The Tenement House

About the museum

The Tenement House is a flat in a tenement building of 1892 on Buccleuch Street in Garnethill, Glasgow. From 1911 until 1965 it was the home of Miss Agnes Toward, a shorthand typist, who lived there first with her mother and then alone. She looked after her furniture and belongings with great care and rarely threw anything away, so the flat kept its early 20th-century character, including gas lighting and a coal-fired kitchen range.

After her death the flat and its contents were acquired by the National Trust for Scotland, which opened it to the public and still runs it. The four rooms have been carefully conserved and show everyday life in a middle-class Glasgow home. Visitors can see items such as black horsehair chairs, household medicines, recess beds, a working doorbell and a pot of homemade jam dated 1929.

The house also tells the story of an independent working woman of her time, and of her mother, a dressmaker, whose life is shown in the display of fashion. Staff and volunteer guides are on hand to explain the objects, and archive sessions and short talks give a look at items that are not normally on show. A small shop and the Wally Dug café are on the ground floor.

Highlights

• Four conserved rooms of a 1892 tenement flat
• Gas lighting and the coal-fired kitchen range
• Original furnishings and belongings of Agnes Toward
• Recess beds and horsehair chairs
• Archive sessions and mini talks
• Wally Dug café and shop

Permanent exhibition

• The Tenement House – The four restored rooms of Agnes Toward's flat, with their original furniture, gas lighting and everyday objects from the early 20th century.

Operated by

National Trust for Scotland

Admission & discounts

Admission is free for members of the National Trust for Scotland. Prices are for standard admission; a version with a 10% donation is also offered (adult £11.00). There is no need to book in advance, and the café can be visited without an admission ticket. The house takes part in the ScotRail 2-for-1 offer for rail ticket holders with a voucher.

Accessibility

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

There are 15 steps with handrails up to the reception desk, exhibition, shop area and toilet in the ground-floor flat. A Braille guidebook and large-print information sheets are available, and touch tours are offered. Blue Badge holders may use the nearby meter parking for free.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

Children can play with authentic household objects at a handling table and try to work out what they were used for, and they can follow quizzes around the house. Baby changing facilities are available.

Getting there & parking

The house is about a 10-minute walk from the pedestrian precinct of Sauchiehall Street. The steep hill can be avoided by entering Buccleuch Street from Cambridge Street, or by walking along Sauchiehall Street to Charing Cross and following the pavement right under the footbridge.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

The Wally Dug café serves hot and cold drinks, sweet treats and gluten-free and dairy-free options, and can be visited without buying an admission ticket. Wi-Fi is listed among the facilities. A shop and toilets are in the ground-floor flat.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit