Top 12 Things to Do in Glasgow for Free
Things to Do in Glasgow for Free – One of the best prices these days is FREE. And many of Glasgow’s key attractions don’t charge a penny to visit. Read on…
Kelvingrove / Burrell Collection / Riverside Museum / Police Museum / Duke of Wellington / Glasgow Cathedral / Glasgow Mural Trail / Glasgow Necropolis / University & Hunterian Museum / Botanic Garden / People’s Palace and Glasgow Green / Scotland Street School Museum / Summerlee Industrial Park / Accommodation
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum – Things to Do in Glasgow for Free
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum – As well as beautiful pieces by the Glasgow Boys and Scotland’s favourite painting (Dali’s Christ of Saint John on the Cross), the free Kelvingrove Museum is also home to floating heads, knights in shining armour, skeletons and DINOSAURS. Children love it!
The museum is in Kelvingrove Park which is an attraction for all ages. With a great play park for little ones, it’s scenic and central – great to push a buggy around or play tag.
Burrell Collection – Things to Do in Glasgow for Free
The acclaimed Burrell Collection is SO interactive for kids, they’ve really thought about how to keep little ones entertained. Our boys tried virtual wood turning, virtual glass blowing and they sat at an online painting station for a good half hour.
The 9000 strong collection was the personal endeavour of the Burrell family, who gifted it to the city in 1944. The newly restored museum only opened in 2022 so it’s all shiny and new.
Another tip, we looked up the collection’s Top 30 Items over breakfast, and the kids sought them out within the museum. An accidental treasure hunt! Also look out for Highland Cattle within the grounds. Thoroughly recommend.
Visit the Duke of Wellington
FREE A great photo opp! The equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington caused a headache for officials due to the locals’ insistence on ramming a traffic cone on its head. If the cone was removed, within days it was back! The story goes that eventually the council gave up removing it, as the costs ran into thousands of pounds annually, and there it remains. Jaunty.
Riverside Museum – Things to Do in Glasgow for Free
FREE The modern Riverside Museumhouses Glasgow’s transport and technology collections, from shipbuilding and train manufacturing to engineering. Look out for a wall of motorbikes, bicycle velodrome and (my fave) a street modelled on 1895-1930.
The highlight is stepping aboard the Tall Ship. This sail powered cargo ship is over 120 years old, and our kids loved exploring above and below deck. The ship is closed till April 2024 for maintenance, so time your visit for early summer and double check progress.
Mural Trail – Things to Do in Glasgow for Free
Wherever you visit in Glasgow city you’re never far from Glasgow’s cool Mural Trail. Hunt them all down or pick a selection. We visited the modern depiction of St Mungo, and the contemporary mural of St Enoch (his mother, with baby St Mungo breastfeeding). Note the robin in both pics, associated with St Mungo because, as a child, he brought a robin back from dead.
We couldn’t miss the mural of Charles Rennie Mackintosh over the Clutha Bar. Brilliant.
Visit the University and the Hunterian Museum
I may be biased as I attended the University of Glasgow, but strutting around the West End, running beneath those cloisters and dipping into the free Hunterian Museum isn’t a bad wee outing for a kid. It’s a striking building in a great part of city.
Glasgow Botanic Gardens
Also in the West End, drop by the elegant glass houses and Kibble Palace glass house (designed by John Kibble) that houses the national collection of tree ferns. Lots of grass and green space too for little one to stretch their legs and enjoy good weather on fine days.
Glasgow Cathedral – Things to Do in Glasgow for Free
The cathedral is a beautifully intricate building, and a free treasure hunt for kids keeps little ones occupied. We spent ages hunting for the items listed! It’s also the site of St Mungo’s tomb, the patron saint of Glasgow.
Glasgow Necropolis – Things to Do in Glasgow for Free
From the cathedral walk uphill to Glasgow’s Necropolis. This burial place of the city’s great and the good is Glasgow’s answer to Paris’ Pere Lachaise. And it gives great views over the city too.
Glasgow Police Museum
Find out about the UK’s first police force at the Police Museum on Bell Street in Glasgow.
Scotland Street School Museum – Currently Closed
For any Charles Rennie Mackintosh fans, this is a child friendly and free attraction to visit, designed by the man himself. A mix of different classrooms, from Victorian times into the 60s, create a really different and approachable way for children to learn about education and Mackintosh.
For a list of Charles Rennie Mackintosh attractions across Glasgow to consider click here.
Just Outside Glasgow – Summerlee Industrial Museum
Go back in time at Summerlee in Coatbridge. A highlight are the cottages that represent different eras, such as the 1980s, 1960s and 1940s. A traditional sweet shop is always popular with kids. Plus an old wash house opened the children’s eyes to how difficult laundry was in the past!
Accommodation that Won’t Break the Bank
You will find cheaper hotels in Glasgow but, for me, it’s about balance. I want smart comfortable accommodation at a reasonable price. Look up the Apex on Bath Street for contemporary rooms at a decent price point. My kids loved the free duck as well!
QUALITY BUDGET – MotelOne
Right next to Central Station you can’t go wrong for price and quality at MotelOne. Double rooms available so suitable for couples and good friends, rather than families. Contemporary bar and public spaces, with imagery and decor inspired by the West Coast railway line.
ADULT ONLY ACCOMMODATION – House of Gods
For glam, bubbles, fun and adult only glamour, it’s got to be the House of Gods. Book their ‘Treat me Like I’m Famous’ package and channel main character vibes all night. Its lush rooftop bar, Sacred Garden, is a floral delight.
Glasgow is a buzzing and very generous city, where the whole family can spend days exploring for free. Make the most of your pennies and remember, Glasgow’s Smiles Better.
If the feature ‘Things to Do in Glasgow for Free’ helped you plan a break then please consider subscribing here or buy me a coffee. Join the conversation on Facebook, or check out the bonny photos on Instagram. For any queries or opportunities please email scots2travel@hotmail.com. Content and images copyright of Scots2Travel. Check out our Privacy Policy here. Scots2Travel received a two night stay at the Apex for review purposes.
