
In Renfrew, Renfrew Museum is the place to visit
18 of the 28 places to visit in and around Renfrew are museums or galleries. Look within 5 km of its edge and the list grows by 27 beyond the one inside Renfrew’s locality. A total of 1.1M visitors went to Riverside Museum in 2015. Our list counts one place looked after by Historic Environment Scotland. Further afield lies Glasgow School of Art, at 8 km.
The headline places in Renfrew
Next to Renfrew Museum, the best known are 2 museums, a cathedral and a castle.
Big drawMuseumKelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum4.9 km outside town, to the east · 1M visitors a year
Big drawMuseumRiverside Museum3.9 km outside town, to the east · 1.1M visitors a year (2015)
CathedralSt Mirin's Cathedral1.6 km outside town, to the southwest
Castle · Historic Environment ScotlandCrookston Castle3.7 km outside town, to the southeast
GardenGlasgow Botanic Gardens4.9 km outside town, to the eastEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
The lie of the land
Just outside town, most of the 27 sit to the east.
The dashed line is Renfrew’s locality; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · NRS locality 2022
Kind by kind
The two biggest groups: museums or galleries (18) and other attractions (4).
Green: inside Renfrew. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
1 place is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland (Crookston Castle).
The whole list for Renfrew
The one inside Renfrew comes first, then 27 more within 5 km of its edge.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Museum and art gallery near Glasgow in Scotland.
Hunterian Museum
Museum in the University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St Luke
Cathedral in Glasgow City, Scotland, UK.
Glenlee Visitor Centre
1896 steel-hulled three-masted barque and museum in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Paisley Museum and Art Galleries
Museum in Renfrewshire, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Clydebank Museum and Art Gallery
Maritime museum in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, United Kingdom.
The one inside Renfrew comes first, then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.
16 listed buildings are on Renfrew’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Renfrew →
A drive away
The pick of the 12 is Glasgow School of Art, 8 km off.
MuseumGlasgow School of Art8 km east
FortAntonine Wall23 km northeast
CathedralGlasgow Cathedral9.9 km east
Big drawArt galleryGallery of Modern Art8.8 km east · 596K visitors a year
Castle · Historic Environment ScotlandDumbarton Castle13 km northwest
CathedralSt Andrew's Cathedral8.9 km eastCathedralCathedralSt Mary's Cathedral7.3 km eastCastleCastle · Historic Environment ScotlandStirling Castle39 km northeast
MuseumPeople's Palace9.9 km east · 290K visitors a year
Historic house · National Trust for ScotlandPollok House6.8 km southeastMuseumMuseumThe Burrell Collection7.1 km southeast
Castle · Historic Environment ScotlandBothwell Castle20 km eastPlaces well known beyond Renfrew (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust for Scotland or Historic Environment Scotland property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Renfrew: questions and answers
What are the main attractions in Renfrew?
The place to visit inside Renfrew’s locality is Renfrew Museum. In all, 1 place to visit is mapped inside the town, and 27 more within 5 km.
Does Renfrew have a museum?
18 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Renfrew: Renfrew Museum, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Riverside Museum and Hunterian Museum.
Is there a National Trust for Scotland or Historic Environment Scotland property near Renfrew?
Yes. In or within 5 km of Renfrew, 1 place is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland (Crookston Castle).
What are the best-known days out near Renfrew?
Within 40 km: Glasgow School of Art (8 km), Antonine Wall (23 km), Glasgow Cathedral (9.9 km), Gallery of Modern Art (8.8 km).
Where are Renfrew’s historic buildings listed?
Renfrew has 16 listed buildings, 2 of them Category A. They are on its History page, from Historic Environment Scotland’s list, not repeated here.
How is this list made?
From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Renfrew when it is inside the NRS 2022 locality boundary, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the NRS 2022 locality (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (21)
- Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum: 瑞丽江的河水, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Riverside Museum: Cutkiller2018, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St Mirin's Cathedral: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Crookston Castle: Richard Sutcliffe, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Glasgow Botanic Gardens: Finlay McWalter, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hunterian Museum: Ham, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Glasgow Science Centre: Daniel from Glasgow, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St Luke: Bjmullan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Glenlee Visitor Centre: Armada Española (Persona Juridica), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Glasgow Tower: Feorag at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Paisley Museum and Art Galleries: Thomas Nugent, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Clydebank Museum and Art Gallery: Darrin Antrobus, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Glasgow School of Art: Stinglehammer, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Antonine Wall: Chris Wimbush, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Glasgow Cathedral: Bewahrerderwerte, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gallery of Modern Art: BrainiacBlink, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dumbarton Castle: Otter, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St Andrew's Cathedral: Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- People's Palace: Emmi Hakka, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Pollok House: LornaMCampbell, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bothwell Castle: James Mérigot, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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