Hampden Park, Scotland’s national football stadium

Hampden Park is a stadium located in Glasgow, on Letherby Drive, and is home to the Scottish national football team. Dating from 1903, it was historically owned by Queen’s Park, Glasgow’s historic club; since 1 August 2020 it has been the property of the Scottish Football Association.

A venue for major European fixtures, including Champions League finals, European Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Cup finals, it served as a satellite venue for London during the 2012 Olympic football tournament and hosted matches at Euro 2020. It will also be one of the stadiums for Euro 2028, the tournament that the United Kingdom and Ireland will jointly host.

Originally designed to accommodate over 100,000 spectators — it was the world’s largest stadium in the 1920s and 1930s — its capacity has been progressively reduced over the years for safety reasons, to its current 51,866 spectators.

Scottish football museum and stadium tour

The first football museum dedicated to a national team is located right at Hampden Park, celebrating the glorious history of the Scottish national football team. Inside you can admire objects, memorabilia and historic moments featuring the heroes of Scottish football, including artefacts from the world’s first international football match — Scotland versus England in 1872 — and the original national trophies. The museum is open several days a week but closes during special events held at the stadium.

You can take part in guided tours of Hampden Park, lasting approximately two hours, which give access to the players’ dressing rooms, the tunnel, the trophy presentation area and the interactive Hampden Hotshots gallery, where you can try your hand at shooting at goal. Groups are limited to a maximum of 15 participants, ensuring an intimate and personalised experience. Tours run daily; for up-to-date opening times and availability, it’s advisable to check the official website directly or book online.

Useful information for your visit

Entering Hampden Park to visit the football museum is quite different from entering for a match. In the latter case, expect considerably more crowds and chaos. In any case, animals are not permitted, except guide dogs for the blind. Facilities within the stadium include baby-changing facilities, lost property office and toilets. The stadium is accessible to people with mobility disabilities.

All bags and backpacks are subject to checks at entry. Large bags and suitcases are not permitted, and there are no baggage lockers. Pushchairs and wheelchairs cannot be brought inside, nor can items such as knives, weapons, lasers, bottles or cans. Unattended baggage may be removed by police.

During sporting events, only those with special permission can park near the stadium. For those with particular needs, accessible parking is available subject to availability.

Alternative uses

Since Scottish national team matches are not that frequent, Hampden Park is also used for other purposes. On a sporting level, it has hosted rugby matches for the Scottish national team and was home stadium for the NFL Europe American football franchise Scottish Claymores. It is regularly used as a venue for some Scottish League Cup matches and, thanks to its size, is one of Scotland’s leading venues for concerts by internationally renowned artists.

Being an iconic Glasgow landmark, Hampden Park can also be used for conferences and meetings of all kinds, as well as for birthday parties or corporate events. Over 30 internal halls are available in total.

How to get to Hampden Park

Hampden Park is located south of Glasgow, not far from Queen’s Park. The most convenient way to reach it is via the suburban train station Mount Florida (MFL), situated a few hundred metres west of the stadium, from where it’s a short walk. Trains depart directly from Glasgow Central Station and the journey takes only 17 minutes, of which 10 are by train and 7 on foot. This way you’ll avoid traffic and parking problems.

This applies especially on event or match days: if you want to visit Hampden Park to see the Scottish football museum or take part in a stadium tour on a non-match day, you shouldn’t have difficulty parking in the immediate vicinity.