Riverside Museum

After the closure of the Kelvinhall location in 2010, the Riverside Museum now houses the Transport Museum’s collection, as well as some new exhibits and attractions in the same vein. Architect Zaha Hadid has created a striking addition to the river Clyde’s skyline, and in the summer months you’ll find much going on around the building, as well as inside it.

The newly re-vamped model street of old-town Glasgow is as charming as its predecessor, taking you through a journey in time that starts in 1895 and emerges in the 1980s. The street and indeed the museum as a whole feature a lot more in the way of hands-on exhibits, with walk-in shops from the 30s, pre-twentieth century pubs, war-time trams, and a variety of steam engines. One new acquisition is the South African locomotive, a gargantuan, mechanical monstrosity well worth the visit on its own.

All exhibits feature a decent amount of accompanying information via the convenient touch-screen displays, and the addition of the café is a pleasing touch. Some of the exhibits are a tad scatological, including a slightly cringe-worthy skateboarding section, but these are at least entertaining if not informative. Be wary of the interactive exhibits, too – if you get them to work, you’re luckier than most.