10 Things to do in Glasgow with Kids

Glasgow is a Scottish city with a great tourist offer aimed at all ages, making it an ideal destination for traveling with children. You will find both leisure and cultural activities, outdoor experiences and much more. Fun is guaranteed.

Among the best things to do in Glasgow with children highlights the Pollock Country Park, the Art Gallery, the Kelvingrove Museum and the Glasgow Botanic Garden. Want to know more?

Hampden Park Stadium is a must-see in Glasgow, especially if you love the sport and want to learn about the history of the national soccer team. The kids will love this visit as they will enjoy many interactive activities.

During your visit to Hampden Park Stadium in Glasgow you will see the changing room area and walk through the tunnel leading to the pitch. You'll be amazed when you hear the sound of the euphoric fans crowding the stands. And all this accompanied by a guide, as the stadium does not allow free access.

You will have the opportunity to discover the glory of the Scottish national team in the stadium museum, you will see the first Scottish Cup, jerseys and medals, among other things . In addition, you will be able to shoot at goal in the interactive area. A thrilling experience indeed.

Information of interest

• Price: the approximate price of a tour of the stadium is 19€ per person.
• Duration: the guided tour inside Hampden Park stadium usually lasts a couple of hours.

Checking out street art is another thing you can do in Glasgow with kids. This is a fun way for the little ones to explore the city and get introduced to the world of street art. They will be amazed by the colorful works full of detail and creativity.

You can follow the City Centre Mural Trail, which is the route that concentrates the largest number of murals, the following being some of them:

• Tennents Caledonian Breweries: consists of a series of murals of different sizes with a beer theme. These are painted on the walls of the historic Tennent's brewery.
• The World's Most Economic Taxi: this work is on Mitchell Street and belongs to the artist Rogue-One. It is a British cab elevated by multicolored balloons.
• Argyle Street Café: you will see the work of the Australian Smug, which shows a bar where the customers are animals.

This street art tour of Glasgow can be done on your own without any inconvenience. However, if you want to delve into the history of each of the works and learn more about this urban culture, it would be best to hire a guided activity.

Pollok Country Park is a family-friendly destination in Glasgow where you and the kids can connect with nature by spending a different kind of day outdoors.

When you arrive at this country park, you'll find a vast expanse of greenery made up of woodland and gardens. You can take a walk along the trails, have a picnic by the river and discover the wildlife. You will be amazed to see the friendly and gentle animals found in the meadows, such as deer and hairy cows.

You will also find other attractions such as:

• A large play area, where children can run, jump and have fun.
• The Pollok House, an 18th century mansion with a marked neoclassical architectural style and art collections that include artists such as Rubens and Goya, among others.
• Some cycling routes with different levels of difficulty. Also, if you are enthusiastic about this sport you can incorporate into your itinerary some cycling tour of Glasgow.

Information of interest

• Price: both the entrance to the Pollok Country Park and the Pollok House are free.
• Hours: Pollok Country Park and Pollok House are open to the public daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

The Glasgow Botanic Garden is the perfect place to go with children. They will be able to run around, breathe fresh air and even feed the squirrels that live there. For your part, you will disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy an impressive collection of plants.

Among the main attractions you will find in the garden are the following:

• The Victorian greenhouses, where you will see cool-climate plants and other tropical and subtropical species.
• The botanical plant area, which includes medicinal species, endangered plants and others native to Scottish lands.
• The themed gardens, consisting of a sensory garden, a Japanese garden and a Chinese garden.

In this botanical garden you will also find rose gardens, some ponds and sculptures. Undoubtedly, a destination of peaceful beauty where you can relax, learn about the different plants and take amazing pictures.

Interesting information

• Price: admission to the Glasgow Botanic Garden is free.
• Hours: 10:00 am to 3:15 pm daily.

If your kids love soccer, then a must-see in the city is Celtic Park Stadium. This is a major sporting venue that has been home to Celtic FC since 1892. You will have the opportunity to walk through each of its corners and feel like a real Scottish player.

This experience is usually on the list of the best tours of Glasgow and to carry it out you must have the company of a guide. The Celtic Park stadium does not allow free access to all the facilities of its impressive building.

With the visit to the Celtic Park stadium in Glasgow you can see the press room, enter the locker rooms and walk through the players' tunnel that leads directly to the field of play. At the latter, you will get a breathtaking view of the stands capable of holding an average of 60,000 fans.

Useful information

• Price: the price of the guided tour of Celtic Park stadium has an average cost of 24€ per person.
• Hours: Monday to Friday from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm.

Present in Glasgow since 1901, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum stands out as one of the greatest attractions in all of Scotland. Children will learn while they have fun, observing the peculiar collections housed in this enclosure.

In Kelvingrove you will find about 22 galleries with about 8,000 pieces. For example, you will see some dinosaur skeletons, Egyptian sarcophagi, medieval armor and an airplane from World War II, among other things. You will also see a series of furniture by Scottish designer and architect Rennie Mackintosh and a picture gallery with works by iconic artists such as Van Gogh, Dali, Botticelli, etc.

In addition, in the central hall of the museum you will find an antique pipe organ. And, if you look up at the ceiling, you will notice a series of heads hanging from it. Each one of them shows the states of mind: happiness, anger, hunger, sadness...

Interesting information

• Price: free.
• Hours: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (Monday to Thursday and Saturday) and 11:00 am to 5:00 pm (Friday and Sunday).

A good plan to incorporate into your itinerary with children during your stay of 1 day in Glasgow or more is a visit to the rotating tower of the city. This is a unique experience in which both you and the kids can learn about the city and see it from a bird's eye view.

You will climb to a height of approximately 127 meters and get an incredible 360º panoramic view, being able to identify iconic places such as the Cathedral, the River Clyde, the University of Glasgow and the backdrop of mountains surrounding the city, among other things.

In addition, in the Glasgow Tower you will enjoy an interesting exhibition that will allow you to learn about the gradual evolution of the Scottish city from its beginnings to the present day through a series of photographs, posters and some models.

Information of interest

• Price: the value of the entrance to the tower of Glasgow is about 14 € (adults) and approximately 7 € (children).
• Hours: from 10:00 to 17:00 hours (Wednesday to Sunday). Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Another thing to do in Glasgow is to visit the Hard Rock Café. This popular franchise has a family-friendly atmosphere that kids will enjoy, as well as a special Messi menu designed for them. As for you, you can satisfy your taste buds by sampling some cult dishes:

• The Tupelo Chicken Tenders, which adapts its name from Elvis Presley's hometown of Tupelo Mississippi. It is a battered chicken fillet.
• The classic nachos, with cheddar cheese, jalapenos and beans.
• The Original Legendary Burger: it was the first recipe marketed by the restaurant. Beef, bacon, tomato, cheddar cheese and onion rings.

Meanwhile, the little ones will have the Messi children's menu, with hamburgers, hot dogs, chocolate milkshake and much more. It's ideal if the kids are fans of the world's best soccer player, Leonel Messi.

After lunch, you can browse in the souvenir store and, why not, buy the iconic T-shirt with the franchise's logo. Keep in mind that this restaurant is a very busy place and you might find it full, so it would be best to book in advance your visit to Hard Rock Café Glasgow with lunch included.

Information of interest

• Price: access to Hard Rock Café Glasgow is free. You will only have to pay for the products consumed in the place.
• Hours: every day from 12:00 to 00:00 hours.

At the Glasgow Police Museum children will experience an interesting adventure with a fun and educational approach. You will discover the evolution and importance of policing in this Scottish city from 1812 to the present day through a series of exhibits and interactive areas.

When you arrive at the museum you will find outstanding objects from the 19th and 20th centuries such as:

• Collection of police uniforms, which will allow you to observe the evolution of their clothing through the years.
• Forensic equipment, with a series of tools used to collect evidence in some criminal investigations.
• The antique cars and motorcycles, used decades ago by the police, that will make you feel like you have traveled back in time.

You will enjoy audiovisuals and interactive activities related to road safety, crime prevention and more. In addition, you will have access to a library with archives, books, photographs and other documents that will help you understand the importance of the police to Glasgow society.

Information of interest

• Price: the entrance fee to the Glasgow Police Museum is approximately £5 (adults) and about £3 (children).
• Opening hours: from 10:00 to 16:30 (Monday to Saturday) and from 12:00 to 16:30 (Sundays).

The Glasgow Science Museum is the ideal destination to inspire children in an interactive and highly entertaining way. Be amazed by the exhibits, activities and other experiences housed in this venue.

Once at the museum, you will enjoy a range of attractions such as:

• Live demonstrations. You will see the museum's experts perform a series of experiments to explore scientific concepts, chemistry, physics and more.
• The BodyWorks exhibit, where you will learn about the detailed workings of the human body.
• The Space Zone exhibit, with interesting planetary models.

In addition, you can live an immersive experience in the IMAX Cinema watching some documentaries about space, technology and nature, as well as action and adventure films. And we cannot forget the planetarium with projections about the solar system, constellations, astronomical phenomena such as black holes, eclipses and more.

Information of interest

• Price: the price at the Glasgow Science Museum depends on the area you are going to visit. For example, access to the planetarium and the IMAX have an average cost of 3€. While access to the science area is about 10 € (adults) and about 8 € (children).
• Hours: Wednesday to Friday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.