The Hunterian (Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery)
The Basics
Scotland’s oldest public museum, The Hunterian is home to one of the country’s largest collections outside the National Museums. Visitors can browse exhibits covering the history of medicine in the west of Scotland and examine rare coins, paleontological specimens, and archaeological finds from the Roman-era Antonine Wall, which ran coast-to-coast across Scotland.
The art gallery features the world’s largest permanent display of the work of James McNeill Whistler, as well as pieces by Rubens, Rembrandt, and the Glasgow Boys. Free student-led tours, lasting around 30 minutes, take place regularly and are available on a drop-in basis.
Things to Know Before You Go
The Hunterian Museum is a must for art lovers, architecture enthusiasts, and history buffs.
Temporary exhibitions, talks, and other special events are occasionally held at the museum.
The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery is mostly wheelchair accessible, though access in the Mackintosh House is limited.
How to Get There
The Hunterian museum is located within Glasgow University Gilmorehill Campus, about 2 miles (3 kilometers) west of the city center. Ride the subway to Hillhead station, which is five to 10 minutes away on foot, or take the 4 or 4A bus from the city center to University Avenue.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
The museum is open Tuesday–Sunday. Because of its off-the-beaten-tourist-track setting, the museum is rarely crowded, so visitors can go at any time and still have plenty of space to explore. For those who want to see the Mackintosh House as part of a guided tour, plan your trip for a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday morning. In the afternoon and weekends, tours of the house are self-guided.
The Mackintosh House
Visitors to the Hunterian Art Gallery can also pay a visit to the Mackintosh House, situated within the museum. A recreation of part of the home of the influential Glaswegian architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the exhibit features original fixtures and features. Mackintosh’s original Victorian home was demolished in the 1960s. Guided tours of the Mackintosh House are available on weekday mornings.
- Things to do in Stirling
- Things to do in Edinburgh
- Things to do in St. Andrews
- Things to do in Belfast
- Things to do in Inverness
- Things to do in Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- Things to do in Middlesbrough
- Things to do in Liverpool
- Things to do in Manchester
- Things to do in Dublin
- Things to do in Birmingham
- Things to do in Limerick
- Things to do in Northeast Scotland
- Things to do in The Scottish Highlands
- Things to do in North East England
- Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
- Glasgow West End
- Tenement House
- Glasgow Science Centre
- Glasgow Cruise Port (Greenock Ocean Terminal)
- The Lighthouse
- Buchanan Street
- Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA)
- George Square
- Merchant City
- Provand's Lordship
- St. Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art
- Glasgow Cathedral
- People's Palace & Winter Gardens
- Pollok House