The Kelvingrove Musem and Art Gallery
Arts and Craft in Glasgow – The Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum Glasgow (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery in Glasgow is home to a collection of internationally significant paintings, sculptures, European armour, clothing, furniture and weaponry. It has a vast natural history collection with displays of relics and artefacts dating back to the prehistory of Scotland itself. There is a popular myth in Glasgow: the original architect was said to have jumped from one of the towers in despair after realising the building had been built back-to-front.
The ‘hanging heads’ exhibit at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The museum regularly hosts temporary exhibitions, activities and events for all to enjoy. Starting in about 1870, industrial collections were displayed at what used to be called Kelvingrove Mansion, although this later transformed into the Kelvingrove Museum and a natural history wing was added in 1876.
Since the museum’s refurbishment, and reopening by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on July 11th 2006 after a three-year closure, it has been the most visited museum in the the UK outside of London, and the most popular free visitor attraction in Scotland, overtaking Edinburgh Castle within six months. The museum was accommodating on average over a million curious souls every year, but after the refurbishment, that has grown to two million. The refurbishment cost over £28m and the museum now includes a large basement extension to its display space, accommodating the 8000 exhibits on display in the 22 state-of-the-art galleries, a new restaurant, a Study Centre, and a History Discovery Centre, Environment Discovery Centre, and an Art Discovery Centre, each of which caters for workshops and allows you to handle objects.
Kelvingrove is top of the list for tourist attractions in Scotland, definitely not one to be missed.
