What are the best museums in Glasgow?

You can tell a lot about a city from its museums, and in Glasgow there is a really diverse and popular range covering everything from the city's educational history to its tradition of bagpiping.

They are always worth visiting when staying in city centre accommodation in Glasgow, and the majority of them are free too, which is a big bonus if your budget only stretches so far.

To help you work your way around them, we've come up with a list of our eight favourites, though the list is by no means comprehensive and there are certainly more kicking about that are worth exploring as well if you get the chance.

The Hunterian

The Hunterian is worth visiting simply for the fact that it is the oldest public museum in Scotland, but with a huge collection only rivalled by the National Museums it ranks as one of Scotland's most significant cultural destinations and is not to be missed.

Established more than 200 years ago in 1807 at the bequest of Dr William Hunter, the museum is home to many scientific instruments and anatomical collections that are not for the faint hearted. Among other truly epic collections, it hosts a range of amazing artefacts from Captain Cook's voyages over the Pacific.

Free Admission. Tuesday - Saturday, 10am to 5pm; Sunday 11am to 4pm. University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

Glasgow's imposing Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum first opened back in 1901 in the city's popular park of the same name, but following an extensive £27.9 million, three-year restoration project, it reopened in 2006. Since then it has re-established itself as one of the most popular tourist attractions in Scotland, and it's not hard to see why.

With 22 galleries covering a hugely diverse range of themes, visitors find artefacts ranging from suits of armour to fine art, stuffed elephants to an original Spitfire that hangs from the ceiling. This is like Scotland's answer to the Natural History Museum, only with machines, science and art featured as well.

Free Admission. Monday - Thursday and Saturday, 10am to 5pm; Friday and Sunday, 11am to 5pm. Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8AG.

National Museum of Rural Life

A bit of a Ronseal one this, visitors can learn all about Scotland's rural history at a museum that is also home to its own working 1950s farm. Boasting many historic pieces of farm machinery and general exhibitions shedding light on rural life, it also hosts regular events throughout the year, such as the Heavy Horse Show on Sunday July 15th.

The museum is quite a way out of Glasgow near East Kilbride, but it's easily accessible by bus. First Bus's number 31 takes around 40 minutes from the St Enoch Centre. You could also hop on the train from Glasgow Central and then grab a bus for the final three miles from Thorntonhall, Hairmyres or East Kilbride stations.

Adults £6.50, concessions £5.50, children £3. Open daily, 10am to 5pm. Wester Kittochside, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR.

The National Piping Centre

Where else could you immerse yourself in 300 years of piping history than at Scotland's National Piping Centre, a museum dedicated to the quintessential Scottish instrument? Scotland may be renowned for the bagpipes, but many other varieties of musical pipes have emerged from the country and you can learn all about them here.

In among the displays is the oldest Highland bagpipe chanter in the world, which was owned by Ian Dall 'Blind John' MacKay, who died in 1740 aged 90. As well as this you can watch a film about the culture and history of bagpipes along with an exhibition that explains how they are manufactured. 

Adults £4.50, concessions £3.50, children £2.50. Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm; Saturday, 9am to 1pm. 30-34 McPhater Street, Glasgow, G4 0HW.

People's Palace and Winter Gardens

Telling the tale of the people of Glasgow from as far back as 1750, the People's Palace is a museum dedicated to the city's social history and is packed full of displays to that end. Everything from photographs and films to varied exhibitions about daily Glaswegian life can be found there, truly getting under the skin of the city.

The stunning Winter Gardens are also great to explore and there is a lovely little cafe in the grounds where you can grab a cuppa and enjoy the surroundings. Well why not?

Free Admission. Tuesday - Thursday and Saturday, 10am to 5pm; Friday and Sunday 11am to 5pm. Glasgow Green, Glasgow, G40 1AT.

Riverside Museum: Scotland's Museum of Transport and Travel

Packed full of more than 3,000 objects and artefacts, the new Museum of Transport and Travel at the Riverside opened in June 2011 after a nine-year construction project to replace the tired old museum – more than doubling the size of its collection in the process. The stunning building on the banks of the Clyde hosts a huge array of vehicles covering virtually every ounce of space, and there is even a tall ship moored outside to explore.

The £74 million spent on the Riverside Museum was well worth it, and this year it has already won two awards – the European Museum Academy Micheletti Award for Best Science and Technology Museum; and the Scottish Entertainment Guide's Favourite Visitor Attraction 2012.

Free Admission. Monday - Thursday and Saturday, 10am to 5pm; Friday and Sunday, 11am to 5pm. 100 Pointhouse Place, Glasgow, G3 8RS.

Scotland Street School Museum

Once a working school, the Scotland Street School taught its last child in 1979 before being converted into a museum dedicated to preserving the history of education in Scotland during the 19th and 20th centuries. Visitors get to learn all about classrooms during Victorian times, World War II and life during the 50s and 60s. There is also a constantly changing series of temporary exhibitions that are always worth checking out.

The school itself was designed by the celebrated Scottish architect and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh and was completed in 1906, so for anyone interested in his work it will also have an added  appeal.

Free Admission. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10am to 5pm; Friday and Sunday 11am-5pm. 225 Scotland Street, Glasgow, G5 8QB.

St Mungo Museum of Religious Art and Life

St Mungo is the patron saint of Glasgow and is credited with introducing Christianity to Scotland during the sixth century, so it is only right that a museum dedicated to religious art and life is named in his honour. The museum itself was built rather more recently, in 1989, and is dedicated to promoting the understanding and acceptance of different faiths.

With regularly changing exhibitions and events there is always something new to see, and the museum also has a great cafe that looks out over Scotland's first-ever Zen garden. Ahhh.

Free Admission. Tuesday - Thursday and Saturday, 10am to 5pm; Friday and Sunday 11am to 5pm.  Castle Street, Glasgow G4 0RH.

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