In 1967 the Maxwell Macdonald family gifted Pollok House and gardens, together with the adjoining lands, to Glasgow. When the shipping magnate and art collector Sir William Burrell (1861-1958) died, he left his priceless art collection to the City of Glasgow. A purpose-built gallery was built in the grounds of Pollok estate close to the Pollok House. The Burrell gallery was opened by Queen Elizabeth in October 1983 and has acquired an international reputation in the world of art.
In 1979 a large covered shopping centre in the Pollok housing estate was opened by Princess Margaret. Up until this time shopping was limited to a relatively small number of shops in the housing estate and from vans serving as mobile shops. In 1986 the Pollok leisure centre was opened and it included a fitness studio, gym and a tropical style swimming pool.
Today Pollok is in the midst of change. A new shopping complex, a leisure centre and a retail park are in the initial planning stages. Private developers have built many new houses and these have transformed some areas of Pollok. The Social Inclusion Partnership (SIPS) project funding, which includes many training courses for residents, is at an all time high. The area has its own National Lottery funded community museum, named Kist from the Scots word for a storage chest, located at the central library run by local people in conjunction with the Glasgow Open Museum.