What to do? So much choice and it’s all free! This weekend Glasgow throws open its doors and invites you to have nosy to find out what’s inside.
Now in its 23rd year, Doors Open Day (DOD) lets you walk through the cordoned off areas of all those interesting buildings in Glasgow and discover what really happens behind the scenes.
There’s over 100 buildings to choose from – 41 walks, tours, talks and events.
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Explore GSA, discover Govanhill Baths and more
Why not take a tour of the Glasgow School of Art, normally £8.75, but totally free for DOD. This Charles Rennie Mackintosh beauty is a working building full of unusual detail. Look out for the glass eyes on the wooden door. To avoid disappointment, be sure to book sooner than later as spaces are limited.
Discover the Govanhill Baths – a labour of love that has been brought back to life by the strength of the community. Local folks fought and fundraised for years to secure money to refurbish the building and restore it as a vital part of the community. And exciting things are happening here, in October the National Theatre of Scotland is set to perform their show Lifeguard – check it out.
At the top of my DOD list is a tour of the Glasgow Museum Resource Centre (GMRC), hugely popular, booking is essential for this one. Even though there are nine museums across Glasgow, they only house a tiny fraction of the objects in the city, the rest are stored at GMRC. On DOD I’ll get to discover these other gems from across the globe and through centuries. Fantastic!
And there’s plenty more to explore, wander through the backstage corridors at the Citizen Theatre, join Glasgow Women’s Library on an East End Women’s Heritage Walk and discover the stories of the women who worked in the Templeton Factory or the Suffragettes held in Duke Street Prison.
But if trekking around old buildings doesn’t appeal, why not take a 12-75 North Glasgow Arts Bus Route a unique tour of public art from the comfort of the No.75 bus.
Glasgow opens its doors 15 -16 September, so go explore.
– B
About a City 