Museum of Science and Industry

Step back nearly 200 years with a visit to one of Manchester’s most popular attractions, the Museum of Science and Industry, also known as MOSI. Located in Castlefield, this expansive museum takes up five old and gorgeous buildings and packs in quite the stories over its acreage. The site alone is worth a visit – here, visitors can actually stand on the platform of the oldest surviving train station.

Manchester has quite a lot to share with visitors in terms of its contribution to science and industry. With 12 permanent exhibitions, the city does a fantastic job putting its accomplishments on display in the form of actual historical objects. Contained within the museum are not only aircrafts like the impressive RAF AVRO Shackleton and the Supermarine Spitfire, but also a working cotton mill, locomotives (including one that people can ride on the weekends and bank holidays), the first computer and more. Interactive opportunities like crawling through an old sewer, settling into the Planetarium to do some star-gazing, and a 4D theatre complete with moving seats and sprays of water are other informative and fun ways to learn about the city’s rich history.

Practical Info

The Museum of Science and Industry is located minutes from the city center on Liverpool Road in Castlefield. The nearest train station is Deansgate and is a five minute walk, as is the nearest tram station (Deansgate-Castlefield). If arriving by bus, take number 33 from Piccadilly Gardens in the city center. It stops directly in front of the museum. With five buildings, 12 exhibits and a rotating schedule of special events, plan on taking a good part of the day to explore the museum.