Glasgow’s Fascinating Riverside Museum

Since opening to the public in June 2011, Glasgow’s Riverside Museum has already received thousands of visitors and is set to become one of the city’s most popular attractions. With its striking exterior, said to resemble a choppy wave, the museum is located within the Glasgow Harbour on the River Clyde’s north bank where it joins the Kelvin River. This easily accessible location allows for floating museums, such as the majestic Glenlee, also known as The Tall Ship, to be included as part of the Riverside Museum’s features.

The Riverside Museum houses Scotland’s Museum of Transport and Travel, and includes the collection previously displayed in Kelvin Hall at the Kelvingrove Museum. The building of the museum was as a result of collaboration between the Glasgow City Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund and a number of business and private sponsors. The unusual design of the building was created by internationally acclaimed Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, and construction started officially on 13 November 2007 when Bob Winter, Lord Provost of Glasgow, cut the first turf.

Visitors to the new museum will find more than three thousand items displayed, using various techniques to highlight important points on various exhibits. Some of the highlights of the museum include the recreation of a street with features from 1895 through to 1930, while two display areas recreate shops from 1930 through to 1980, giving visitors a detailed view of life in Glasgow during this time. Transport vehicles on display include locomotives, trams, subway cars, a train carriage and a bus, while the Wall of Cars and Wall of Motorcycles allow visitors to get up close and view developments over the years of modes of transport that are taken for granted in the modern age.

The 250 model ships from the previous Museum of Transport are all displayed at the Riverside Museum, and the city’s link with water transport, and particularly the River Clyde, is reinforced by the spectacular view of the river from the coffee shop on the first floor, as well as looking south through the wall of windows from inside the museum. From the eye-catching building and its fascinating contents, to The Tall Ship moored nearby, the Riverside Museum offers an interesting outing for the entire family, whether you are a local or a visitor to the charming Scottish city of Glasgow.