Why go
Aberdeen Art Gallery is the best free attraction in the city and the natural first stop on any visit. The collection spans 700 years, from the 15th century to work bought this year, and the council has been buying contemporary art for more than 130 years. The building reopened in November 2019 after a £34.6 million redevelopment led by Hoskins Architects, and went on to win Art Fund Museum of the Year 2020 and Scotland’s Building of the Year 2021.
The original gallery, designed in the neo-classical style by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, opened in 1885. It was extended in the 1920s with the Cowdray Hall, the Remembrance Hall inside and the Cenotaph outside, all by the same architect. The redevelopment added a copper-clad top floor that you will spot from the street, and a rooftop terrace.
What to see
- The Sculpture Court. The gallery suggests starting here on the ground floor, then moving to Gallery 1: Collecting Art. There are 18 collection galleries, each built around its own story, so you can start anywhere.
- Scottish art. Joan Eardley’s paintings of Catterline, the fishing village down the coast, and the bright canvases of the Scottish Colourists are among the most loved works.
- International names. The council highlights Claude Monet, Francis Bacon, Tracey Emin and Barbara Hepworth.
- Special exhibitions. The bp Galleries on Level 2 host the major shows, with smaller exhibitions in Galleries 2 and 3 on the ground floor and spotlight displays in Gallery 19. Cosmos, an exhibition on the art of observing space, opens on 21 November 2026.
- The rooftop terrace. Panoramic views over the granite skyline, including the spires of Marischal College.
- The Remembrance Hall. A calm, marble-lined memorial space within the building.
Plan your visit
The gallery is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm and on Sunday from 11am to 4pm, and entry is free, with donations welcomed. There is no need to book unless you are going to a ticketed event. Allow an hour and a half to two hours. There are cafés on the ground floor and on Level 2, open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4.30pm and on Sunday from 11am to 3.30pm.
The entrance is on Schoolhill, a 10-minute walk from the railway station and Union Square bus station. Many city buses stop on Union Street; the closest stops are outside His Majesty’s Theatre, on Blackfriars Street and on Schoolhill. There is no parking outside, and the nearest car parks are Denburn, then Bon Accord and Harriet Street. Bike racks sit near the main entrance.
The free Bloomberg Connects app works as a digital guide to the building, collection and exhibitions. Photography for personal use is allowed in the galleries, but selfie sticks are not, and tripods need permission in advance.
Visitor notices for November 2026
On Sunday 8 November the gallery opens at 12pm, after the city’s Act of Remembrance. It is closed all day on Monday 16 November for essential maintenance and reopens on Tuesday 17 November at 10am. The Maritime Museum stays open as normal. Christmas and New Year opening hours had not been published when we checked, so look at the council’s AAGM pages before visiting in late December.
Nearby
His Majesty’s Theatre and Union Terrace Gardens are a couple of minutes away, and Marischal College and Provost Skene’s House are a short walk east along Upperkirkgate.