Manchester Museum

Overview

Manchester Museum is a free museum located in the heart of the city of Manchester. With over 4.5 million artefacts and objects, its extensive collections explore different cultures around the world as well as natural history. It’s a welcoming place that promotes diversity and cultural understanding.

Adults will love discovering more about the various cultures showcased in the museum through exhibits such as the Aboriginal sacred objects and the South Asia Gallery, which was created in collaboration with local communities.

Children can come face-to-face with prehistoric giants, like a T-Rex, and learn more about palaeontologists in the Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery.

Is the Manchester Museum free?

Yes, the Manchester Museum is free to visit.

Is the Manchester Museum worth visiting?

The Manchester Museum is a great place to spend a few hours in Manchester. There’s plenty to see for everyone here, with its cultural and natural history exhibitions.

What are the highlights of Manchester Museum?

There are 11 galleries and spaces in Manchester Museum, each with something special to see.

Exhibition Hall: Shows that explore the past, present, and future
Belonging Gallery: Comics from worldwide artists and writers featuring stories of belonging
Lee Kai Hung Chinese Culture Gallery: Showcases Chinese culture through personal stories
South Asia Gallery: A compelling exhibition about South Asian and British Asian culture
Archaeology: Different perspectives on traditional presentations of ancient cultures like Roman Britain and ancient Assyria
Egypt and Sudan: One of the largest collections of Egyptian and Sudanese objects in the UK
Collections Reimagined: A changing display showcasing how collections are used beyond the museum to connect with people and communities
The Vivarium: A collection of live amphibians and reptiles, including some endangered species
Living Worlds and Nature’s Library: Natural history specimens from zoology, entomology, botany, and earth sciences
Fossils and Dinosaurs: The story of our prehistoric world told through fossils
Top Floor: A community space used by a range of groups across the city

Are there dinosaurs at Manchester Museum?

Yes – the Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery is home to Stan, the enormous Tyrannosaurus rex, and April, the Tenontosaurus, some of the museum’s most impressive exhibits. There’s also a plethora of fossils, some dating back 300 million years.

Is the mummy in Manchester Museum real?

Yes! Asru was a woman from southern Egypt who was carefully wrapped in layers of linen cloth and buried in a decorated wooden coffin around 2,700 years ago, in a process known as mummification.

Her body was unwrapped in Manchester 200 years ago and is now on display in Manchester Museum’s Egypt and Sudan Gallery.

Are the animals in Manchester Museum real?

Yes – there are real animals in Manchester Museum! It’s unusual for a museum to care for live animals, but amphibians and reptiles have lived here for over 60 years. The collection includes many critically endangered species here, providing a unique opportunity to witness conservation efforts in action.

Does the Manchester Museum have a café?

Yes, there is a café on the ground floor of the Manchester Museum, accessible through the Main Hall or from the entrance on Oxford Road. The café uses locally sourced food for its breakfast, brunch, and lunch menus.

Hot and cold drinks, as well as cakes, are also available from the Coffee Bar in the museum’s Main Hall.

Can I bring my own food?

If you’d prefer to bring your own, there is a picnic area on the ground floor of the museum, which everyone is welcome to use. Why not prepare some sandwiches in the self-catering kitchen of YHA Manchester to bring with you?

How long should I spend at the Manchester Museum?

You can spend as much time as you like at the Manchester Museum, but we recommend planning in at least a couple of hours. The museum is packed with so much that it would take at least a whole day to see everything.

Is Manchester Museum accessible?

Manchester Museum strives to be as inclusive as possible. Accessibility features include:

Ramped entrance
Lifts to all floors and level access to all public spaces
Wheelchairs and walking frames available to borrow
Accessible parking
Places to sit
Quiet room
British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation and captioning where possible
Hearing loop at the reception desk
Public interpretation, signing, and digital content comply with RNIB standards
Guide and assistance animals welcome

How to get to Manchester Museum from YHA Manchester

Manchester Museum is 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres) from YHA Manchester.

By public transport: There are several trams and buses that you can catch. One option is to walk for approximately 15 minutes to the St Mary’s Parsonage stop and catch the 50 bus to East Didsbury. Alight at Brunswick Street, then walk about six minutes to Manchester Museum.

On foot: It takes approximately 35 minutes to walk from the Youth Hostel to the museum.

Cycling: It’s around ten minutes by bike from the hostel to Manchester Museum.

By car: It’s a ten-minute drive from YHA Manchester to Manchester Museum. The nearest public car park is the University of Manchester Car Park D on Booth Street West, a two-minute walk from the museum. Accessible parking spaces are available on Bridgeford Street.