The Manchester Museum is bursting with natural history and culture, and is a wonderful way to spend a rainy afternoon. The impressive exhibitions are housed in beautiful Victorian galleries, and include one of the largest collections of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the UK – some pieces have been dated back as far as 10,000 BC. Closer to home, but no less interesting, are the local exhibits of ancient pieces from Manchester and the surrounding region.
The museum joined the Manchester Natural History Society in 1835, after its humble beginnings as the personal collection of a wealthy 19th-century manufacturer in the region. Over time, the number of artifacts and pieces donated to the collection got so large that the museum had to upscale a number of times. The lack of space was finally solved when architect Alfred Waterhouse designed the present-day building which sits in Manchester’s city centre and opened its doors in 1890. Waterhouse is perhaps best known in the UK for being the brains behind London’s Natural History Museum and Manchester’s Town Hall.
At first glance, the museum looks quite small, but once you step inside, you’ll find a vast array of artifacts spanning millennia – everything from prehistoric fossils to live reptiles! The museum is perfect for kids, with plenty to keep them entertained. Don’t miss the 70-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus Rex on the ground floor, known to most as “Stan” after the man who discovered it. Stan shares exhibition space with a large collection of fossils and natural history pieces.
The attraction is free to visit, but voluntary donations are much appreciated and help with the upkeep of the museum. It is open every day except New Year’s Day and the period of 24-26 December. You can find out which exhibits will be on show during your visit on the museum’s informative website.
The Manchester Museum is situated near the University of Manchester in the centre of the city on Oxford Road. You can walk the fifteen minutes from Oxford Road train station, or hop on the free Metroshuttle bus. If you’re driving, you can leave your car on nearby Booth Street West for a small fee.
