Overview

Kelvingrove has always been a family tradition for me so it felt particularly special to visit for the first time after the Pandemic. It’s an old Victorian building with a Gothic atmosphere, especially in the fading Autumn light just before closing. I love the way that they’ve managed to strike a balance between preserving the architecture and ensuring that it’s accessible to all. This visit was made even more special as I attended the ‘Journey of the Mind’ exhibition which covered how the Sikh gurus’ teachings help people heal and maintain their mental health. I learned so much about the Sikh religion that I didn’t know about, for example, the similarities between the Sikh concept of ‘mind’ and my concept of ‘soul’. The guru’s had special interests, for example, one guru taught about equality; the exhibition was fascinating and very beautiful, almost like being immersed inside a long poem. Luckily, I also just had time for a quick whirl around the Scottish Colourists and the Dutch and French galleries before closing; Dali’s magnificent ‘Christ of St John of the Cross’ was out on loan at this time but there were many other stunning art treasures to see.

Transport & Parking

There are buses onto the street outside the Museum but I can’t say if they’re accessible as I came by car. The nearest subway (Kelvinhall) is half a mile away and the nearest train stations (Partick, Exhibition Centre and Charing Cross) are about one mile away. There are ten disabled spaces altogether we used the ones at the at the Lower Level entrance. I’m happy to say that they’ve now ramped a dropped kerb leading down to the disabled parking spaces from the forecourt which was really jerky to negotiate in a powerchair before. The road surface is smooth tarmac.

Access

There is a push button disabled entry at the Lower Level entry and this is also where the lift is located. The lift is a bit tight for a powerchair but it is manageable and there is plenty of room to access all the exhibits in the galleries. The paintings were at a good height for me to view in my chair and the descriptions were easy for me to read. There are induction loops available at some of the Audio-visual screens and subtitles available at most of them.

Toilets

Toilets . There are three disabled toilets available; I was unable to visit them on this visit but will try the next time.

Staff

Staff were very helpful and approachable

Anything else you wish to tell us?

I felt reasonably covid confident while visiting; there were screens in front of reception, hand sanitiser available and lots of space to social distance. Kelvingrove is a must see and I will definitely be back!

Photos