The University of Manchester

About

The University of Manchester holds a special place in history. Its origins as England’s first civic university are closely linked to Manchester’s development as the world’s first industrial city. The beautiful Old Quadrangle buildings on Oxford Road, designed by the architect Alfred Waterhouse, can be explored by guided tour. There are also regular tours, exhibitions and events focused on world-changing events such as the first ‘splitting of the atom’ by Ernest Rutherford, the development of the world’s first stored-program computer and the life of the mathematician Alan Turing. Full listings of upcoming tours and events are here.

Behind the Façade heritage tour

This tour offers a rare opportunity to be guided through the interiors of some of the University of Manchester’s most architecturally important and historic spaces. Within the neo-gothic grandeur of the University’s Old Quadrangle, visitors will hear how Owens College developed from one philanthropic donation and grew, as a result of the vision and pride of the city, to become England’s first civic university. Throughout the tour, you’ll hear stories of the University’s early staff and students and how their work and ideas had impact far beyond the walls of our buildings.

Architectural highlights include the Victorian lecture theatre in the Beyer Building, the Grand Staircase leading to the University’s Council Chamber and the stunning Whitworth Hall.

Visitors will receive a complimentary booklet about the University’s history.

Tickets are £8 and can be booked on the University’s eStore.

Rutherford’s Manchester

In 1917, the Nobel Prize winner Ernest Rutherford became the first person to create an artificial nuclear reaction. To mark the centenary and for the first time, Rutherford’s private research room at the University has been opened for a special exhibition.

Visitors will be guided around some of the most important scientific sites of discovery at the University before entering the building in which Ernest Rutherford and his colleagues began the field of atomic physics. Inside the research room, you’ll be able to find out about Rutherford’s life and pioneering work and also discover the stories of other famous physicists who worked in the building.

Visitors will receive a complimentary booklet about the University’s history.

The exhibition is open by pre-booked guided tour only. Tickets are £5 and can be booked on the University’s eStore.