Getting there
Subway to Hillhead (for Byres Road, Ashton Lane and the Botanic Gardens, about a 7-minute walk) or Kelvinbridge. Kelvinhall is best for Kelvingrove.
Home › Neighbourhoods › West End
Glasgow's West End guide: Botanic Gardens, Hunterian, Byres Road
Home to the University of Glasgow, the Botanic Gardens, Kelvingrove Park and free museums.
Get Glasgow's week ahead every Friday
Free every Friday at 07:00: what's on, an honest forecast, a Rain Plan and how to get home. New subscribers get the Rainy-Day Glasgow PDF.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Opening times change, so check venues before you go.
Our picks
- Glasgow Botanic Gardens and the Kibble Palace on Great Western Road. The grounds are open from 7am to dusk; the glasshouses have shorter hours. Free
- Hunterian Museum in the university's main building, open Tue–Sun 10am–5pm. Free
- Byres Road and Ashton Lane: independent shops and cafés, and a cobbled lane of bars and restaurants with the Grosvenor Cinema. Free to wander
- Kelvingrove Park, with riverside paths below the university. Free
- Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, at the park's southern edge. Free
🌧️ If it rains
The Kibble Palace glasshouse, then the Hunterian or Kelvingrove. All three are free.
👨👩👧 With kids
The Botanic Gardens and Kelvingrove Park are the easy wins. The Hunterian Museum has lift access and baby-change toilets.
⚑ Flagged or left out: the Botanic Gardens' young-family trails (Friends of Glasgow Botanic Gardens only), so they're not listed. The Mackintosh House is paid; under-18s go free (Hunterian FAQs only).
Sources: Glasgow Tourism neighbourhoods; Glasgow City Council: Botanic Gardens; Friends of Glasgow Botanic Gardens; The Hunterian; Hunterian FAQs; The Subwayist; Visit Glasgow: West End; Lonely Planet; Glasgow Life: Kelvingrove.
More guides
Rainy-day Glasgow · Free things to do with kids · Getting around by Subway · Independent bookshops · All neighbourhoods
This page has no paid placements or affiliate links.