From street art to secret ceilings, Glasgow is full of artistic surprises. Here’s a quick guide (with some extra tips and tricks) to get you started on exploring the city.
As the first UK city to be named European Capital of Culture in 1990, Glasgow is home to renowned sites such as Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Burrell Collection and the Gallery of Modern Art. However, some of the city’s greatest art isn’t just in its museums, but is built into its architecture, heritage and history. Here are some great, hidden places that you don’t want to miss in Glasgow.
Merchant City: Art Pistol and Rogue, Charles Rennie Mackintosh mural
You’ll find the Charles Rennie Mackintosh mural looming over the Cultha and Victoria Bar in Merchant City, close to the banks of the Clyde. Commissioned by Radisson RED Glasgow, this massive piece on Mitchell Street was created by graffiti artists Art Pistol and Rogue-One in 2018, to mark the 150th anniversary of the iconic architect and designer’s birth. With inspiration taken from James Craig Annan’s 1893 photograph, a young Mackintosh at the height of his artistic career looks out through his own style of stained glass, featuring iconic Glasgow roses. Tip: Continue past the mural and along the Clyde to reach Glasgow Green (the oldest park in Glasgow) or, if you’re looking for more graffiti, follow Glasgow’s Mural Trail which takes you to over 20 sites around the city, including another work by Rogue-One, Bubbles.
Central Station: Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh, Drooko
By the Argyle Street exit on the lower level of Glasgow Central you will find the station’s latest art installation: a ceramic reimagining of a rare 1890s advert for the ‘Drooko Umbrella’. The mural was inspired from fragments of the original advert designed by Margaret MacDonald and her sister, Frances, which is currently held by the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Art Gallery. The advert’s name, Drooko, is inspired by the Scots word drookit (soaked), a truly Scottish welcome (and warning) to anyone stepping onto Argyle Street. Some of the mural’s tiles were created with smog from the station, honouring the history of the station alongside the legacy of the MacDonald sisters. Tip: Head to the Hunterian Art Gallery (located on the ground floor of the University Library) for more works by the Glasgow Girls, including Margaret MacDonald’s gesso panel The White Rose and the Red Rose.
West End: Alasdair Gray, the Auditorium ceiling at Òran Mór
Just as Alasdair Gray’s work was heavily influenced by his hometown, many of the celebrated author and artist’s famous artworks can be found in Glasgow, including the one found on the ceiling of Òran Mór’s Auditorium. The largest public artwork in Scotland, Gray’s ceiling mural is a stunning depiction of constellations where each of the twelve divisions of the ceiling are attributed to a different sign of the zodiac. Head up the stairs to the mezzanine level to find the gallery’s three panels inspired by Paul Gauguin’s Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?, with the answers appearing as vibrant colours and biblical imagery, reflecting Gray’s fascination with nature, chaos and the extraordinary. Beneath the lancet windows, spot Bella Caledonia, Gray’s icon who inspires the Poor Things protagonist Bella Baxton. Tip: Òran Mór is one of the city’s central event spaces: a busy pub in the evenings, a thumping club beneath your feet, and home to the theatre series ‘A Play, A Pie, A Pint’, which brings thousands of thirsty theatre-lovers to its doors every Autumn.
Southside: Tramway
Hidden amongst the arches of an original horse tram depot from the 1890s is one of Glasgow’s most iconic arts spaces. Home to visual art exhibitions and performances, there’s something for everyone at Tramway. In September, the new exhibition is a sci-fi inspired exhibition by Harold Offeh which looks to engage its visitors in a mix of sensory play and exploration with its larger-than-life sculptures. Tip: Right next to Tramway is the Hidden Garden, an urban greenspace which hosts creative events and a little oasis in the middle of Pollokshields.
Garnethill: The Tenement House
Just between Glasgow’s West End and the city centre is what can only be described as a time capsule, preserving the true and unseen parts of Glaswegian life from the later 19th century. The National Trust for Scotland’s Tenement House provides a glimpse into the past, and insight into the ways that the city has developed in relation to housing the working class and the ways in which it adapted its style of building. Its interiors are decked out with fun and quirky items and furniture, perfectly preserved by its previous owner, Miss Agnes Toward, who has a remarkable collection of jam jars (among other things). Tip: The Tenement Building is taking part in Glasgow Doors Open Days 2026, a festival offering free access to over 150 historic buildings, hidden spaces, and cultural sites across the city this September.
