Glasgow offers a diverse mix of cultural and landscape attractions: art collections, transport history, a Victorian cemetery and a country park. When choosing what to do, it is worth noting the practical differences: advance booking is required for tours of Glasgow Necropolis, while Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum offers daily organ recitals. There is also practical information about the shuttle and cycling routes in the park.
Art, Technology and City History
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum opened in 1901 and has 22 galleries. Its themes range from art and animals to Ancient Egypt and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. It also hosts daily organ recitals on a 1901 organ by Lewis and Co. This means you can choose between gallery visits and a regular musical event in the same building. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum remains open to visitors during restoration work.
Riverside Museum is Glasgow’s technology and transport museum. Visitor attractions include an authentically recreated cobbled street with shops, houses and a subway station, as well as interactive exhibitions and hands-on activities. The collections reflect Glasgow’s contributions to shipbuilding, train manufacturing and engineering. The Tall Ship is moored beside the museum and is considered a landmark of the city’s shipbuilding heritage. Riverside Museum therefore offers a different focus from the art and themed collections at Kelvingrove.
Pollok Country Park and Its Museums
Pollok Country Park is Glasgow’s only country park. A free electric shuttle bus runs seven days a week from 10:00 to 18:15. Its circular route takes 20 to 30 minutes and connects the park entrance at 2060 Pollokshaws Road with The Burrell Collection and Pollok House. If you plan to use the shuttle during your visit, check the timetable in advance.
The Burrell Collection displays, among other things, paintings by Manet and Degas, as well as Roman sculptures and Egyptian ceramics. Its exhibits complement Riverside Museum’s focus on technology and transport with examples of art and antiquity. Cyclists also have dedicated waypoints: National Cycle Network routes 7 and 75 pass through Pollok Country Park; Riverside Museum is on Sustrans Route 7.
Tours, the Cathedral and Murals
Glasgow Necropolis is a historically significant Victorian cemetery covering 37 acres (15 hectares). The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis offer free guided tours; advance booking is required. If you plan to include this activity, make sure to book before your visit.
Glasgow Cathedral offers another historical focus: it is the oldest cathedral on the Scottish mainland and one of only two to have survived the Reformation. The tomb of St Mungo is in its crypt. The Cathedral and the Necropolis therefore offer different points of interest for a stay focused on Glasgow’s history.
For a different perspective on art in the cityscape, the City Centre Mural Trail features large murals on city buildings. Unlike the museum galleries, the murals themselves are the focus here. Glasgow thus brings together visits to collections, technological and industrial history, guided cemetery tours and art on buildings, without requiring every activity to share the same focus.
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