The University of Glasgow is partnering with the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust to throw open our doors and invite everyone to help celebrate our 575th birthday. From 17-20 September the University will be hosting a number of events including guided building tours and talks; a specially curated archives exhibition; line dancing in St Mungo Square; drop-in exhibitions in the Hunterian Museum & Gallery; a special screening of Everybody to Kenmure Street; and our annual research engagement day for the whole family, Explorathon on Saturday 19 September.
Visitors are invited to explore the University's West End campus, which has been its home for 156 years, having opened in November 1870 when the University moved from its original location in the East End. Guided building tours and talks will allow people to explore both the old and new buildings across the campus, from the Gothic Main Building, featuring its iconic cloisters, to state-of-the-art facilities that support world-class teaching and research.
The University’s flagship research building, the Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre (ARC), will, once again, be the Festival Hub for Glasgow Doors Open Day. The ARC has proudly been the Festival Hub for the past four years. With a large, accessible ground floor space which is open to the public the ARC is well-placed to host talks, events, activities and exhibitions.
The full programme of University events as part of Doors Open Day is below.
The University of Glasgow was founded by the signing of a Papal Bull on 7th January 1451 and is celebrating its 575th birthday throughout 2026.
Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival is Scotland’s largest community and heritage festival, celebrating the city’s people, places and stories. More than 150 organisations will deliver hundreds of free events across the city.
Thursday 17 September
|
Time |
Location |
Activity |
|
09:00 – 17:00 |
Graham Kerr Building |
Zoology museum exhibition |
|
10:00 – 17:00 |
Hunterian Museum and Gallery |
Drop-in exhibitions |
|
11:00 – 11:30 |
Hunterian Museum |
Guided tour |
|
11:30 – 12:30 |
Depart from Mem. Gates |
SRC historical tour TBC |
|
12:00 – 12:30 |
Hunterian Museum |
Guided tour |
|
13:00 – 13:30 |
Hunterian Art Gallery |
Guided tour |
|
13:00 – 13:30 |
Hunterian Museum |
Guided tour |
|
14:00 – 14:30 |
Hunterian Art Gallery |
Guided tour |
|
15:00 – 15:30 |
Hunterian Museum |
Guided tour |
|
14:00 – 15:00 |
Depart from Mem. Gates |
SRC historical tour TBC |
|
17:00 – 19:00 |
Advanced Research Centre |
Cinema screening (‘Everyone to Kenmure Street’) and talk |
Friday 18 September
|
Time |
Location |
Activity |
|
09:00 – 17:00 |
Graham Kerr Building |
Zoology museum exhibition |
|
10:00 – 17:00 |
Hunterian Museum and Gallery |
Drop-in exhibitions |
|
11:30 – 12:30 |
Depart from Mem. Gates |
SRC historical tour |
|
12:00 – 12:30 |
Hunterian Museum |
Guided tour |
|
13:00 – 13:30 |
Hunterian Art Gallery |
Guided tour |
|
TBC – 12/12.30 |
Cloisters |
School choir performance |
|
14:00 – 14:30 |
Hunterian Art Gallery |
Guided tour |
|
14:00 – 15:00 |
Depart from Mem. Gates |
SRC historical tour TBC |
|
15:00 – 15:30 |
Hunterian Museum |
Guided tour |
|
17:00 – 18:00 |
Advanced Research Centre |
Doors Open Day talk |
|
18:15 – 19:15 |
Advanced Research Centre |
Doors Open Day talk |
Saturday 19 September
|
Time |
Location |
Activity |
|
10:00 – 17:00 |
Hunterian Museum/Gallery |
Drop-in exhibitions |
|
10:00 – 15:00 |
Imaging Centre of Excellence |
Research poster presentations |
|
10:00 - 17:00 |
Kelvin Hall |
Doors Open Day and cinema drop-in |
|
11:00 – 11:45 |
Imaging Centre of Excellence |
7T MRI and Coil Lab Tour |
|
11:30 – 12:30 |
Depart from Mem. Gates |
SRC historical tour TBC |
|
12:00 – 12:30 |
Hunterian Museum |
Guided tour |
|
13:00 – 13:45 |
Imaging Centre of Excellence |
7T MRI and Coil Lab Tour |
|
15:00 – 15:30 |
Hunterian Museum |
Guided tour |
|
10:30 – 11:30 |
Kelvin Hall |
Kelvin Hall tours TBC |
|
11:00 – 12:00 |
Advanced Research Centre |
Explorathon – kids storytelling |
|
12:00 – 15:00 |
Advanced Research Centre |
Explorathon – activities and exhibits |
|
12:00 – 15:00 |
St Mungo Square |
Explorathon – line dancing |
|
12:00 – 12:30 |
Kelvin Hall |
Hunterian stores tour: ‘Inside the Hunterian Collections’ |
|
12:15, 13:00, 13:45 |
Advanced Research Centre |
Explorathon – ARC tours |
|
12:45 – 13:15 |
Kelvin Hall |
Hunterian stores tour: ‘Inside the Hunterian Collections’ |
|
13:00 - 14:00 |
Advanced Research Centre |
Doors Open Day talk |
|
13:30 – 14:00 |
Kelvin Hall |
Hunterian stores tour: ‘Inside the Hunterian Collections’ |
|
14:00 – 15:00 |
Advanced Research Centre |
Modern languages session |
|
14:00 – 15:00 |
Depart from Mem. Gates |
SRC historical tour TBC |
|
15:00 – 16:00 |
Advanced Research Centre |
Doors Open Day talk |
Sunday 20 September
|
Time |
Location |
Activity |
|
10:00 – 17:00 |
Hunterian Museum and Gallery |
Drop-in exhibitions |
|
10:00 – 15:00 |
Imaging Centre of Excellence |
Research poster presentations |
|
11:00 – 12:00 |
Advanced Research Centre |
Doors Open Day talk |
|
11:00 – 11:45 |
Imaging Centre of Excellence |
7T MRI and Coil Lab Tour |
|
11:00 – 14:00 |
Kelvin Hall |
Threading Stories open workshop |
|
11:00 – 15:00 |
Kelvin Hall |
Open museum handling kit session |
|
11:30 – 12:30 |
Depart from Mem. Gates |
SRC historical tour TBC |
|
12:00 – 12:30 |
Hunterian Art Gallery |
Guided tour |
|
13:00 – 13:45 |
Imaging Centre of Excellence |
7T MRI and Coil Lab Tour |
|
13:00 - 14:00 |
Advanced Research Centre |
Doors Open Day talk |
|
14:00 - 14:30 |
Hunterian Art Gallery |
Guided tour |
|
15:00 – 15:30 |
Hunterian Museum |
Guided tour |
|
14:00 – 15:00 |
Depart from Mem. Gates |
SRC historical tour TBC |
|
14:00 - 15:00 |
Advanced Research Centre |
Doors Open Day talk |
|
15:00 – 16:00 |
Advanced Research Centre |
575 University Doors Open Day talk (tales, objects, history of the University) |