Tourist Attractions in Glasgow

The most interesting and beautiful tourist sites in Glasgow

Photos, reviews, descriptions, and links to maps

About Glasgow

Glasgow is better known as a major industrial and engineering centre of the UK than a tourist city. However, it is not for nothing that the name “Glasgow” has its roots in the Gaelic “Glaschu”, which means “green dol”. Indeed, the city is drowned in parks and picturesque green spaces.

Like any ancient Scottish city, Glasgow has several significant architectural monuments of the Middle Ages. However, the main development took place during the industrial boom of the 18th and 19th centuries. The authentic Merchant City neighbourhood witnesses the unprecedented boom of the city’s economy in those times.

A trip to Glasgow is a great opportunity to learn more about the history of Scotland, walk the corridors of one of the oldest European universities and admire the slender features of Scottish Gothic architecture.

Top-25 Tourist Attractions in Glasgow

Merchant City

 0/5

The neighbourhood was formed in the second half of the 18th century. It was mainly inhabited by wealthy merchants, so it was already considered prestigious at that time. By 1970 the district gradually fell into disrepair. In the 80s it was decided to reconstruct Merchant City on a large scale, as there were many buildings within its boundaries – historical monuments. Today, it is the centre of luxury housing, trendy restaurants and brand name shops.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

 4.7/5

19018 reviews

An art museum that is considered to be one of the most visited in Scotland. The building was erected in the early 20th century in the Spanish Baroque style. The construction was timed to coincide with the opening of the 1901 International Exhibition in Glasgow. The museum collection is based on paintings from the private collection of A. McLellan. The gallery has paintings by Titian, Botticelli, Rubens, Picasso, Rembrandt, Dali, as well as works by Scottish painters.

Open time

Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Riverside Museum

 4.7/5

16448 reviews

The museum has an exhibition on the development of Glasgow’s urban transport. There are bicycles, horse-drawn carriages, buses, trams, cars and model trains. The museum collection consists of 3 thousand items. Among them there are even vintage racing cars. The Glenlee, a ship built in 1896 and decommissioned in 1993, is moored next to the museum on the River Clyde.

Open time

The Burrell Collection

 4.7/5

1699 reviews

An art collection that passed to the city from businessman W. Burrell in 1944. There are about 9,000 pieces in the collection, many of which are true gems of the Renaissance. Burrell was a keen admirer of art, and during his life he managed to collect many objects belonging to different epochs and countries. A separate building for the museum was erected in 1983.

Open time

Centre for Contemporary Arts

 4.5/5

1069 reviews

The museum is housed in the former Royal Exchange building, erected in 1829. Until 1996 it was a library. Large spaces of the gallery are reserved for temporary exhibitions, as the museum’s own collection is in the stage of active formation. In front of the museum building there is an equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington from the mid-19th century, which is constantly decorated with a cap by the locals. It is not known where this “tradition” came from, but the authorities were unable to fight this form of mild vandalism.

Open time

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Thursday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Friday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Sunday: Closed

Glasgow Science Centre

 4.6/5

6312 reviews

A modern museum with an interactive exhibition designed to showcase various scientific achievements. The collection is spread over 3 floors and includes over 250 exhibits. Glasgow Science Centre is also home to the UK’s largest planetarium, an IMAX cinema and the 127m Glasgow Tower with observation deck and exhibition centre.

Open time

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

People's Palace

 4.4/5

3384 reviews

The People’s Palace is an architectural monument of the late 19th century. Earlier it housed a public reading room. Nowadays it houses the city history museum. The Winter Garden adjoins the palace, where plants from all corners of the Earth are collected. Thanks to the special temperature regime maintained inside, exotic species can exist in familiar conditions.

Open time

Glasgow Botanic Gardens

 4.7/5

12385 reviews

The City Botanical Garden opened two centuries ago. Since then, its natural diversity has increased quite a lot. The plant collection is so varied and extensive that species are even specially grown here for sale to gardens around the country. The architecture of the Glasgow Botanic Gardens is also of considerable interest. The most elegant structure is the Kibble Palace greenhouse, built at the expense of the merchant D. Kibble.

Open time

Monday: 10:00 AM – 4:15 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 4:15 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 4:15 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 4:15 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 4:15 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:15 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 4:15 PM

House for an Art Lover

 4.6/5

1208 reviews

The complex was built between 1989 and 1996. It houses the educational centre of a local art school and a digital design studio. The building is based on a 1900 design by architects C.R. McIntosh and M. MacDonald. They were in a competition to build a special structure that would be a haven for art lovers. The project was discovered by researcher G. Roxburgh.

Open time

The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

 4.6/5

3516 reviews

The stage is located in the centre of Glasgow at the junction of Sauchiehall Street and Buchanan Street. It is mainly used for opera and ballet productions. But it is also used for contemporary music concerts, graduation balls and various celebrations. The building was erected between 1988 and 1990 to a design by architect L. Martin. The hall can accommodate about 2.5 thousand people. In addition to the concert stage, the complex has souvenir shops, a café and an exhibition gallery.

Open time

Glasgow City Council

 2.1/5

40 reviews

A picturesque 19th century architectural monument designed by W. Young. Located in George Square, it is easily accessible from any part of the city. The building houses the Glasgow City Council, a museum, an art gallery and a festive banqueting hall for the royal family. Some of the interiors are in lavish Italianate style.

Open time

Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

University of Glasgow

 4.7/5

1308 reviews

Scotland’s largest university, listed as one of the UK’s top institutions and in the top 1% of the best places to study in the world. The university was founded in 1451 and has seven Nobel laureates as alumni. The institution has an outstanding library with rare works dating back to the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Students from dozens of countries study at the university.

Open time

Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

The Mitchell Library

 4.7/5

293 reviews

The Mitchell Library is one of the largest book collections in Europe. Its holdings include more than 1.3 million books, manuscripts, periodicals and maps. The library was founded in 1877 on the funds of tobacco magnate S. Mitchell. Mitchell. In 1911 a separate building was built for it, which later became the hallmark of Glasgow. Today, the Mitchell Library is an extensive complex that includes reading rooms, an electronic database, a café and a theatre.

Open time

Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: Closed

The Glasgow School of Art

 4.2/5

129 reviews

Glasgow’s top theatre school, founded in 1845. It teaches painting, sculpture, photography, design, architecture and much more. The modern building of the school was erected in 1909 to the design of Ch. R. Mackintosh – a talented architect and founder of the “Scottish Art Nouveau” style. The work on the construction of the School of Art was the most outstanding achievement of the master.

Open time

Monday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: Closed

Provand's Lordship

 4.4/5

183 reviews

Historic building from the 15th century, formerly part of the St Nicholas Infirmary complex. The hospital was closed after the Reformation and the building passed from owner to owner until it was turned into a museum. Inside there is an exposition that introduces the visitor to the life of a medieval Scottish town. Providence Lordship is considered to be the oldest civic building in Glasgow.

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Glasgow Cathedral

 4.6/5

6595 reviews

The church was built in the 12th century on the site of the chapel of St Mungo, the patron saint of the city. The cathedral was built in the style of “Scottish Gothic”, inheriting some of the harshness of architectural forms from the earlier Romanesque style. Inside the cathedral is the tomb of St Mungo, as well as the tombs of members of Glasgow’s noble families. The cathedral has a medieval atmosphere thanks to the surviving architecture and interior decoration.

Open time

Monday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday: 1:00 – 4:00 PM

Metropolitan Cathedral of St Andrew, Glasgow

 4.7/5

554 reviews

An early 19th century church which is Glasgow’s main Catholic cathedral. The building is built in neo-Gothic style with characteristic openwork towers and coloured stained glass windows around the perimeter. The façade is unchanged, while the interior has been renovated several times. The façade has a statue of the Apostle Andrew, who is considered the patron saint of Scotland.

Open time

Monday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Ibrox Stadium

 4.7/5

14042 reviews

The arena was built in 1899 and is one of the oldest stadiums in Scotland. Ibrox is the home ground of the Glasgow Rangers team, which has won the Scottish Premier League more than once. The capacity of the arena is more than 50 thousand spectators. The stadium became infamous for several incidents of mass crush in the 1960s, as well as the 1971 tragedy (also related to crush), which killed 66 people.

Open time

Celtic Park

 4.7/5

12985 reviews

The home arena of the Celtic football team, built at the end of the 19th century. Despite its rather solid age, Celtic Park is a modern stadium, which is equipped with all the necessary equipment for large-scale matches. The arena has a capacity of 60,000 spectators, making it the largest in the whole of Scotland. The last major refurbishment was carried out in 1998.

Open time

The Clyde Arc

 0/5

A bridge over the River Clyde near Glasgow Science Centre. The structure was built in 2006 by the Edmund Nuttall architectural firm and has quickly become a local landmark. The architecture of the bridge is quite original – the main span over the river is made in the form of an arc of a large radius, above which rises a high steel arch. The bridge is open to pedestrian and car traffic.

Titan Clydebank

 4.6/5

102 reviews

A huge 46 metre long crane that was designed specifically for lifting heavy parts of ocean liners and warships. The design was created by John Brown & Co. and used in its shipyards. With the help of Titan Clydebank mechanisms the largest British ships of the XX century were built: “Queen Mary”, “Queen Elizabeth” and “Queen Elizabeth II”. Since 2007 the crane has been functioning as part of the Shipbuilding Museum.

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The Glasgow Necropolis

 4.7/5

899 reviews

Historical cemetery located near the cathedral. The necropolis is interesting because there are more than 3.5 thousand monuments. Some of them are real works of art. On many tombstones there are not only dates of life, but also whole narratives about the life path of a person. The cemetery has quite a lot of graves and crypts from the early 19th century.

Open time

Monday: 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Thursday: 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Friday: 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Saturday: 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Sunday: 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Glasgow Green

 4.6/5

10681 reviews

The park has existed since the 15th century. It is located in the eastern part of the town on the banks of the River Clyde. For quite a long time it was just a public area where people grazed cattle, fished, washed and dried laundry. Only by the beginning of the XIX century began to make attempts to improve the area. The park is decorated with a monument in honour of Admiral Nelson, a fountain and the People’s Palace complex.

Open time

Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

Pollok Country Park

 4.6/5

6981 reviews

An extensive natural area located within the Glasgow city limits. The park has repeatedly been recognised as the best in Europe and the UK. Here you can go mountain biking, visit the stables or the farm. The main attraction of the park is Pollock House, the family estate of the Maxwell family, which has been turned into a museum and houses a large number of works of Spanish art.

Open time

Monday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

LOCH LOMOND and The TROSSACHS National Park

 4.7/5

21 reviews

Scotland’s National Park, a popular destination for outdoor activities. The area is characterised by incredibly scenic landscapes. You can go rock climbing, cycling, water skiing, fishing and even golfing. For the more relaxed traveller, you can go mushroom picking, berry picking or wildlife spotting.