Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA)
About
A free contemporary art gallery in a converted 1778 Neoclassical mansion on Royal Exchange Square, right in the city centre, with a rotating programme of Scottish and international contemporary work across its upper floors. The genuinely famous part is outside: the equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington in front of the building has worn a traffic cone on its head for decades, an unofficial Glasgow landmark that the council has repeatedly failed to stop (a 2013 plan to raise the plinth to deter cone-placing was abandoned after public backlash), and it is one of the most photographed things in the city.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓The Duke of Wellington statue, permanently traffic-coned by tradition
- ✓Rotating contemporary Scottish and international art
- ✓Free entry in a genuinely handsome Neoclassical building
- ✓Right on Royal Exchange Square, two minutes from Buchanan Street
Tips
- →Free entry, no booking; check current exhibitions online first if a specific show interests you.
- →The Wellington statue photo works best from the square itself, not from across the street.
Best Season
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