World City Guide

Key Attractions

The Burrell Collection
The most famous of Glasgow’s art museums, The Burrell Collection is a donation of 8000 works of art from shipping magnate Sir William Burrell. In addition to paintings and drawings from the 15th to 19th century, the collection includes medieval European tapestries, stained glass and sculpture, as well as artworks from the Middle East and East Asia. The gallery opened in 1983, in the beautiful setting of Pollok Country Park. Also situated within the park is Pollok House, a fine old house owned by the National Trust for Scotland. A courtesy bus runs around the park, stopping at the Pollokshaws West station and going to the Burrell buildings. A timetable is on display at the station entrance to the park.

The Burrell Collection
Pollok Country Park, 2060 Pollokshaws Road
Tel: (0141) 287 2550. Fax: (0141) 287 2597.
Transport: Train from Glasgow Central station to Pollokshaws West station; bus 45, 47, 48 or 57.
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs and Sat 1000-1700, Fri and Sun 1100-1700.
Admission: Free.

Pollok House
Pollok Country Park, 2060 Pollokshaws Raod
Tel: (0141) 616 6410. Fax: (0141) 616 6521.
Website: www.nts.org.uk/pollok.html
Transport: Train from Glasgow Central station to Pollokshaws West station; bus 45, 47, 48 or 57.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission: 5 (Apr-Oct); free (Nov-Mar); concessions available.

The Lighthouse
Scotland’s Centre for Architecture, Design and the City was opened in summer 1999, as a key element of the 1999 City of Architecture and Design programme. The Lighthouse occupies the former Herald Building – designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1895 – and offers exhibition spaces for touring and special exhibits. It also houses the permanent Mackintosh Interpretation Centre, which profiles the architect’s work in the context of his contemporaries. The entrance fee includes access to the Mackintosh Tower, with its terrific views over the city.

11 Mitchell Lane
Tel: (0141) 221 6362. Fax: (0141) 221 6395.
E-mail: enquiries@thelighthouse.co.uk
Website: www.thelighthouse.co.uk
Transport: Underground St Enoch.
Opening hours: Mon and Wed-Sat 1030-1700, Tues 1100-1700, Sun 1200-1700.
Admission: 3 (concessions available).

Glasgow Science Centre
Echoing the silver curves of the ‘armadillo’ across the river, the GSC’s titanium clad shell houses the Science Mall, with hundreds of hands-on exhibits covering the spectrum of natural and applied sciences, from astronomy to bionics. The exhibitions range across three floors and are divided by theme – ‘exploration and discovery’, ‘science in action’ and ‘science and you’. A tunnel leads to the base of the 127m-high (417ft) Glasgow Tower, poised like a pencil standing on its tip. It is the only tower in the world that rotates to face the oncoming wind and although it offers stupendous views of the city, there is a fair bit of sway on the observation level; visitors who are afraid of heights might want to give it a miss. Rounding out the 75 million project is an IMAX Theatre.

50 Pacific Quay
Tel: (0141) 420 5000. Fax: (0141) 420 5011.
E-mail: admin@gsc.org.uk
Website: www.gsc.org.uk
Transport: Train to Exhibition Centre station and a walk across Bells Bridge; Cessnock underground; bus 24, 89 or 90.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (Science Mall); currently closed for maintenance (Glasgow Tower); daily 1200-2000 (IMAX).
Admission: 6.50 (Science Mall), 5.50 (Glasgow Tower or IMAX), 9.50 (combination ticket for any two attractions), 14 (combination ticket for all three attractions), concessions available.

People’s Palace
Purpose built in 1898, as a ‘palace of pleasure’ for the working classes, this museum now tells the story of the people of Glasgow. Exhibits cover everything from The Patter (the Glasgow dialect) to The Bevvy (the use of alcohol). The museum is both entertaining and informative. The winter garden – an enormous Victorian conservatory – is now a pleasant tea room.

Glasgow Green
Tel: (0141) 554 0223. Fax: (0141) 550 0892.
Website: www.glasgow.gov.uk
Transport: Belgrove or High Street station.
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs and Sat 1000-1700, Fri and Sun 1100-1700.
Admission: Free.

Glasgow School of Art
Designed by Mackintosh, the Glasgow School of Art was built in two phases, between 1897 and 1909, and is well worth a visit. Not only are there the architectural flourishes of the surprisingly airy building but also the library – containing all the original furnishings, except the chairs, which have been replaced by others designed by Mackintosh – and the Mackintosh Room, which has a selection of furniture designed for the houses he built. Since it is a working art school, admission is by guided tour only, at specified times. During the peak season, visitors are advised to reserve a place in advance.

167 Renfrew Street
Tel/fax: (0141) 353 4526.
E-mail: shop@gsa.ac.uk
Website: www.gsa.ac.uk/shop
Transport: Underground Cowcaddens.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1100 and 1400, Sat 1030 and 1130 (guided tours only); Sat 1300, Sun 1030, 1130 and 1300 (additional tours, Jul-Aug).
Admission: 5 (concessions available).

Hunterian Art Gallery and Mackintosh House
The art gallery at the University of Glasgow contains a substantial print collection – including works by Drer and Beardsley – and international paintings from the 17th century to the present. A faithful reconstruction of the house, in which Mackintosh and his wife lived from 1906 to 1914, complete with representative interior decoration and original furniture, is also part of the gallery.

82 Hillhead Street
Tel: (0141) 330 5431. Fax: (0141) 330 3618.
E-mail: hunter@museum.gla.ac.uk
Website: www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk
Transport: Underground Hillhead; bus 44 or 59.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0930-1700 (art gallery); Mon-Sat 0930-1230 and 1330-1700 (Mackintosh House).
Admission: Free.

Art Gallery and Museum, Kelvingrove
This gallery and museum houses several displays, including a range of European paintings covering the 15th to the 17th centuries and the 1890s to the 1960s, as well as arms and armour and archaeology and natural history displays. The permanent Glasgow 1900 exhibition features paintings, furniture and decorative art objects dating from turn-of-the-century Glasgow. The museum is scheduled to close for refurbishment in spring 2003.

Kelvingrove, Argyle Street
Tel: (0141) 287 2699. Fax: (0141) 287 2690.
Transport: Underground Kelvin Hall; bus 6, 9, 16, 18, 42, 62 or 64; bus 45 and 57 go to and from the Burrell Collection.
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs and Sat 1000-1700, Fri and Sun 1100-1700.
Admission: Free.

Gallery of Modern Art
The Gallery of Modern Art, centrally located in the middle of Royal Exchange Square, offers an up-to-date vision within its four floors of gallery space. Showcasing the works of living artists, the gallery has an eye on the future, with interactive computers and art workshops.

Royal Exchange Square, Queen Street
Tel: (0141) 229 1996. Fax: (0141) 204 5316.
Transport: Underground St Enoch or Buchanan Street.
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs and Sat 1000-1700, Fri and Sun 1100-1700.
Admission: Free.