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Daily Record
06-08-2025
- Daily Record
Scottish museum with Dalí masterpiece and WW2 artefacts named second best in the world
Washington DC's National Portrait Gallery is the only museum with a better rating than the iconic Scottish institution. A museum in Scotland has been named one of the best-rated museums in the world. New research found the iconic institution had one of the lowest proportions of negative visitor reviews globally. The study, carried out by Radical Storage, analysed over 82,000 reviews of the 100 most-visited museums and galleries worldwide. It scored institutions on a ratio of positive to negative reviews, with a final rating out of 100. Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum scored an impressive 75.9, placing second in the global ranking just behind Washington D.C.'s National Portrait Gallery, which scored 76.9. Reviewers praised Kelvingrove's diverse collections, welcoming atmosphere, and stunning building. Just 3.5 per cent of reviews mentioned a negative experience. And more than half (53.8%) included positive language such as 'great', 'beautiful' or 'amazing'. These proportions mirror those of the top-ranked National Portrait Gallery. Opened in 1901 after beginning life as the City Industrial Museum, Kelvingrove underwent a £27.9million refurbishment that was completed in 2006. The investment clearly paid off. The museum now features 22 themed galleries and around 8,000 objects covering everything from natural history and weaponry to Impressionist art and Scottish design. Among its most famous exhibits are Salvador Dalí's celebrated painting, Christ of St John of the Cross; a World War II Spitfire suspended from the ceiling; and the much-loved taxidermy elephant, Sir Roger. The museum also offers hands-on experiences designed with families in mind, along with a café, restaurant and gift shop. The building itself, located in Glasgow's West End, is widely admired as an attraction in its own right. As well as its stunning architecture, the museum is brilliantly placed. The lush Kelvingrove Park is just minutes away and the Kelvin Walkway runs from the back of the museum along the pleasant river. Just a few minutes' walk in either direction you'll find the bustling area of Finniestion or Byres Road, the heart of the West End, both of which are filled with popular bars, restaurants, and shops. Tripadvisor reviewers have given Kelvingrove an average rating of 4.7 stars from nearly 16,000 reviews. One visitor wrote: 'Very nice museum… and the staff were very helpful, especially those in the shop, very attentive and knowledgeable.' Another added: 'So much to see. Plenty of interesting museum exhibits and a good art collection as well. Well worth a couple hours at least. And it's free entry!' Another reviewer highlighted the museum's wide appeal: 'There are many different rooms to see. There is all the Scottish wildlife with Sir Roger the elephant. The outside of the building is just as cool as the inside. Totally worth stopping at.' The study also highlighted Kelvingrove's efforts around diversity and inclusion. The museum received double the average mentions of diversity in reviews (1.2 percent compared to the global average of 0.5 percent), and double the mentions of friendliness (5 percent compared to 2.4 percent). Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Across all museums in the study, 50.6 percent of reviews were classed as positive, while 8.5 percent were negative. However, the data showed a gradual rise in negative feedback over the last decade, with 9.9 percent of reviews in 2024 expressing disappointment, nearly double the 5.3 percent seen in 2014. The least satisfying museum experience, according to the research, was the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., which scored just 7.5 out of 100. Only 35.3 percent of its reviews were positive, and over 15 percent were negative. The study noted that 17.7 percent of all negative terms used in reviews for that museum were simply the word 'dull', far above the average of 1.5 percent. Rank Museum City Country Study score out of 100 Most common positive phrase 1 National Portrait Gallery Washington, D.C. United States 76.9 Great 2 Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum Glasgow United Kingdom 75.9 Great 3 National Museum of Korea Seoul South Korea 74.1 Great 4 Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum Madrid Spain 73.8 Great 5 Palacio de Cristal del Retiro Madrid Spain 71.9 Beautiful 6 California Science Center Los Angeles United States 69.5 Great 7 National Folk Museum of Korea Seoul South Korea 65.2 Good 8 Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal Montreal Canada 62.1 Great 9 National Gallery of Art Washington, D.C. United States 56.1 Great 10 National Maritime Museum London United Kingdom 55.2 Great The world's top 10 most disappointing museums Rank Museum City Country Study score out of 100 Most common negative phrase 1 The National Air and Space Museum Washington, D.C. United States 7.5 Disappoint* 2 Science Museum London United Kingdom 8.2 Disappoint* 3 American Museum of Natural History New York City United States 8.7 Crowd* 4 Natural History Museum London United Kingdom 11.5 Crowd* 5 Grand Palais Paris France 11.7 Crowd* 6 Vatican Museums Vatican City, Rome Vatican City 12.2 Crowd* 7 The British Museum London United Kingdom 13.6 Crowd* 8 Louvre Museum Paris France 13.7 Crowd* 9 Museo Nacional del Prado Madrid Spain 14.2 Crowd* 10 Tate Modern London United Kingdom 14.3
Glasgow Times
11-07-2025
- Glasgow Times
Iconic Glasgow museum named 'second best' in the world
Radical Storage ranked Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in the West End as the second best in the world in its 'The World's Most and Least Disappointing Museums' list. The Glasgow institution missed out on the top spot, which was snapped up by The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., in the US. READ MORE: Popular Glasgow bar named among the best in the world Radical Storage claims that over 197million people visited the top 100 museums in 2024, with visitor numbers returning to their 'natural levels' following the pandemic. To combine the world's most and least disappointing museum list, Radical Storage analysed visitor reviews of 100 of the most visited museums (including galleries) across the globe. The study used 102 keyword indicators for positive and negative experiences, such as 'beautiful' or 'boring', to find the percentage of reviews that indicated a good or bad experience. The percentage of positive reviews was then divided by the percentage of negative reviews in the study to give an overall score, expressed out of 100. READ MORE: Popular Glasgow restaurant named one of Scotland's 'best' Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum received an impressive score of 75.9, closely behind the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., which received a score of 76.9 out of 100. The world's third-best museum, according to the ranking, is the National Museum of Korea in Seoul, South Korea, which scored 74.1 out of 100. Revealing Kelvingrove as one of the world's best, Radical Storage said: "Hot on the heels of the Washington, D.C. gallery is the Glaswegian Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. "This institution has the same small proportion of negative reviews (3.5%) and a similar amount (53.8%) of positive reviews. This gives the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow a score of 75.9. "Starting life in 1870 as a City Industrial Museum, the rebranded Art Gallery and Museum opened in 1901. "More recently, the Kelvingrove reopened after three years of work in 2006. "The £27.9 million refurbishment has clearly paid off. "The collection includes art and artefacts not only from Scotland but across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. "It's perhaps unsurprising, then, that the museum had double the proportion of words mentioning diversity than average (1.2% compared to the average of 0.5%). "The museum also had double the mentions of friendliness (5% of positive mentions compared to the average of 2.4%)."
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Travellers rank the world's most disappointing tourist attractions. The top five are in Europe
Some of the most lauded tourist attractions in the world leave travellers distinctly underwhelmed, a new study has found. Luggage storage company Radical Storage analysed 95,352 visitor reviews across 200 of the most visited landmarks to reveal the world's most disappointing tourist attractions. The top five spots were all taken by European sights, a few of which are often considered bucket list-worthy destinations. Inspired by Disneyland's success in America, the country estate of Alton Towers was transformed into a theme park in the 1980s. With 10 themed areas spread across 910 acres, it is the UK's biggest. However, the research found that almost half of the reviews for the Staffordshire-based amusement park featured words indicating a negative experience. For context, the average rate of negative reviews in the study is 10.9 per cent. Alton Towers had the highest percentage of reviews that specifically complained about value for money including misleading ticket information, and expectations to pay for overpriced add-ons such as expensive food and drink or access to different areas of the park. Comments also suggest it's often not the rides that disappoint customers, but the customer service. The Széchenyi Baths and Pool in Hungary's capital Budapest is the largest medicinal bath in Europe and has been a wellness tourism destination since 1913. However, over a third of people who left a review of the baths online reported a less than satisfactory experience. The baths ranked third worst in the crowds and accessibility category (16.8 per cent of all reviews compared to the 4.4 per cent average). Siam Park in the Spanish Tenerife is Europe's biggest water park, opened by the Princess of Thailand Maha Chakri Sirindhorn in 2007. However, a visit to the 'world's best water park' is not universally enjoyable. Reviewers frequently mention the rude staff and accessibility issues. Some reviewers mentioned feeling shamed due to their weight and mentioned the park not being disability-friendly. Overall, nearly a third of reviews had something negative to say about their experience. Planned and built by the magazine Time Out (a British media and hospitality company) in 2014, Time Out Market Lisboa was the company's first venture into food halls. In 2018 the project earned the prestigious Hamburg Foodservice Award - one of the most respected awards in the food-service industry. But according to reviews, things may have taken a turn for the worse since. Over a quarter of reviewers have left underwhelmed or disappointed. It seems the Time Out Market Lisboa is a victim of its own success. The attraction had the greatest percentage of reviews mentioning crowds or access issues (18.4 per cent compared to the 4.4 per cent average). The Trevi Fountain is an iconic Baroque monument in Rome and has been featured in popular films such as Fellini's La Dolce Vita and Wyler's Roman Holiday. Every year, tourists throw an estimated €1 million into the fountain, and a coin tossed into the water is supposed to guarantee a return to Rome in the future. Related Tourists throw over €1 million into Italy's Trevi Fountain each year. Here's what happens to it 'Ugly' pool for coins built next to Rome's Trevi Fountain as city undergoes massive facelift But if you cast a wish into the fountain, you may want to time your visit wisely. After Time Out Market Lisboa, the reviews had the second greatest proportion of people mentioning crowds or accessibility issues. Overall, one in four people had something negative to say about their experience. The fountain was also closed for renovations for part of 2024, which may have contributed to some visitors' disappointment.
Euronews
19-03-2025
- Business
- Euronews
The world's five most disappointing tourist attractions are in Europe
Some of the most lauded tourist attractions in the world leave travellers distinctly underwhelmed, a new study has found. Luggage storage company Radical Storage analysed 95,352 visitor reviews across 200 of the most visited landmarks to reveal the world's most disappointing tourist attractions. The top five spots were all taken by European sights, a few of which are often considered bucket list-worthy destinations. Inspired by Disneyland's success in America, the country estate of Alton Towers was transformed into a theme park in the 1980s. With 10 themed areas spread across 910 acres, it is the UK's biggest. However, the research found that almost half of the reviews for the Staffordshire-based amusement park featured words indicating a negative experience. For context, the average rate of negative reviews in the study is 10.9 per cent. Alton Towers had the highest percentage of reviews that specifically complained about value for money including misleading ticket information, and expectations to pay for overpriced add-ons such as expensive food and drink or access to different areas of the park. Comments also suggest it's often not the rides that disappoint customers, but the customer service. The Széchenyi Baths and Pool in Hungary's capital Budapest is the largest medicinal bath in Europe and has been a wellness tourism destination since 1913. However, over a third of people who left a review of the baths online reported a less than satisfactory experience. The baths ranked third worst in the crowds and accessibility category (16.8 per cent of all reviews compared to the 4.4 per cent average). Siam Park in the Spanish Tenerife is Europe's biggest water park, opened by the Princess of Thailand Maha Chakri Sirindhorn in 2007. However, a visit to the 'world's best water park' is not universally enjoyable. Reviewers frequently mention the rude staff and accessibility issues. Some reviewers mentioned feeling shamed due to their weight and mentioned the park not being disability-friendly. Overall, nearly a third of reviews had something negative to say about their experience. Planned and built by the magazine Time Out (a British media and hospitality company) in 2014, Time Out Market Lisboa was the company's first venture into food halls. In 2018 the project earned the prestigious Hamburg Foodservice Award - one of the most respected awards in the food-service industry. But according to reviews, things may have taken a turn for the worse since. Over a quarter of reviewers have left underwhelmed or disappointed. It seems the Time Out Market Lisboa is a victim of its own success. The attraction had the greatest percentage of reviews mentioning crowds or access issues (18.4 per cent compared to the 4.4 per cent average). The Trevi Fountain is an iconic Baroque monument in Rome and has been featured in popular films such as Fellini's La Dolce Vita and Wyler's Roman Holiday. Every year, tourists throw an estimated €1 million into the fountain, and a coin tossed into the water is supposed to guarantee a return to Rome in the future. But if you cast a wish into the fountain, you may want to time your visit wisely. After Time Out Market Lisboa, the reviews had the second greatest proportion of people mentioning crowds or accessibility issues. Overall, one in four people had something negative to say about their experience. The fountain was also closed for renovations for part of 2024, which may have contributed to some visitors' disappointment. Samarkand's Silk Road past is woven into its present. At Registan Square, once a bustling marketplace, researcher Armida Nazaryan explains its role as a trade hub between East and West. Nearby, at Afrasiab, restorer Marina Reutova unveils ancient Sogdian murals, offering a rare glimpse into 7th-century life. In Konigil, craftsman Zarif Mukhtarov revives the lost art of Samarkand Silk Paper, prized for its durability. Finally, in a local bakery, Gulchehra Nurriddinova shares the tradition of Samarkand's iconic flatbreads, baked in a scorching tandyr oven—an enduring symbol of Silk Road hospitality.
