Museums in Manchester
Discover the best museums in Manchester while exploring the city's amazing history. From football to dinosaurs and everything in between, there's truly something for everyone to enjoy.
By Clare Dentith | Updated Jul 12 2024
Manchester is packed with a diverse array of good museums. It celebrates all that the city is and was, from its industrial heritage to football, fashion, music, transport, and art – it certainly has something for all, young and old.
Many of the museums are centrally located in Manchester’s city centre, or accessible by public transport, and the majority are free or have free sections. So whether you’re looking to soak up some history and culture or looking for things to do with the kids during the half term break, read on for our pick of Manchester’s best museums.
Manchester Museum
Manchester Museum is one of Manchester’s grandest looking museums standing proudly on Oxford Street in the heart of the city.
The museum boasts an impressive collection of over 4.5 million objects covering a wide range of disciplines, including anthropology, archaeology, science and natural history. This extensive collection offers a fascinating journey through various fields of human knowledge making it a significant cultural and educational landmark.
Salford Museum and Art Gallery
Located a stone’s throw from Manchester city centre, the Salford Museum and Art Gallery is a Victorian legacy which first opened to the public in 1850. It’s perhaps best known for its recreated street, Lark Hill Place, together with the historic masterpieces hanging in the Victorian Gallery.
This cultural institution offers a rich glimpse into Manchester's historical past making it one of the top museums in Manchester.
People’s History Museum
The People’s History Museum is the national museum of democracy. It’s the only museum dedicated to sharing stories of the revolutionaries, reformers, workers, voters and citizens who believe and believed in ideas worth fighting for. Ideas such as social justice, equality and a fair world for all are covered inside this imposing museum in Manchester's city centre.
Imperial War Museum North
Imperial War Museum North (IWM) is a striking building which sits on the banks of Salford Quays and delivers an award-winning immersive experience. Visitors can walk through a timeline of history from the First World War to the present day and explore over 2,000 war-related objects.
Science and Industry Museum Manchester
One of Manchester’s most popular museums is located in the Castlefield area of Manchester city centre in the world’s oldest train station. The large museum is rich in all things related to science and industry, spanning from the industrial revolution to the present day. Whilst it covers a lot of ground, the space is well sectioned and one you’ll want to return to time and again.
Manchester Football Museum
Manchester is no stranger to footballing history and success and it’s fitting that it should host England's national museum which celebrates everything about the sport. There are four floors in this impressive museum which exhibit the largest football collection in the world.
Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester
As the birthplace of the industrial revolution, Greater Manchester’s transport achievements have shaped transportation networks and industrial developments across the globe; from the world’s first passenger railway to one of the busiest UK light rail systems. The Transport Museum pays homage to all manner of transport. It boasts over 70 buses, trams, coaches, and other vehicles on display, some of which you can explore inside.
Manchester Jewish Museum
Manchester is home to the largest Jewish community outside London and the Jewish Museum is an important record of their migration and settlement, documenting over 31,000 items.
Greater Manchester Police Museum & Archives
This fascinating museum in the city centre was founded in 1981. It’s free, funded by Greater Manchester Police, and collects and preserves archive material and objects relating to the history of policing in the Greater Manchester area. It’s a great museum for children who get to see inside a prison cell, a crime room, and a court room mock-up.
Chethams Library
Founded in 1853, the beautiful dark wood interior of Chetham’s Library holds a fine collection of early printed books, including a wealth of ephemera, manuscript diaries, letters and deeds, prints, paintings and glass lantern slides.
The pankhurst centre
Emmeline Pankhurst and her family lived at number 62 Nelson Street from 1898 until 1907. It was also the first meeting of the movement that became known as the suffragettes which took place in the parlour of the house.
Hat Works Museum
Love a hat? In the late 19th Century, wearing a hat was all the rage and Stockport, a Greater Manchester town, became the epicentre of hat making. It became a prosperous town on the back of it. The Hat Works Museum, located in the centre of Stockport, is dedicated to the history of hat making and the skilled workers who made them.
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House
The museum is named after one of the UK’s most important Victorian writers. She’s reputed to be one of the greatest novelists of all time penning titles such as Cranford, Ruth and Mary Barton, though is less well known than her contemporaries, Charlotte Bronte and Charles Dickens. The museum is in her house where her family once lived and tours provide a great insight into her life, works, and Victorian life in general.
Quarry Bank Mill
Quarry Bank Mill was once one of the largest cotton manufacturing businesses in the world, built at the start of the Industrial Revolution in 1784. At its peak, 300 workers operated 10,000 cotton spindles to produce cotton which was traded across the globe. Today, the mill reveals great insights into how The Industrial Revolution shaped the lives of people, communities, politics and the world forever.