David Livingstone Birthplace

The basics

The collection’s highlights are extensive manuscripts and papers belonging to Livingstone; ethnographic material collected by Livingstone and others; and photographs and portraits of Livingstone. The exhibition is divided into chapters in Livingstone’s life, from his birth and humble beginnings as a child laborer at a mill through the Trans-Africa, Zambezi and Nile expeditions, to his death searching for the source of the Nile and funeral in London’s Westminster Abbey. Visits are typically self-guided but guided tours are available twice a week.

Things to know before you go

• For further reading, you can pick up a book in the museum’s shop.

• The museum has a café, which you can visit without admission to the museum.

• As the exhibition touches on the impact of the East African Slave Trade, items of a sensitive nature are on display.

• All areas of the museum are wheelchair accessible.

How to get there

From Glasgow Central train station you can take the Larkhall-bound train to Blantyre Train Station, which is a 5-minute walk from the David Livingstone Birthplace—the train journey takes around 45 minutes. From Glasgow City Centre, the road journey southeast to the museum takes around 30 minutes.

When to get there

David Livingstone Birthplace is open every day year-round. However, in the winter months, the museum is closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Guided tours typically run on Friday and Sunday mornings. The surrounding parkland and grounds are open seven days a week and are free to visit any time.

Livingstone’s legacy

As well as recounting Livingstone’s achievements, the David Livingstone Birthplace’s exhibition examines his complicated legacy—as someone who argued against the East African slave trade but whose work also helped to accelerate colonialism—as well as the notion that he was a lone explorer. You are invited to share their perspectives through interactive displays.