Top Ten Free Glasgow Attractions

Feature by Anna Battista | 13 Sep 2006

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Argyle Street, Tel.0141 276 9599
Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday and Saturday 10am to 5pm, Friday and Sunday 11am to 5pm.
Recently reopened after a £27.9 million refurbishment, this is something not to miss. Come and admire the 8,000 pieces now on display, meet your friends in the museum "piazza" on the ground floor, or taste the delicacies prepared by Chef Adi Schmid in the basement restaurant.

People's Palace and Winter Gardens, Glasgow Green, Tel. 0141 271 2962
Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday and Saturday 10am to 5pm, Friday and Sunday 11am to 5pm.
Glasgow's social history museum and a chance to see the story of the people and city from 1750 to the present. Enjoy the caf' inside the Winter Gardens, the elegant Victorian glasshouse, and admire the Doulton Fountain, the largest terracotta fountain in the world.

The Barras, 4-6 Stevenson St, Glasgow
Opening Hours: every Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5pm
One of the city's major attractions for visitors. There's a great variety of stalls within the market ranging from hand made fabrics, plants and flowers and antique furniture.

The Cathedral and The Necropolis, Castle Street
Opening Hours: Weekdays 9.30am-4pm; Sundays 2pm-4pm (October to March); Weekdays 9.30am-6pm; Sundays 2pm--5pm (April to September)
The city's Cathedral is the best preserved example of a large church to have survived from Scotland's Medieval period, and has one of the finest post-war collections of stained-glass windows in Britain. If you're looking for a quiet place to wander and ponder on your life (and afterlife), try the Necropolis.

The Burrell Collection, Pollok Country Park,2060 Pollokshaws Road, Tel. 0141 287 2550
Opening Hours:Monday to Thursday and Saturday 10am to 5pm, Friday and Sunday 11am to 5pm.
Located in the heart of Pollok Park, this is an important collection of Medieval art, tapestries, alabasters, stained glass and English oak furniture, European paintings, Islamic art and modern sculpture.

Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Royal Exchange Square, Tel. 0141 229 1996
Opening Hours: Monday-Wednesday 10am-5pm, Thursday 10am-8pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, Friday & Sunday 11am-5pm
Opened ten years ago, it displays work by local and international artists and offers throughout the year the chance to see quite a few temporary exhibitions and take part in many workshops. In the basement, you will also find a library with free Internet access and a very basic caf'.

Botanic Gardens and Kibble Palace, 730 Great Western Road
Opening Hours: From 7.00am till dusk daily however the specific facilities within the park are subject to opening times (Glasshouses: 10.00am – 4.45pm (4.15pm in winter); Visitor Centre: 11.00am – 4.00pm)
Established in 1817, the Botanic Gardens are internationally famed for
their remarkable glasshouses, its wide-ranging tropical and plant collection from around the world and its flawless gardens. Unfortunately, the largest glasshouse, known as Kibble Palace, is still closed for refurbishment.

St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art and Provand's Lordship, Castle Street
Opening Hours: Monday-Thursday & Saturday 10am-5pm, Friday & Sunday 11am-5pm
If you feel like exploring the importance of religion in people's lives across the world, wander through the galleries of St Mungo's, the city's museum aimed to promote understanding and respect between people of different faiths. If you fancy stepping back into Glasgow's past don't miss Provand's Lordship, the only house to survive from the Medieval city.

Hunterian Art Gallery and Museum
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.00pm
Opened in 1807, this is the oldest public museum in Scotland. Located in various parts of Glasgow Uni's campus, the museum features extensive displays relating to William Hunter and his collections, while the gallery features the University's extensive art collection, an outdoor sculpture garden and Mackintosh's house.

Museum of Transport, 1 Bunhouse Road
Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday and Saturday 10am to 5pm; Friday and Sunday 11am to 5pm.
Attracting half a million visitors a year, this is one of the most popular museums of transport in the UK thanks to the impressive size of its collection.