Around the House

Rumour has it that when Mackintosh was a young architect in Glasgow he regularly passed the site in Bellahouston Park where House for an Art Lover now sits. In Mackintosh’s day an 18th Century mansion known as Ibroxhill House stood on the site and it is perhaps no coincidence that the portico and entrance of this earlier house bore an extraordinary resemblance to Mackintosh’s design for House for an Art Lover.

And so perhaps it is fitting that we sit proudly within the 169 acre grounds of Bellahouston, one of Glasgow’s oldest and finest public parks. Once part of the Maxwell Estate before being bought by the Glasgow Corporation, the park was reopened to for public use in 1896.

Bellahouston most famously hosted the British Empire Exhibition of 1938, which was visited by a staggering 12.5 million people and for which an amazing 200 palaces and pavilions were erected throughout the grounds, of which only one, the Palace of Art, remains.

Nowadays Bellahouston is a busy park and concert venue, filled with activities for young and old, ensuring that House for an Art Lover is right in the thick of the action if you’re planning a day out.

Why not take a wander around the Victorian walled garden, which is now incorporated into House for an Art Lover’s brand new Studio Pavilion and heritage centre. Indeed we even have our very own sculpture garden right here at the house.

Or relax and enjoy views of Glasgow and beyond before taking part in a wide variety of activities, which include:

  • Glasgow Ski Centre
  • Orienteering Courses
  • Alice in Wonderland Maze
  • Palace of Arts Centre for Sports Excellence
  • Outdoor cycle track
  • Extensive network of paths for walking and cycling
  • Papal Garden
  • Glasshouse for a Plant Collector

For a full list of the activities available in Bellahouston Park why not pop over to our Visit section