Visit | Fairfield Heritage

Visiting Information

Fairfield Heritage Centre has now closed for the weekend. We hope to see you when we reopen to visitors tomorrow at 1pm.

We are open Monday to Friday, 1pm to 4pm.

Fairfield Heritage will close for the festive period at 4pm on Friday 15th December and re-open at 1pm on Monday 15th January.

Free Entry! No Booking Required!

Disabled access

To overcome the presence of three steps at the main entrance, level access can be gained via a lift at the Reception to the rear. The heritage rooms are all on one level.

More information on disabled/easy access can be found in our Accessibility Guide

Disabled access

To overcome the presence of three steps at the main entrance, level access can be gained via a lift at the Reception to the rear. The heritage rooms are all on one level.

How to get here

Subway

Fairfield is a 10-minute walk from Govan subway station and Govan Cross. On exiting the subway, turn left towards the statue of Mary Barbour and keep following Govan Road until you see Fairfield on the right just before Elder Park.

By foot from Riverside Museum and the Tall Ship

Due to the building of the Govan-Partick bridge the community-run ferry between the Riverside Museum and Govan will not be operating this summer (2023).

Bus

McGill's buses No. 26 and No. 23 from the city centre to Braehead or Erskine. Alight at the second stop after Govan Cross. You will see the two-storey red sandstone Fairfield building with an entrance on Govan Road. You can also get First Bus No. 3, No. 34/34A and No. 90 to Govan Bus Station and follow instructions for Subway above to get to Fairfield Heritage.

Car Parking

There are a few visitor spaces to the rear of the building accessed via the main gate on the corner of Govan Rd and Elder St. Otherwise, parking is available on Govan Rd and neighbouring streets.

Fairfield is a 15-minute drive from Glasgow City Centre, 5 minutes from the M8 and M77 and just half a mile from the Clyde Tunnel if travelling from the West End.

					  Had an excellent visit today. Very knowledgeable and friendly volunteers greet you with a warm welcome. The building is stunning and you can tell a lot of hard work ... read more and effort went into restoring it to its former glory. There are lots of wonderful exhibits on display and plenty to learn about the history of shipbuilding in Govan. Definitely will be going again for a return visit. Would highly recommend. 
				
LorrsR
17th July 2023 

					  A visit to Fairfield Heritage is a must for anyone interested in the history of shipbuilding on the Clyde. The building has been beautifully restored, the exhibits... read more are informative and well laid out and the volunteers are welcoming and very well informed. You can easily spend a couple of hours here.				
Alasdair S
17th July 2023 

					  Had a lovely time here. Lots of great exhibits, videos, and testimonials about the history and importance of shipbuilding in Govan. Also the role of shipbuilding during the two world wars ... read more was on display. Our family had a great grandfather who worked in this yard in the 1890s before he came to the US. The staff were super friendly and very helpful in speaking with us. The building is also wonderful and a great example of how former construction can be revitalized for modern use.				
jws16
16th July 2023 

					  Had no expectations, but was blown away by the welcome, knowledge and the exhibition. 
Highly recommend a visit if you are at all interested ... read morein Govan's history, shipbuilding or beautifully restored architecture. 		
Kirstine C
15th July 2023 

					  Absolutely brilliant museum with a range of informative displays. Staff are excellent with introductions to the museum which are very informative. There’s a lot to see so don’t expect ... read more to just nip in and out.				
Graeme D
15th July 2023 

					  Visited the Fairfield Heritage Museum today. Came across it by accident while passing on the street and glad we entered the building. Beautifully restored offices of the Fairfield ... read more Shipyard. The staff were so accommodating and helpful. My husband, a retired sea captain, was able to tell them that one of the ships he served on was built by Fairfield. A really interesting afternoon. I would recommend a visit not only by those interested in ships and the sea but anyone wanting to know more of the history of Govan.				
Mavis W
7th July 2023 

Support Fairfield Heritage

Fairfield Heritage is a self-funded initiative undertaken by people passionate about the history of the Clyde and Govan and staffed by dedicated volunteers who will be there to welcome you. While it is very important to us that we provide free entry, we would also let you know that our work relies entirely on donations, and any contribution you make will be greatly appreciated. A donation of £3 per visitor is suggested.

Support Fairfield Heritage

Fairfield Heritage is part of Govan Workspace which is a social enterprise and registered charity, No. SC023789