The student’s guide to the best museums in Glasgow

Kanye, from Malaysia, studied a Diploma in Business at INTO Glasgow Caledonian University. 

Now settled into his first year, he shares with us his top museums to visit.  

I was really excited once I set foot in Glasgow, as I couldn’t wait to start my new journey. Glasgow definitely has the best museums to offer students.”

1. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

When you first enter you are greeted by the famous Floating Heads of Kelvingrove hanging from the ceiling, which was very impressive.

I was so amazed by the architecture of this building and its brilliant copper ceilings.

There are paintings from all over the world too, and you can see a lot of Scotland’s history displayed around the museum. It is definitely a good experience for a perfect sunny afternoon.

2. The Hunterian Museum

Located in the University of Glasgow you can find The Hunterian Museum – this museum is aimed more towards the scientific field of study.

The dinosaur statue displayed at the centre of the hall was very eye-catching, and made me want to explore more of this particular field.

Art, Archaeology, Ethnography, Mineralogy, Petrology, Palaeontology, Scientific and Medical History are the best of what this museum can offer.

3. Gallery of Modern Art

I was happy to visit this place because it was very close to the city centre, and I didn’t have to walk far.

In front of the gallery stands a statue of the Duke of Wellington – when I first saw it I was quite shocked as there was a cone on top of his head as a hat!

Well, this museum is a wee bit different from the others. All of the displays were very modern with sculptures made by materials that we have seen in our daily life. Even technology was used as part of the displays.

4. The People’s Palace and Winter Gardens

The People’s Palace and Winter Gardens is a museum with a glasshouse, situated in Glasgow Green. You can visit this place anytime of the year – winter time is great as it feels like spring in the glasshouse!

I really enjoy sitting in the cafe and having a great cup of tea with friends.

I have learnt a lot of amazing things and most of the students even come here to draw and sketch for their art project. It was a delightful experience and it’s worth it.”

After a light refreshment, you can brush up on your Glaswegian heritage and history and see what the 1950s fashion was really like. You really get a sense of how Glaswegians lived, worked and played in years gone by.

5. Riverside Museum

Riverside Museum was also known as the Transport Museum because of the various types of transportation displayed – it was an amazing flashback to the past when I went there!

The museum has a range of access platforms so you can get to the heart of the displays – you can climb aboard some of the exhibits too, to get a real feel for the vintage automobiles.

The amazing thing is, they have over 90 large touch screens panels full of images and films that tell the fascinating stories behind the objects.  After visiting this place, I love to walk beside the river Clyde.

Do you want to discover more about student life and the studying abroad experience? Check out Angeline and Siyi’s adventure in Scotland or find out why international students love studying in the UK. 

If you want to study in Scotland, head over to our website. 

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