World City Guide

Key Attractions

The Burrell Collection
The most famous of Glasgow’s art museums, The Burrell Collection, is a donation of 8,000 works of art from shipping magnate Sir William Burrell. In addition to paintings and drawings from the 15th to 19th century, the collection includes medieval European tapestries, stained glass and sculpture, as well as artworks from the Middle East and East Asia. The gallery opened in 1983, in the beautiful setting of Pollok Country Park. Also situated within the park is Pollok House, a fine old Georgian country house owned by the National Trust for Scotland. A courtesy bus runs around the park and stops at the Burrell buildings.

The Burrell Collection
Pollok Country Park, 2060 Pollokshaws Road
Tel: (0141) 287 2550.
Website: www.glasgowmuseums.com
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs and Sat 1000-1700, Fri and Sun 1100-1700.
Free admission.

Pollok House
Pollok Country Park, 2060 Pollokshaws Road
Tel: (0141) 616 6410.
Website: www.glasgowmuseums.com
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission charge (Apr-Oct); free (Nov-Mar).

The Lighthouse
Scotland’s Centre for Architecture, Design and the City was opened in summer 1999, as a key element of the 1999 City of Architecture and Design programme. The Lighthouse occupies the former Herald Building (designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1895) and offers exhibition spaces for touring and special exhibits. It also houses the permanent Mackintosh Interpretation Centre, which profiles the architect’s work in the context of his contemporaries. The entrance fee includes access to the Mackintosh Tower, with its terrific views over the city.

11 Mitchell Lane
Tel: (0141) 221 6362.
Website: www.thelighthouse.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon and Wed-Sat 1030-1700, Tues 1100-1700, Sun 1200-1700.
Admission charge.

Glasgow Science Centre
Echoing the silver curves of the ‘armadillo’ , the GSC’s titanium clad shell houses the Science Mall, with hundreds of hands-on exhibits covering the spectrum of natural and applied sciences. A tunnel leads to the base of the 127m-high (417ft) Glasgow Tower, poised like a pencil standing on its tip. It is the only tower in the world that rotates to face the oncoming wind and although it offers stupendous views of the city, there is a fair bit of sway on the observation level. Rounding out the £75 million project is an IMAX Theatre.

50 Pacific Quay
Tel: (0141) 420 5000.
Website: www.glasgowsciencecentre.org
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (Science Mall); daily 1100-1700 dependent on weather (Glasgow Tower); daily 1200-2000 (IMAX).
Admission charge.

People’s Palace
Purpose built in 1898, as a ‘palace of pleasure’ for the working classes, this museum now tells the story of the people of Glasgow. Exhibits cover everything from The Patter (the Glasgow dialect) to The Bevvy (the use of alcohol). The museum is both entertaining and informative. The winter garden (an enormous Victorian conservatory) is now a pleasant tea room.

Glasgow Green
Tel: (0141) 271 2951.
Website: www.glasgowmuseums.com
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs and Sat 1000-1700, Fri and Sun 1100-1700.
Free admission.

Glasgow School of Art
Designed by Mackintosh, the Glasgow School of Art was built in two phases, between 1897 and 1909, and is well worth a visit. Not only are there the architectural flourishes of the surprisingly airy building but also the library (containing all the original furnishings, except the chairs, which have been replaced by others designed by Mackintosh) and the Mackintosh Room, which has a selection of furniture designed for the houses he built. Since it is a working art school, admission is by guided tour only, at specified times. During the peak season, visitors are advised to reserve in advance.

167 Renfrew Street
Tel: (0141) 353 4500/26.
Website: www.gsa.ac.uk
Opening hours: Tour times (Apr-Sep) daily 1030, 1100, 1130, 1330, 1400, 1430; (Oct-Mar) Mon-Sat 1100, 1400.
Admission charge.

Hunterian Art Gallery and Mackintosh House
The art gallery at the University of Glasgow contains a substantial print collection (including works by Dürer and Beardsley) and international paintings from the 17th century to the present. A faithful reconstruction of the house, in which Mackintosh and his wife lived from 1906 to 1914, complete with representative interior decoration and original furniture, is also part of the gallery.

82 Hillhead Street
Tel: (0141) 330 5431.
Website: www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0930-1700 (art gallery); Mon-Sat 0930--1700 (Mackintosh House).
Free admission.

Art Gallery and Museum, Kelvingrove
This gallery and museum houses several displays, including a range of European paintings covering the 15th to the 17th centuries and the 1890s to the 1960s, as well as arms and armour and archaeology and natural history displays. The permanent Glasgow 1900 exhibition features paintings, furniture and decorative art objects dating from turn-of-the-century Glasgow. Please note that the museum is closed for refurbishment until Summer 2006.

Kelvingrove, Argyle Street
Tel: (0141) 287 2699.
Website: www.glasgowmuseums.com
Free admission.

Gallery of Modern Art
The Gallery of Modern Art, centrally located in the middle of Royal Exchange Square, offers an up-to-date vision within its four floors of gallery space. Showcasing the works of living artists, the gallery has an eye on the future, with a learning library and art workshops.

Royal Exchange Square, Queen Street
Tel: (0141) 229 1996.
Website: www.glasgow.gov.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Wed and Sat 1000-1700, Thurs 1000-2000, Fri and Sun 1100-1700.
Free admission.