The Burrell Collection

The Burrell Collection in Pollok Country Park is one of the most remarkable private art donations in British history — a collection of over 9,000 objects assembled by a Glasgow shipping magnate with passionate and idiosyncratic taste. The range is extraordinary: medieval tapestries, Chinese bronzes, Rodin sculptures, Degas pastels, Islamic carpets, Greek and Roman antiquities, and complete medieval doorways and doorways incorporated into the building's architecture.

The collection's great strength is medieval European art — the tapestry collection is among the finest in the world, and the carved stone architectural fragments incorporated into the building's glass walls create a genuinely unusual museum experience. The purpose-built gallery in Pollok Park was redesigned and reopened in 2021; it won the Best Building in Scotland award in 2024. Three miles from the city centre; reached by bus or a pleasant walk through the park from Pollokshaws West station.

things to do museum
A story
Sir William Burrell made his fortune in shipping, sold his fleet at the peak of the market in 1916, and spent the rest of his long life collecting art with single-minded dedication. By his death in 1958 he had assembled over 9,000 objects and donated them to Glasgow, with the condition that they be displayed in a new building at least 16 miles from the city centre — he was terrified of industrial pollution damaging the works. Pollution controls eventually made that condition unnecessary, and the Burrell was built in Pollok Country Park, 3 miles from the city centre, and reopened after renovation in 2021.