Top free Glasgow museums

The Hunterian Museum contains a quirky collection of a wide range of objects, from Roman to anatomical teaching artefacts. The museum was founded in 1807 and is the country’s oldest public museum. The displays give a fascinating insight into a range of themes: keep an eye out for a 2500 year old mummy, a 330 million year old shark and objects from Captain Cook’s Pacific voyages.

Set in a red-brick building with a large, airy interior, theKelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum opened in 1901. There are over 22 galleries to take in here, with some 8000 items on display. The collection spans a range of themes, from Ancient Egypt to paintings by the eccentric Salvador Dali. This is a great free museum in Glasgow to come and spend a few hours.

Step aboard – and back in time – the Tall Ship at Riverside , the only one of her Glenlee kind in the UK. Take in everything maritime themed, see the Captain’s cabin and ask the working ship crew any questions you have. One of the neater ways to discover the history of these historic Glenlee ships is with their audio guides.

Get to grips with the lives of ordinary Glaswegians at the People’s Palace , set in the spacious and scenic Glasgow Green. This social history museum takes a look at Glasgow’s story from 1750 to the end of the 20th century, with recreated old-fashioned shops, film footage and black and white photographs, all of which tell the story of a bygone era. If you’re considering Glasgow holidays, taking a stroll through Glasgow Green is one of the leafiest and genteel things to do, away from the busyness of the city centre.

Situated on dry land across from the Tall Ship (see above), theRiverside Museum of Transport and Travel is one of Glasgow’s best free museums. There’s over 3000 objects on display that cover a wide range of vehicles, from skateboards and prams to locomotives and cars. As well as being able to board some of the stationery trains, you can make the experience even more personal by putting out a fire with the interactive fire engine, or simply enjoy the large touch-screen panels that tell the stories behind the objects.

Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art, or GoMA, is a world-renowned art museum with four large galleries whose collection spans the globe. This is a brilliant place to come if it’s a rainy day, as you can enjoy the cafe, shop and free wifi to make the best part of a morning or afternoon here.

Telling the story of Britain’s first police force (1800–1975), theGlasgow Police Museum is possibly one of the most interesting free museums that Glasgow has to offer. There’s Glasgow and International Police exhibitions, which display headgear, uniforms and text boards, providing an insight into the history and development of the police force.

The Scotland Street School Museum is set in a unique building, with its stonework that tells as much of a story as the displays! Built by 1906 for the School Board of Glasgow, it was designed by the renowned Scottish architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who employed distinctive designs – as seen in the museum’s building. Today, visitors can find out more about Scottish education over the past 100 years, through reconstructed classrooms and original design features.