Museum of Science and Industry
Science and Industry Museum · Manchester
A vast free museum celebrating Manchester's industrial heritage with working steam engines, aircraft, and hands-on science galleries. The Experiment gallery is a firm favourite with primary-age children.
Why families love it
- The Experiment gallery lets children build dams, launch rockets, and play with light and sound in a brilliantly chaotic space designed for curious hands.
- Watch enormous Victorian steam engines rumble to life during daily demonstrations, with volunteer engineers explaining how Manchester powered the Industrial Revolution.
- The Air and Space Hall houses everything from a Spitfire to a modern helicopter, with most aircraft positioned low enough for children to peer inside cockpits.
Best for
Families with primary-aged children who love hands-on exploring, and anyone wanting to understand Manchester's industrial past without reading endless text panels.
Good to know
The Experiment gallery gets absolutely rammed during school holidays and rainy weekends, so arrive right at opening if you can. Bring a packed lunch as the café gets overwhelmed and the food options are fairly basic. The 1830 Warehouse has fascinating displays about textile manufacturing but smaller children find it dull, so save it for when they need calming down. Don't miss the working print workshop where volunteers sometimes let older children help with demonstrations.
Practical info
- Age guidance
- Entry is free for all ages, with genuinely engaging content from toddlers through to teenagers, though under-threes mainly stick to the Experiment gallery.
- Typical cost
- Admission is completely free, but special exhibitions occasionally carry a charge and you'll need coins for the old-fashioned slot machine demonstrations.
- How long to allow
- Plan for three to four hours minimum as there's an enormous amount to explore, though you could easily fill a full day if the weather's terrible.
- Last checked
- May 2026