Hunterian Museum
The University of Glasgow's Hunterian Museum, which opened its doors in 1807, is Scotland’s oldest public museum. It is home to a superb collection of over a million items ranging from meteorites to mummies.
The Hunterian is the legacy of Dr William Hunter (1718-83), a pioneering obstetrician and teacher, who was born near Glasgow and educated at the University.
In 1741 Hunter moved to London where he became rich and famous.
He bequeathed not only paintings to the university, but a superb coin collection, curiosities from Captain Cook's Voyages of Discovery and a library of thousands of books and manuscripts. These form the basis of the present day museum.
You can find out about dinosaurs, early man and how bodies were preserved as mummies in ancient Egypt.
There’s also a wealth of information on the Romans in Scotland and the building of the Antonine Wall. This stretched for 60 kilometres from Old Kilpatrick on the Clyde to Bo'ness on the Forth.
There are relics from the Roman Occupation and you can learn about Roman retreat from Scotland in AD 161.
A wonderful new display (A Healing Passion) is dedicated to the illustrious history of medicine in Glasgow.
Another is based on the life and work of Lord Kelvin, Glasgow’s greatest scientist. An exciting mix of hands-on activities, original scientific instruments and computer-generated images brings Kelvin and his work to life.
Hunter’s art collection can be seen at the University’s Hunterian Art Gallery nearby.