Science and Industry Museum

About

Explore 250 years of innovations and ideas that started life in Manchester and went on to change the world on a visit to the Science and Industry Museum.

Journey through Manchester’s rich legacy of ideas and discoveries in the Revolution Manchester Gallery, from the ancestor of modern computing to one of the first Rolls-Royce motorcars.

Find out how the city's heritage is interwoven with the cotton industry in the Textiles Gallery. Follow the textiles story through innovations in design, printing and finishing, and find out how ‘Cottonopolis’ changed the world we all live in today.

Get hands on and see science brought to life in Experiment, an interactive gallery designed for the whole family to enjoy together.

Enjoy the beautiful Planting Stories gardens and uncover stories of the museum’s historic site in the cobbled yards. Plus, look out for live science shows, talks and demonstrations around the museum.

Special Exhibitions 

Play your way through 50 years of video games in Power Up—the ultimate gaming experience. Try out over a hundred different consoles, from Pong to Pacman, Sonic to Street Fighter and Mario to Minecraft, plus a selection of games created in Manchester. 

Dive headfirst into the digestive system for an unforgettable journey of super-sized science with Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You – an interactive exhibition which brings the hit BBC Children's TV series to life. 

From the tip of the tongue to the end of the bum, explore the role of each organ in the digestive journey through games and challenges, fun facts and fascinating objects from the Science Museum Group's collection. 

Current Closures

A multi-million-pound restoration programme is underway at the museum’s globally significant industrial heritage site to carry out crucial restoration work, bring the story of the historic site to life, and to create a more sustainable museum for visitors to play and learn in.

This means that there is a lot of scaffolding and that some buildings will remain closed until works are complete, including the much-loved Power Hall and the historic 1830 Station, the oldest surviving passenger railway station.

Manchester Science and Industry Museum Opening Times

The museum is open daily, 10.00–17.00. Book your free admission tickets at https://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/visit

Food and Drink

The museum café is open daily 08.00–17.00 Monday – Friday and 09.30–17.00 on Saturdays and Sundays, serving a delicious selection of hot and cold drinks, pastries, sandwiches, cakes and snacks.

Parking

There is paid-for on-street parking on the streets surrounding the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester.