The People's Palace in the heart of Glasgow (Peoples Palace)

Member Name: dbarcl10

Product:	Peoples Palace
Date:	11/08/08 (41 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Free entry, find out of history of Glasgow, Winter Gardens

Disadvantages: Some exhibits are in need of a refresh

The People's Palace and Winter Gardens, situated within Glasgow Green, probably the oldest park in Glasgow, is a museum dedicated to Glasgow from the 1750's.

When the Palace opened in 1898 it was intended as a cultural centre for people living in the overcrowded east end of the city. The building had recreation and reading rooms on the ground floor, a museum on the first floor and a picture gallery on the upper floor. Since the early 1940's the building was converted to the museum it is now.

The building was closed for a two year refurbishment in 1996 after the building was neglected to the point that it was beginning to fail down. The Winter Gardens were extensively refurbished, with many of the glazing panels having to be renewed.

My favourite area is the Winter Gardens, which feature many tropical plants in a massive glasshouse. This is also where the popular café is situated. This area is also available for functions and weddings. I had my own wedding here and it is beautiful surroundings. The ceremony was towards the back of the glasshouse, surrounded by lush vegetation with the meal and reception towards the front of the building, where it is more open, and the café converts to a bar at night.

The actual museum, the People's Palace, features many different exhibits, ranging from an Anderson shelter, to Billy Connolly's big banana boots, a Lulu dress, a mock up of a Victorian flat, etc. The top floor has a series of paintings by Ken Currie to mark the centenary of Glasgow's Carlton weavers, who were Scotland's first trade union martyrs. The paintings start in 1787 and trace the development of the Scottish labour movement, ending with a vision of the future.

There is also an interesting exhibit of Glasgow patter, and the intricacies of the Glasgow dialect. This is always a good one for visitors to the city, as they rarely know what is being said.

Some of the exhibits do look quite dated, and in all the years I've been going there, there doesn't appear to be much change in the exhibits. Hopefully now that the Palace is no longer under direct local authority control, more money can be put into looking after the exhibits.

There are plenty of free parking spaces outside the museum, although Saturday afternoons can be a bad time for finding spaces. The museum is also within about 10 minutes walk of the city centre, making it easily accessible.

Also outside the museum is the Doulton Fountain. This is the largest terracotta fountain in the world, having been gifted to the city in 1888, and was designed to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887. Following a 2 year refurbishment, where the fountain was dismantled, shipped to England to be restored before being brought back to Glasgow where it was placed outside the People's Palace in 2005.

Summary: A great day out for all the family