Why go

The Gallery of Modern Art, known to everyone as GoMA, is the centre for Glasgow’s modern and contemporary art collection. It occupies a grand columned 18th-century building in Royal Exchange Square, right in the middle of the shopping streets, and entry is free. Glasgow is known for the artists who live and study here, and GoMA’s changing displays draw on the city’s collection of local and international work alongside temporary exhibitions. Even if contemporary art is not your thing, the building and the square outside are worth a look, and you can see the galleries in an hour.

What to see

  • Four galleries. Changing displays of paintings, sculpture, installation, video and digital art, with a focus on artists from Scotland and the wider UK as well as international names.
  • Temporary exhibitions. GoMA rotates its shows regularly, so check the current exhibitions page before you visit.
  • The library. A public library sits within the building, alongside a gallery shop selling a range inspired by the collection.
  • The Duke of Wellington. The equestrian statue outside the front door is usually seen wearing a traffic cone, a Glasgow tradition that has become one of the city’s best-known images.

GoMA also runs talks, workshops and family events. If you want more contemporary art, Glasgow Life suggests Tramway, its international arts venue on the south side.

Plan your visit

GoMA is open Monday to Thursday and Saturday from 10am to 5pm, and Friday and Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Entry is free and you do not need to book. The café is open every day during gallery hours, serving hot and cold drinks, sandwiches and snacks, and there is free wifi. Most visitors spend an hour or so here, which makes it easy to fit between the shops on Buchanan Street and lunch in the Merchant City.

Good to know

Because it sits in the middle of the city’s main shopping area, GoMA works well as a free, warm stop on a wet afternoon or between other city centre sights. The Glasgow Life page describes it as a place for people to gather, learn and share ideas, and that is how many locals use it: as a meeting point on Royal Exchange Square as much as a gallery. Pick up information on talks and family workshops at the front desk, and check online for evening events, which sometimes run outside normal hours.

Christmas and New Year

Over the 2026 festive season GoMA is closed on 24, 25 and 26 December, 31 December and 1 and 2 January. It opens on 27 December (11am to 5pm), 28 to 30 December (10am to 5pm), 3 January (11am to 5pm) and 4 January (10am to 5pm).

Getting there

GoMA is in Royal Exchange Square, between Buchanan Street and Queen Street in the city centre. The nearest Subway station is Buchanan Street, a few minutes’ walk away, and both Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central stations are within ten minutes on foot. St Enoch Square, home to a Christmas market until 27 December 2026, is just down the hill.

Nearby

George Square and the City Chambers are two minutes’ walk to the east, and the City Centre Mural Trail starts in the lanes around Mitchell Street, just south of Royal Exchange Square. Princes Square shopping centre is a short walk along Buchanan Street, and the Merchant City’s bars and restaurants begin across Queen Street.