Low Parks Museum

About the museum

Low Parks Museum stands in the old estate of the Dukes of Hamilton and is made up of two buildings that are both listed Category A. The older one, Portland, was built in 1696 as the home of David Crawford, secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton. It later became the Hamilton Arms, a coaching inn that was the last stop before Glasgow, and in 1782 a fine Assembly Room with its original plasterwork and musicians' gallery was added. Famous guests such as Dr Johnson, James Boswell and Dorothy and William Wordsworth are known to have stayed there. After the inn closed in 1835 the building served as the estate offices of the Duke of Hamilton.

Hamilton burgh council bought the building in 1963 and opened it as a museum in 1967. The second building, the Hamilton Palace Riding School, was built in 1837 for the 10th Duke. In the 1920s and 1930s it housed a gymnasium and boxing ring for a local amateur boxing club, and from 1983 it was the museum of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) regiment.

After redevelopment work that began in 1995, a new museum joining the two buildings opened in 2000. Today the museum shows the history of South Lanarkshire, from early settlements and Hamilton Palace to industry, design and farming, and has a gallery on more than 300 years of the Cameronians. It also has two temporary exhibition spaces, a shop and the Mezzanine café.

Highlights

• Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Gallery on more than 300 years of the regiment
• Galleries on Hamilton Palace, early settlement, industry and farming in South Lanarkshire
• The 18th-century Assembly Room with original plasterwork
• Children's area and dressing-up stations
• Mezzanine café above the Riding School displays

Permanent exhibitions

• The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Gallery – The story of the Cameronians regiment over more than 300 years, from its Covenanting origins to its disbandment in 1968 and afterwards.
• South Lanarkshire galleries – Displays on early settlements, Hamilton Palace and the Royal Burghs, industry and design, farming and working the land.

Founded

1967

Operated by

South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry to the museum and its exhibitions is free. Some events and activities are ticketed, for example concerts and the monthly Lego Club.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

All public areas are reached by ramps and lifts, and the main entrance is level. A wheelchair can be borrowed from reception, although larger wheelchairs may find some areas tight. There are accessible toilets in both buildings, one with baby changing, and at least one seat in each gallery. Dedicated parking is close to the main entrance. There is a tactile area with objects to touch, a large print guide and subtitles on audio-visual displays, but no hearing loop. Some areas have low lighting. Assistance dogs are welcome and the museum provides water bowls. Hamilton Mausoleum, a separate site, is not wheelchair accessible.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

There are dressing-up stations in the galleries, a Castles and Palaces activity area and a children's area with toys and books near the Industry Gallery. A seasonal programme runs in school holidays, and the monthly Lego Club costs £4.25 per session. Pushchairs can move through the galleries, and the accessible toilet in Portland House has a baby changing table. The museum is quieter on weekday mornings.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the Old Town of Hamilton on Muir Street, with a pedestrian crossing outside. The nearest motorway exit is junction 6 of the M74. National Cycle Route 74 passes the museum and a heritage trail leads from here to Chatelherault Country Park.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Mezzanine café serves hot and cold meals and snacks and caters for diabetic, vegetarian and gluten-free diets; other needs can be met with advance notice. There is a gift shop at reception. Public toilets are in Portland House and the Riding School building.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

The historic Assembly Room is offered for weddings and other events; the museum also offers venue hire.

Plan your visit