Pollok House and grounds was originally owned by the Maxwell family and was donated to the city of Glasgow. The house was designed by William Adam in the 18th century. It has been refurbished as it would have been in the 1920-1930's with many wonderful paintings and pieces of art.

The park itself is full of 361 acres of wonderful mature forests and pastures where highland cattle graze. In fact, the herd of Highland coos at Pollok Park is the largest in Scotland. In addition to the general grounds, there are many formal gardens including the walled garden.

Also on the grounds are the stable and the old mill house. The stable still holds shire horses which can often be seen heading to their pastures. The mill is on the White Cart Water, a river which flows through the park.

The most famous part of the park is the Burrell Collection. Mr Burrell, a rich ship owner who collected artifacts from around the world, bequeathed his collection to the city after his death in 1959, with the stipulation that it be housed in a gallery not less than 16 miles out of the city due to the then polluted atmosphere. Nothing was done with his collection until Pollok Park was donated and Burrell's will was successfully contested, based on the cleaner air now found in Glasgow.