the Scenes Tours!

Tour

Kelvin Hall Building Tour

Selected dates between 18th January 2025 - 13th December 2025

Kelvin Hall, Glasgow West End

Join the volunteer tour guides for a free 45 minute tour of Kelvin Hall and take a peek behind the scenes in Glasgow Museums' store!

Family and Kids

Discover - Make And Create, Handle And Discuss Objects

Selected dates between 25th January 2025 - 20th December 2025

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow West End

Kelvingrove's Discover - Make And Create, Handle And Discuss Objects weekly sessions offer free hands-on fun designed for families with children!

Exhibitions

Ciara Phillips - Undoing it

22nd March 2025 - 26th October 2025

Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow City Centre

Undoing It at the Gallery of Modern Art is a new solo exhibition by Canadian/Irish artist Ciara Phillips, of woodcuts, etchings and screen-prints.

History

Geo-Natter

Selected dates between 7th May 2025 - 3rd December 2025

Kelvin Hall, Glasgow West End

Interested in rock or fossils and want to find out more about Scotland's geo-heritage? Head along to Geo Natter at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow to celebrate all things geological and palaeontological!

Tour

LGBT+ Tours at The Burrell Collection

Selected dates between 27th May 2025 - 27th September 2025

The Burrell Collection, Glasgow South Side

Join curators at The Burrell Collection on a journey through the galleries uncovering hidden LGBTQ+ histories from their collection!

Exhibitions

Alasdair Gray: Works from the Morag McAlpine Bequest

5th June 2025 - 5th June 2026

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow West End

A display of nine of Alasdair Gray's works from The Morag McAlpine Bequest is open now in the Fragile Art Gallery in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Exhibitions

Capturing the Moment: Glasgow Then and Now

13th June 2025 - 21st December 2025

Various Locations Glasgow

To celebrate Glasgow's 850th anniversary, students from Shawlands Academy have teamed up with Glasgow Life Museums to celebrate by curating this touring exhibition!

Glasgow 850

Our People’s Palace

20th June 2025 - 5th December 2025

Various Locations Glasgow

Discover fascinating tales of Glasgow with the 'Our People's Palace' touring display! Check out intriguing objects and stories, celebrating Glasgow's vibrant history, coming to a venue near you.

Talks and Lectures

Kelvingrove Bites

Selected dates between 15th August 2025 - 10th October 2025

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow West End

Enjoy a specially curated talk about the history and context of a new object(s) from Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, delivered by Curators, Gallery Assistants, Volunteer Guides and more!

Talks and Lectures

Hidden Histories Tours

Selected dates between 1st September 2025 - 3rd November 2025

The Burrell Collection, Glasgow South Side

Curators at The Burrell Collection hold monthly Hidden Histories Tours exploring different aspects of the museum's magnificent collection!

Tour

Themed Tours at The Burrell Collection

Selected dates between 4th September 2025 - 25th September 2025

The Burrell Collection, Glasgow South Side

Join the Burrell Collection's expert Volunteer Guides as they take you on a journey through the collection with free themed weekly tours.

Family and Kids

Art for Baby at GoMA

Selected dates between 9th September 2025 - 16th December 2025

Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow City Centre

Art for Baby at GoMA is a weekly workshop for babies and their carer, to experience contemporary art in a relaxed and welcoming environment!

Exhibitions

The Milky Way

13th September 2025 - 9th January 2026

Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow City Centre

The Milky Way is part of a touring programme for Feed – an arts-based project that promotes inclusive, sustainable approaches to infant feeding and public space.

Talks and Lectures

The Remarkable Rachel Ruysch: Curator and Painting Conservator Talk

16th September 2025

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow West End

This illustrated talk, given by Curator of European Art, Pippa Stephenson-Sit, explores an important, previously overlooked artist in light of this new exhibition.

History

Common Honesty: William Morris-related collections at the Mitchell Library

16th September 2025

The Mitchell Library and Theatre, Glasgow City Centre

Highlighting the complete set of the Kelmscott Press, together with items from manuscript holdings & newspaper archive, join Mitchell Library for an exploration of William Morris-related collections.

Tour

Glasgow Museums Resource Centre Specialist Tours

Selected dates between 16th September 2025 - 16th December 2025

Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, Glasgow South Side

Throughout the year Glasgow Museums Resource Centre holds Specialist Tours where you can join the curators for an in depth look at the collections!

Talks and Lectures

Taming Nature - The Flora and Fauna of the Glasgow Style

17th September 2025

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow West End

Join Alison Brown, Curator for European Decorative Art and Design 1851-present for an exploration of the abundant flora and fauna in the Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style Gallery.

Tour

Twilight Tour: Made of Stone

17th September 2025

Kelvin Hall, Glasgow West End

Meet with Curator Jane Flint at Kelvin Hall to look at some of the range of worked stone objects in Glasgow Life Museums' Prehistoric Archaeology Collection.

Talks and Lectures

My Kingdom For A Horse! Arming Your Horse For Battle

18th September 2025

Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, Glasgow South Side

Join Ralph Moffat, Curator of European Arms and Armour, to find out more about horses, their equipment, and their role in war.

Talks and Lectures

Truth To Nature: The Pre-Raphaelites and Scotland

19th September 2025

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow West End

Join Curator of British Art Jo Meacock to explore three paintings by Scottish artists influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites' radical new ideals about painting nature.

Talks and Lectures

Artist Talk - Hock-Aun Teh

20th September 2025

Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow City Centre

Join GoMA on Saturday 20th September for an artist talk with Hock-Aun Teh, whose work 'Fitness is energy' is currently on show in their Gallery 2 exhibition 'Through line'.

Workshops

Mini Watercolour Landscapes

20th September 2025

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow West End

Create your own mini watercolour landscape full of colour and movement inspired by the Impressionist style at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Tour

Kelvingrove Museum of Empire

Selected dates between 27th September 2025 - 31st October 2025

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow West End

This tour led by Nelson Cummins, Curator of Legacies of Slavery and Empire will explore the history in the present day Kelvingrove through a tour of some of the current galleries and displays.

Exhibitions

Artist Tour: Ciara Phillips, Undoing it

27th September 2025

Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow City Centre

Canadian/Irish artist Ciara Phillips will be giving two short tours of her exhibition Undoing it at the Gallery of Modern Art on Saturday 27th September!

Talks and Lectures

Talk: Performing Race and Empire in Victorian Glasgow

4th October 2025

The Mitchell Library and Theatre, Glasgow City Centre

This talk at the Mitchell Library will examine two forms of popular entertainment that engaged with race in ways both controversial and subversive.

Exhibitions

GoMA Late: A Celebration of Black History Month

9th October 2025

Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow City Centre

Come join us at the Gallery of Modern Art for a late opening celebrating Black History Month through art.

Workshops

Walls That Speak: Black History at GoMA, A Two-part Creative Writing Workshop

11th October 2025

Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow City Centre

Walls That Speak is a two-part workshop with Glasgow Museums Intercultural Youth Group as part of Black History Month 2025.

Family and Kids

Family Workshop: Monster Mascots

14th October 2025 - 15th October 2025

Kelvin Hall, Glasgow West End

Join the Glasgow Life Museums Learning Team at Kelvin Hall for their Monster Mascots workshop and Create a mascot for Glasgow 850 inspired by the creatures in the museums collection!

Workshops

Black History Family Workshops

14th October 2025 - 16th October 2025

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow West End

Come along and take part in three family workshops exploring Black History using objects and collections in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Workshops

Black History Month: celebrating the works of Black artists on display at GoMA

15th October 2025 - 17th October 2025

Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow City Centre

Join GoMA for three days of art making, where they celebrate the works of Black artists on display in their galleries.

Talks and Lectures

Reframing The Narrative

17th October 2025

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow West End

This talk explores the rehanging of the Glassford portrait in Kelvingrove and how it may shape approaches to exploring histories and legacies of enslavement in Glasgow Museums moving forward.

Family and Kids

Autism Friendly Family Workshop: Monster Mascots

17th October 2025

Kelvin Hall, Glasgow West End

Join the Glasgow Life Museums Learning Team at Kelvin Hall for their Monster Mascots workshop and Create a mascot for Glasgow 850 inspired by the creatures in the museums collection!

History

Medieval Day

18th October 2025

The Burrell Collection, Glasgow South Side

Kings, Queens, Knights and Jesters, come ye along to the Burrell Collection on Saturday 18th October and step into the Middle Ages for a Medieval family day bursting with early modern fun!

Film

Film Screening and Q&A - Sunshine and Jean Donnachie Documentary

22nd October 2025

Kelvin Hall, Glasgow West End

Don't miss a screening of two original short films directed by Manu Kurewa, followed by a short Q&A at Kelvin Hall on Wednesday 22nd October.

Tour

Black History at GoMA: Modern Art in a Colonial Shell

24th October 2025

Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow City Centre

Take part in a three-stop tour of Black and Brown artists on display in Glasgow's Gallery of Modern Art as part of Black History Month.

Tour

Burrell and Empire Tour

29th October 2025

The Burrell Collection, Glasgow South Side

Join Nelson Cummins, the curator of Legacies of Empire and Slavery, for a tour of the Burrell Collections hidden Colonial Histories.

Gallery of Modern Art

Gallery of Modern Art Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow City Centre G1 3AH

Situated in the heart of the city, GoMA is Scotland's most visited modern art gallery displaying work that highlights the interests, influences and working methods of artists from around the world!

Glasgow Museums Resource Centre

200 Woodhead Road, Glasgow South Side G53 7NN

Glasgow Museums Resource Centre (GMRC) is a purpose-built store for Glasgow Museums' collections when they're not on display in the venues.

Kelvin Hall

1445 Argyle Street, Glasgow West End G3 8AW

Kelvin Hall stands on the banks of the River Kelvin opposite Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in the West End of Glasgow.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum Argyle Street, Glasgow West End G3 8AG

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is one of both Glasgow's and Scotland's most popular free attractions boasting an extensive collection of over 8000 objects displayed across 22 themed galleries!

Peoples Palace and Winter Gardens

People's Palace and Winter Gardens Glasgow Green, Glasgow City Centre G40 1AT

The People’s Palace, set in historic Glasgow Green, tells the story of the people and city of Glasgow from 1750 to the end of the 20th century.

Provands Lordship

3 Castle Street, Glasgow City Centre G4 0RB

Step back in time and discover Glasgow's unique history with a visit to the oldest house in the city... The Provand's Lordship!

Riverside Museum

100 Pointhouse Place, Glasgow West End G3 8RS

Visit the Riverside Museum for FREE and experience the wonder of Glasgow's industrial heritage in this striking building designed by internationally renowned architect Zaha Hadid.

Scotland Street School Museum

225 Scotland Street, Glasgow South Side G5 8QB

Scotland Street School Museum was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and offers a fascinating glimpse into schooldays of the past.

St Mungo Museum of Religious Life & Art

2 Castle Street, Glasgow City Centre G4 0RH

The award-winning St Mungo Museum is a haven of tranquillity in a bustling city. This museum is named after Glasgow's patron saint, who brought the Christian faith to Scotland in the 6th century.

The Burrell Collection

2060 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow South Side G43 1AT

Housed in its purpose-built home surrounded by beautiful parkland, The Burrell Collections is ranked amongst the most significant civic museum collections in the UK!

Art Galleries

Scotlandart.com Galleries

193 Bath Street, Glasgow City Centre G2 4HU

Based in the heart of Glasgow City Centre, scotlandart.com boasts one of the largest collections of original art in Scotland.

Art Galleries

Project Ability

Trongate 103 , Glasgow City Centre G1 5HD

Project Ability is a visual arts organisation which creates opportunities for people with disabilities and people with mental health issues to express themselves and achieve artistic excellence.

Art Galleries

The Glasgow Gallery of Photography

57 Glassford Street, Glasgow City Centre G1 1UB

Holding regular exhibitions throughout the year, The Glasgow Gallery of Photography displays the work of both Scottish and international photographers.

Art Galleries

Roger Billcliffe Gallery

185B Bath Street, Glasgow City Centre G2 4HU

Our new space, adjacent to Glasgow Art Club, focuses on solo shows of contemporary artists, and the best of 20th century Scottish painting.

Art Galleries

Hidden Lane Gallery

1103 Argyle Street, Glasgow West End G3 8ND

The Hidden Lane Gallery is home of the innovative photography of Margaret Watkins (1884–1969) and office for the Hidden Lane.

Art Galleries

Kelvin Hall

1445 Argyle Street, Glasgow West End G3 8AW

Kelvin Hall stands on the banks of the River Kelvin opposite Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in the West End of Glasgow.

Art Galleries

Compass Gallery

178 West Regent Street, Glasgow City Centre G2 4RL

Compass Gallery, a not for profit charity, is Glasgow's longest established contemporary Art Gallery.

Art Galleries

Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts

Kelly Gallery Douglas Street, Glasgow City Centre G2 4ET

The Royal Glasgow Institute is an independent organisation promoting and encouraging Scotland's contemporary art and artists. It is the third largest organisation of its kind in the UK.

Art Galleries

New Glasgow Society

1307 Argyle Street, Glasgow West End G3 8TL

The New Glasgow Society (NGS) is a civic society promoting, protecting and raising interest in the City of Glasgow, through campaigning, discussion, projects, talks and exhibitions.

Art Galleries

Glasgow Independent Studio

103 Trongate, Glasgow City Centre G1 5HD

Glasgow Independent Studio and Project Room is a non-profit making charity, based in Trongate 103, comprising a large studio complex and contemporary...

Art Galleries

Subversion Gallery

4 Ruthven Mews 57 Ruthven Lane, Glasgow West End G12 9BG

Pop & urban art specialists, Subversion Gallery is based in Glasgow's lively West End & brings you the best in new, distinctive & exclusive works from the most exciting UK & International artists!

Art Galleries