Science and Industry Museum Manchester: Family Visit Planner

This planner is for families and adults who have moved to Manchester from abroad and want an easy, low-cost day out at the Science and Industry Museum. It covers how free booking works, which spaces suit babies, toddlers and older children, and the practical details that make the visit run smoothly.

• Free entry and how booking works
• Opening hours, getting there and how long to stay
• Experiment: the gallery children head for first
• Early-years activities and what adults will enjoy
• Food, toilets and other practical details
• FAQ

Free entry and how booking works

General admission is free, but the museum encourages everyone to pre-book a timed ticket, as its visitor FAQs explain. A fixed arrival slot helps with small children who do not cope well with queues. If you cannot book online, call the Contact Centre on 033 0058 0058.

Your ticket arrives by email with a barcode that is scanned at the entrance. The museum asks you to show it on your phone rather than print it where possible. If the email goes missing, log into your museum account on your phone and the tickets are there. You will also get an email the day before your visit with information on what to expect.

Walk-up entry is available every day, but when the museum is very busy, people without tickets may wait longer to get in. If your plans change, you can submit a return request for free tickets through your account up until 08.30 on the day of your visit, then book another date online. Advance tickets are released in limited numbers, so if the date you want is not bookable yet, the museum newsletter tells you when more become available.

One rule to know before you go: children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over at all times.

Opening hours, getting there and how long to stay

The museum and shop are open daily from 10.00 to 17.00. The programme may change during school holidays, and the museum publishes a list of upcoming school holiday dates alongside its What’s On page. If you are still learning the English school calendar, check that list before you pick a day.

The main museum building, the Grade II listed New Warehouse, has its entrance on Lower Byrom Street in the city centre. There is no parking on site. You can walk, cycle, or come by tram, train or bus, and the museum recommends the Transport for Greater Manchester website for planning your journey. If you do drive, you will need one of the nearby city-centre car parks.

The museum suggests setting aside about 90 minutes. With young children, treat that as a minimum, and allow longer if you add a special exhibition or Power Up.

Experiment: the gallery children head for first

Experiment is the museum’s free interactive gallery, open daily on Level 1 of the New Warehouse and recommended for all ages. Everything in it is hands-on, so it suits children who get restless in traditional museums.

Children can build bridges and tall towers, make music with their bodies, play songs on musical pipes and make glow-in-the-dark art. There is a thermal camera for Heat Vision, magnetic art and a shadow wall for telling stories. Older children tend to go for the challenges, such as seeing through walls, finding out how to shake hands with yourself and testing whether you are strong enough to lift a car with one hand.

Experiment is designed for the whole family to use together, so adults join in instead of watching from the side. If your children are different ages, start here, because there is something for each of them.

Early-years activities and what adults will enjoy

The museum runs free early-years activities across the building, recommended for ages 6 and under, on various dates and at various times. They include imaginative play and Makaton-friendly adventures, which may suit families whose children are still building their English.

Inside Experiment, ExperiDen offers sensory activities designed for the youngest visitors. Experitots is a regular event for children aged 0 to 4, where toddlers and their adults play, explore and experiment together. Mini Movers takes small children round the Textiles Gallery to roll, clank, whirr and clack, and Textile City lets them build a textiles tower, try weaving and spin like a bobbin.

You can also pick up a set of Little Explorers toys and tools to use around the big engines in Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery, and there are construction packs for Baby Builders and Mini Engineers. Dates and times vary, so check the early-years page before you set out.

For adults and older children

Revolution Manchester and the Textiles Gallery on Level 0 tell the story of the city’s ideas and its cotton industry, which is useful background if you are new to Manchester. The Special Exhibitions Gallery on Level -1 hosts changing exhibitions, and Power Up, a gaming space on Level 1, opens at weekends and during school holidays. Both need a separate ticket on top of free general admission. The pages used for this guide do not list prices, so check the museum’s own site for current details. Volunteer Talks, the Revolution Manchester Show and Textiles Demonstrations also run, subject to staffing.

A long-term restoration programme means scaffolding and some closed areas. One FAQ answer names Power Hall and the 1830 Station and Warehouse as areas that may be closed, while another lists Power Hall as open, so go by your pre-visit email for what is open on your day.

Food, toilets and other practical details

You are welcome to bring your own food, and picnic areas are signposted. The bistro does not serve food but is open as an indoor picnic space, and hot drinks and snacks may be on sale there in school holidays. The café serves drinks, snacks, sandwiches and cakes and meets the Kids in Museums Family Café Standard. The FAQs give two different weekday opening times for the café, so check the museum’s site if you plan an early coffee. At weekends it opens from 09.30 to 17.00.

Accessible toilets and baby-changing facilities are on Levels 0 and 1. There is a Changing Places toilet at the back of the bistro on Level 1, and All Gender facilities in the Special Exhibitions Gallery on Level -1. Lockers are currently unavailable, so pack light.

The museum prefers contactless payment but accepts cash. The shop sells toys, games, books and science kits.

FAQ

Is the Science and Industry Museum really free?

Yes, general admission is free, and so are Experiment and the early-years activities. Special exhibitions and Power Up need separate tickets in addition to your free museum ticket, and the museum’s own site has current details on those.

Can we bring our own lunch?

Yes. You can bring your own food and eat it in the signposted picnic areas, including the bistro on Level 1, which is open as an indoor picnic space.

What happens if we miss our time slot?

The museum says it will do its best to fit you in. If it has reached capacity, you may be asked to wait or to book again for another date and time.

Can I take photos of my children?

Yes, hand-held cameras and phones are allowed for private, non-commercial use. Do not photograph or film other people without their permission, and do not use cameras in areas signed as restricted. Tripods and lighting need prior arrangement.

Official sources: scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk · scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk · scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk

Last checked: 8 October 2026 against the pages linked above. Prices, opening hours and programmes change; the venue’s own site always has the current details.