A lovely guest review of the Burrell Collection by a lovely mummy friend and her toddler who went along for a visit recently. Thanks A!
It was a rainy Sunday afternoon, so we decided to go to the Burrell Collection with our 2 year old. I had been previously and thought she might like the fact it is quite open plan and spacious.
The Museum
The Museum hosts the art work, tapestries and furniture that was collected over the years by Sir William Burrell. There are also three rooms that are set out like they would have been in his home, with his furniture and tapestries. There are pieces from Egypt, China and some wonderful Rodin sculptures. And the building itself is pretty spectacular with glass down both sides, giving you lovely views of the woodlands and the park – although it has unfortunately been subject to lots of leaks and is planning to close for 4 years in the next year or two.
My daughter wasn’t that interested in the art work, but she did like discovering that her voice can echo (not sure what other patrons thought, but it is quite a laid back museum, so nobody complained). She also liked climbing on the leather seats in the seating area and ducking under the rope in Burrell’s rooms.
I had been before so was happy to keep an eye on her whilst my husband checked out the collection, but if I had been going with her by myself for the first time, I’m not sure how much of the collection I would have actually seen. If you have a particularly boisterous child, then it might not be the best place to go, as there is lots of (very old) furniture that they could climb on if they were so inclined!
The Facilities
There is a cafe on the bottom floor with some lovely views of the park. We just got some drinks this time, but it is fairly standard museum offerings and prices. There are plenty of toilets which are always clean. And a shop which has a range of goods by Scottish designers. The first time I went, I did the free tour which was really interesting and I would definitely recommend it if you go by yourself. If you go with your child, then I’d probably not bother!
The Cost
It is free but they recommend a £3 donation.
The Verdict
I still like the openness of this museum and I think my little girl liked that too, especially the echo noises that she could make. It is somewhere that is nice to go, especially if it’s a rainy day, but I don’t think it will keep your child massively entertained for long. I suggest going with 2 adults, so one can keep an eye on the wee one whilst the other actually looks at the collection. It is quite a laid back museum though, and I didn’t feel at any point that people were being at all disapproving because we had a slightly noisy toddler with us.
The Burrell Collection is located in Pollok Country Park at 2060 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow, G43 1AT.
