Scotland Street School Museum
Museum of school education in a Charles Rennie Mackintosh school building in Glasgow, closed for refurbishment with no reopening date announced.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Scotland Street School in the Kingston district of Glasgow was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for the Glasgow School Board and built between 1903 and 1906. Mackintosh took inspiration from Scottish castles such as Rowallan Castle and Falkland Palace, giving the building a pair of windowed baronial stair towers and a tiled drill hall. It is an important example of the Modern Style, the British form of Art Nouveau. During construction Mackintosh repeatedly argued with the school board, which wanted a cheaper building, and the final cost of £34,291 was well over budget.
The school was planned for about 1,250 pupils, but by the 1970s urban decay in the area had cut the roll to under 100, and it closed in 1979. It reopened in 1990 as a museum of school education, run by Glasgow Museums, where visitors could take part in a Victorian classroom lesson with actors playing strict teachers. The building is also one of Glasgow's best-known architectural attractions and stands next to Shields Road subway station.
The museum is now closed for a major refurbishment. The project will give the building a wider purpose, adding an early-years nursery and a digital learning hub as part of Glasgow City Council's expansion of funded early learning and childcare, with the museum service continuing alongside. A reopening date has not yet been confirmed.
Highlights
- Building designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1903–1906)
- Baronial stair towers and tiled drill hall
- Museum of school education in Scotland
- Victorian classroom experience before the closure
- Founded
- 1906
- Operated by
- Glasgow Life (Glasgow Museums)
Admission & discounts
The museum is closed for refurbishment and no reopening date has been announced.
Accessibility
The museum is closed for refurbishment and no reopening date has been announced.
Kids & families
The museum is closed for refurbishment and no reopening date has been announced.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Shields Road subway station
Shields Road subway station is next to the building.
Amenities & dining
The museum is closed for refurbishment and no reopening date has been announced.
Events & venue rental
The museum is closed for refurbishment and no reopening date has been announced.
Plan your visit
| Photography | Glasgow Life publishes photography, filming and sketching guidelines that apply in all of its museums. |
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