Glasgow Police Museum
Glasgow Police Museum
4.5
About
The Glasgow Police Museum illustrates the history of the Glasgow Police 1779 - 1975, through artifacts, stories and images. Its International Room has uniforms and insignia from EVERY country in the World. WE ARE NOW ON 'WINTER HOURS' - OPEN 2 DAYS PER WEEK - ADMISSION FREE - NO BOOKING REQUIRED
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view










What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience Glasgow Police Museum and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Merchant City
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
1,623 within 3 miles
Attractions
418 within 6 miles
See what travellers are saying
- JCOxfordshire, United Kingdom27 contributionsUnique museum- go if your interested in the Police!This was a good little find for an hour in the city of Glasgow. We stumbled across it and popped in. A small museum ran by volunteers, who were very knowledgable on policing history in Glasgow, clearly had a passion. The second room had a collection of international uniforms including hats, different forces badges and emblems. The volunteers were very friendly and had a good discussion regarding the collection. If you have an interest in policing it is well worth a visit for an hour.Visited December 2022Travelled with familyWritten 12 December 2022
- Ellie HLondon, United Kingdom5 contributionsBrilliant findAbsolutely superb little museum. Perfect to spend an hour in, and not an overwhelming amount to take in, it was just right. Run by volunteers who are ex-police with a wealth of knowledge and a passion for history. Fascinating. Would highly recommend.Visited January 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 24 January 2023
- terence cFolsom, California14 contributionsBest little museum in Glasgow!This past summer we made our first trip to Glasgow. We always walking around the cities we travel, and based the reviews of this museum, we made a point of visiting. It was truly one of the highlights of our trip. The retired coppers showing us around were engaging, funny and just so appreciative that we came by. If you are visiting Glasgow - you should really put it on the top of your to-do list! And it's FREE ADMISSION - Brilliant!Visited July 2022Written 12 February 2023
- OfficerSausagesGlasgow, United Kingdom60 contributionsSmall but good!We visited today with our three year old. Museum is small but very interesting. My three year old really enjoyed the little Lego challenge and is very proud of his certificate! The two staff members were so friendly and clearly very knowledgable too.Visited April 2023Travelled with familyWritten 9 April 2023
- shosho75Glenrothes, United Kingdom6 contributionsBrilliant discoveryThis was a great find - really good for all ages and well worth the visit. The two gentlemen who showed us around were so knowledgeable and made the tour really interesting while also leaving us to make our own way round. Plenty of exhibits and great information and facts. Very well kept and will definitely be back. A lot of effort is made in the exhibition and the tour and it was lovely to speak to people who are passionate about what they do. Thoroughly recommend the visit!Visited April 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 17 April 2023
- twograndchildrenStrathaven, United Kingdom19 contributionsHello,Hello,HelloOur first visit to the museum today with our 2 granddaughters.We all enjoyed the experience.The clipboards are great for children. We felt very welcome.The 2 gentlemen on duty were informative & friendly. Will definitely recommend to family & friends. Thank you for making our day in Glasgow more fun.Visited July 2023Written 20 July 2023
- Gord C2 contributionsAbout Law and Order, but friendly and relaxed.The best part of the visit was speaking with the staff. They were most engaging and knowledgeable. As a curator of a small museum, I appreciated how they introduced the museum to the visitor and were there to point out significant artefacts and stories. Well worth a visit, easy to access from Central Glasgow.Visited August 2023Written 12 August 2023
- thistle-do-nicelyKilmarnock, United Kingdom630 contributionsStaff make the visitA very small museum space in Glasgow, but absolutely crammed with impressive exhibits. The staff are brilliant and answered all our questions. You can spend an hour just looking, but there are loads of stories, anecdotes and historical pieces that if you only read half of them you could easily spend a couple of hours. We will return to read what we missed. In our opinion, along with the Kelvingrove and the more famous museums this is a must visit when in Glasgow.Visited August 2023Travelled with familyWritten 17 August 2023
- PannipanniniMaryland1,284 contributionsWell curated interesting stopWe spent about 1.5 hours here. The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. The exhibits are extremely thorough and well worth a read. It’s a part of Glasgow’s uncensored history. It’s too bad that the museum is confined to this small space despite its large (untapped) collection. The City ought to find these folks a worthy spot…it’s definitely a must see.Visited August 2023Travelled with familyWritten 28 August 2023
- gillgPerth, Australia1,900 contributionsA really informative snapshot of policingQuirky, interesting little museum. Easy to access, up on the first floor in one of the old buildings. Coincidentally the stairs are black and white checks. Bob introduced himself and was a wealth of info. Appreciated his knowledge and enthusiasm. Very interesting chronological exhibition. Interested historical cases. Highly recommended. Free admission but donations appreciated to assist in the collections upkeep. Thanks very much!Visited September 2023Travelled soloWritten 12 September 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
527 reviews
Excellent
369
Very good
129
Average
24
Poor
4
Terrible
1
MarkAnthony1963
9 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
I visited with my son and really enjoyed learning about the proud history of the Glasgow police force. The displays were very interesting and full of artifacts illustrating the variety of work carried out and the bravery of these officers concerned. The international police section showd a huge array of police uniforms from around the world the best I've seen. The staff on duty at the time were very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. There is a great deal of deserved pride in the museum and rightly so, very well worth a visit.
Written 15 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jacky H
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Solo
I was pleasantly surprised at what a great museum to visit. It isn't very big but it is so well set out and there was so much information to absorb. The 2 gentleman that greeted me when I arrived were so friendly and helpful and had so much knowledge to pass on. The displays were brilliant and so organised.
I would thoroughly recommend anyone to visit it as it was very interesting.
I would thoroughly recommend anyone to visit it as it was very interesting.
Written 7 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grahame Elliott
Wylam, UK110 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Myself and my son visited the Police Museum. We were greeted by Eddie - a very friendly ex police officer.
The museum is quite small, which we knew beforehand, but has a wealth of artefacts from all over the world aswell as a lot of history on Scottish policing. Eddie had numerous facts/ stories to tell us and really made our visit - thankyou!
The museum is quite small, which we knew beforehand, but has a wealth of artefacts from all over the world aswell as a lot of history on Scottish policing. Eddie had numerous facts/ stories to tell us and really made our visit - thankyou!
Written 30 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anne M
Liverpool, UK25 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Had a lovely visit to thos really interesting museum.
Was given a personal tour and got some good local history too.
Bob Manuel what a lovely mam.
Would recommend for a quick visit
Was given a personal tour and got some good local history too.
Bob Manuel what a lovely mam.
Would recommend for a quick visit
Written 25 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Victoria
Vancouver, Canada2 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
An excellent museum of how Glasgow police emerged, and insights on how certain aspects were the first ever in UK. I was also surprised learning about women in police as early as 1910s. The museum keeper is a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable man you will enjoy talking to as he is most eager to have your questions answered
Written 23 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wendy M
Portarlington, Australia113 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
This wasn't on our radar to visit, but given the rain in Glasgow, we needed to get in out of the weather. However, we were given a warm welcome at the door and this little Museum is very interesting and I do recommend a visit. Some interesting stories to read!!
Written 14 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andy C
Kingston-upon-Hull, UK44 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
Lovely little museum in the Merchant City area. This is a museum of the history of Glasgow police and displays of old uniforms and batons and stories of the history of this Police force. I found this very fascinating.
Written 12 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CaleyDeer
Southampton, UK59 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Very informative museum and the staff very helpful. Although small it has the whole history of police in Glasgow along with descriptions of some of the cases handled. Lots to read with examples of the uniforms over the ages.
Written 3 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gillg
Perth, Australia1,900 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
Quirky, interesting little museum.
Easy to access, up on the first floor in one of the old buildings. Coincidentally the stairs are black and white checks.
Bob introduced himself and was a wealth of info. Appreciated his knowledge and enthusiasm.
Very interesting chronological exhibition. Interested historical cases.
Highly recommended.
Free admission but donations appreciated to assist in the collections upkeep.
Thanks very much!
Easy to access, up on the first floor in one of the old buildings. Coincidentally the stairs are black and white checks.
Bob introduced himself and was a wealth of info. Appreciated his knowledge and enthusiasm.
Very interesting chronological exhibition. Interested historical cases.
Highly recommended.
Free admission but donations appreciated to assist in the collections upkeep.
Thanks very much!
Written 13 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
0verTheRainbow
South Lanarkshire, UK29 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
A small museum with a large amount of history about the first British professional police force. Exhibits are well laid out, clearly labelled. The staff are former police officers with expert knowledge full of enthusiasm about the subject matter.
Written 12 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kiddymylo W
Glasgow, UK14 contributions
Is it good for an 8 year old kid and two adults because we might go
ParkyYorkUK
York UK20 contributions
Hi there, Yes there are things that would grab a younger persons attention.
Sasa474
Glasgow, UK4 contributions
Is it suitable for 5 year old twins and a child almost 7. Thank you
Alastair D
Glasgow, UK1 contribution
Hi,
Yes, the museum is suitable for an 8 year old.
We have a Lego Manhunt for 5-8 yr olds, and a quiz for older children. A 'Junior Detective Award' certificate is awarded on completion.
We also have a colourful and interesting International display of police uniforms from all over the World.
We get many children, of all ages, visiting the museum who enjoy the experience. We are also a 'learning destination' for the Children's University.
I appreciate the historical displays may not hold their interest very long but there is MORE to the museum. Many children take part and enjoy the challenge of the children's activities and their parents have expressed their appreciation.
Looking forward to your visit.
Regards
A. Dinsmor
Curator
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingGLASGOW POLICE MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Glasgow Police Museum
- Hotels near Glasgow Police Museum:
- (0.04 mi) Merchant city luxury FREE PARKING
- (0.06 mi) Fraser Suites Glasgow
- (0.09 mi) Babbity Bowster
- (0.10 mi) Tolbooth Apartments by Principal Apartments
- (0.11 mi) The Brunswick Hotel
- Restaurants near Glasgow Police Museum:
- (0.00 mi) Mharsanta
- (0.01 mi) The Tap Yard
- (0.02 mi) O'Neill's
- (0.02 mi) Connolly's Irish Bar
- (0.02 mi) G-Town Lounge