Manchester Museum

Had a great time visiting here today. Was free but booked the triceratops exhibition in advance. I recommended leaving a donation if you can afford it though. Egyptian room was excellent, lots of dinosaurs as well. Lot of exhibits on multiple topics. The South Asia gallery was interesting and thought provoking as well. I spent three hours there but I read everything 😀

We visited Manchester for the weekend and managed to squeeze in a trip to the museum. It’s a great space, thoughtfully divided into three main sections, which made exploring really enjoyable. However, I did feel that the African section seemed to lack resources or materials compared to the others — though it’s possible I may have missed something. Overall, it was still a worthwhile visit.

Great place to visit for a couple of hours. Went mainly to see the triceratops skull which is on display until February and it was well worth seeing! Plenty of things to see including other dinosaurs and fossils. Egyptian mummies and other artefacts too. Free to enter but need to book tickets for triceratops- still free though. Donations are of course welcome.

Had a wonderful visit to Manchester Museum. Kids love the Dinosaurs exhibit, l would definitely visit again . We found it very educational and entertaining. The shop was ok, as well not to overpriced.

I had a fantastic visit to Manchester Museum! It’s an incredible place for anyone who loves history, culture, and science. The museum has such a wide variety of exhibits — from fascinating ancient Egyptian artifacts to natural history displays and beautifully curated cultural collections. The dinosaur skeletons and wildlife exhibits were especially impressive and well-presented. Everything is thoughtfully organized, making it easy to explore at your own pace. The atmosphere is welcoming, educational, and perfect for families, students, or even solo visitors. I also appreciated how informative and engaging the displays were — you can really learn something new in every section. The building itself is beautiful and adds to the overall experience. If you’re visiting Manchester, this museum is definitely worth your time. A truly enriching and enjoyable experience!

This is a great museum and can be done in about 2-3 hours and is good for all ages. It's free to get in but you can make a donation. The vivarium was very popular. The gift shop had some good and interesting items for souvenirs or gifts. There is an elevator for those with strollers or that can't do stairs. They're are several different sections to see. The Egyptian section has a real mummified person that you can view, along with their sarcophagus. There are taxidermy animals and the skeleton of a whale. Lots to see and definitely worth a visit. There is even a good cafe attached for a snack once you're done.

Had a great time roaming the galleries of Manchester Museum. TheT-Rex exhibition running at present is fun and informative for kids and adults. It was awesome to see parents and children exploring the displays together. Admission is free! The rickshaw piece in the South Asia gallery is a must-see. I was surprised to find the museum had a Vivarium as well - a collection of live animals - cool frogs and lizards. Make time to stop in! November 29, 2025 C&J

Excellent museum! Generally when one visits any museum, there is an overall sense of overwhelm and mental fatigue beyond the first few rooms. The sheer number of artefacts and all of the information regarding their history, tends to land as a massive water-hose of siloed facts, where one must consider what their meaning is within their own contexts and to this current place and time. That is not the case here, although it is indeed a smaller museum than the scale of The Natural History Museum in London, or the MET in New York, etc. it is well worth a visit. This Museum that is unique, in that each collection is framed for significance to you, the current observer, explaining the relationship of these artefacts within their cultural context, across time, and with tracking of ideas and attitudes. It signposts their relevance to your current experience, and does so for each section, not overgeneralising. They also feature the history of the people within the city’s demographic, not in a colonial, imperialist way, but in a respectful and dignified way of showing positive cultural impacts from cultures that emigrated to these areas and have imbedded history within the British context. You can really get a feel for the city and its best values walking through the collection. I get the sense from reading the information prioritised that there are some very considerate and well-rounded scientists and curators at the University of Manchester, who think about the impact of these collections. Overall it increases my respect for the city and the museum, to know there was a meta-cognition process happening, when rising above the simple presentation of items, to thinking about others’ thoughts of them, and finally encouraging that process in the viewer and responding to it ahead of time. Certain museums here get a bad rep for not mentioning the imperialist methods of building their collections which are often unethical. Here, that entire discussion is centred, and talked about. They are comfortable and experienced with discourse around hard topics, and it shows. They even have booklets which discuss and inform about the ethical considerations of museums, and the reasons for their approach. My only wish is that it was bigger and more well-funded, as it has a lot to teach the larger institutions. Bigger museums take note! This is the future :) Transparency AND creativity! I thoroughly enjoyed my time here and loved the atmosphere. Felt safe and welcomed.

Imagine it is 150 years ago, and you are a rich, white English dude. You travel the world and simply help yourself to whatever catches the fancy of your magpie little brain. You plunder flora and fauna, antiquities, important cultural objects from other peoples. You compete with other rich, white dudes to create the biggest collection of the most random things someone could think of. "I have one of every butterfly on each of the inhabited continents!" "Oh yeah, my stuffed 2-toed sloth is bigger than yours!" Fast forward to the present, and the current caretakers of this hodgepodge of objects of dubious provenance are tasked with creating cohesive exhibits for the public. There are some really interesting pieces in the museum. I was able to hold a 2,000 year-old carved stone perfum vial. See the cross section of a turtle skeleton (so cool how the spines follow the inner curve of the shell), admire a stuffed porcupine. It was fascinating to think about what caught the fancy of people in the past. I would have loved to have seen more discussion of how these objects came to be, and what that tells us about classism, racism, and the history of imperialism. Be that as it may, I'm glad to see that someone's past light fingeredness is at least entertaining and educating the public today, instead of collecting dust in a storage facility somewhere.

This is a very impressive museum full of artifacts and exhibits. We loved everything about this museum and the best part was the entrance is free! They have artifacts from Egypt, Africa, and many locations. They have quite a bit of wild animal exhibits representing the different species in the UK. They have a nice cafe to sit and rest also. They have a lift. I definitely recommend this museum. So nice and so much to see.

One of my favourite museums. I love the animal section and the vivarium with live amphibians and reptiles in it. The dinosaur area is also a highlight. Big museum with lots to learn about

Looking for free things to do in manchester, this was worth the trip. Although we came an hour before close, we were able to zip through. Azaraa Montana's artwork- if I had the funds to purchase, I would. I love the two cultures displayed in her art. It's a reminder of what my parents sacrificed to move to US and have to feel like we had choose between culture and fitting in. Most beautiful We met a friend here that was a solo traveler from London and we continued our friendship, thanks to the Manchester museum!

Amazing museum. I love our museums int North. If youre looking for a blend of Art, History, and fossils, etc. this is your place

'Climate Control Exhibition' Considering I work around the corner from the Museum, I have never been to one of the exhibitions at Manchester Museum. I am here to review the opening of the 'Climate Control exhibition' which is due to be opened by Dame Vivianne Westwood. Walking round the exhibition they have amazing pieces of art about Manchester and how far we have come regarding climate change. There are many references for example to the 'Manchester Moths' which represent industrial Manchester. The darker moths were covered in a thick smutt from the air from the factory's. As the factories began to close down, years later the moths return to their lighter normal colour. I liked how this exhibition was interactive with the public. Getting people to think about climate change, they had a voting system where you put counters into a jar to ask if 'climate change impacts you or not' and they elements where you could right your views on the wall about climate change and the global environment. The exhibition is FREE is from 11th May till 4th September 2016 I would recommend you go and see it! The have an nice cafe inside the museum called 'the tea pot' which does nice salads and cakes yum

It had been a few years since i had been to the Manchester Museum so i was very much looking forward to taking my niece there for the afternoon. Firstly, it's free entry to the museum (donations are welcome) which makes for a very cheap and cheerful day out. Secondly, the museum is huge and takes a while to get around as there's so much to see! A particular favourite of mine is the Egyptian exhibition and of course, my niece loved the pre-historic display and of course, the huge T-Rex.

I love going to museums. LOVE IT. It's one of my favourite things to do, whether I'm in Glasgow or on holidays. But it's not for the exhibitions, the history or the educational experience. It's because museums tend to have amazing gift shops which appeal to my inner nerd and consumerist. Manchester Museum is no exception. Their gift shop had a lot of dinosaur stuff, on theme with their displays and I was pretty impressed. What I was most impressed by however was the bling gold and bronze dinosaurs, filled with sand for just £2 (see photo!). I got two. The shop assistant wasn't as excited as I was, but these were some of my favourite purchases while we were in Manchester. As for the museum? It's ok. It's definitely a bit more on the boring side, and the best thing about it was the dinosaur exhibition but that was overrun by school children so it was hard to appreciate.

I hadn't been to Manchester Museum for a good few years and this was the most flying visits of flying visits but it really does look like they've put quite a bit in to it recently to modernise the exhibitions and shop. I really enjoyed the Siberian special exhibition that they have at the moment (Nov 2014) - was really interesting to read all about the indigenous people, plus they had some pretty cool features like siberian tiger teeth, mammoth trunks etc. It's free entry and probably 10-15 mins walk from Manchester Oxford Road Station so check it out if you're nearby and looking for a bit of culture.

Great place to take the family! Currently they have an Egyptian exhibit, dinosaur bones, and lots of great stuffed animals. Fun, educational, and free! The museum has such a prestigious collection. Worth a visit!

I first visited the Manchester Museum when visiting the city for the first time after accepting my place at the University. I remember being particularly impressed by the promise of a special exhibition of the Lindow Bog Man, a temporary artefact on loan from the British Museum. Despite being slightly disappointed by the postmodernist approach to the exhibition, all exposed chipboard display boxes and 1980s Blue Peter annuals, the Bog Man was absolutely splendid and a truly remarkable thing to behold. The details preserved by the contents of the peat were incredible: every eyelash intact, wrinkles immortalised and the macabre fibres of the garrotte around his flattened neck visible to all who dared look closely enough. Since the Lindow Man has returned to London, I have explored other sections of the museum and have to say that the menagerie of taxidermied animals from around the globe is particularly engaging. Combined with the Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton and the horrifyingly large spider crab on display, the museum offers a really thrilling day out for all ages. Its location, within the more gothic quarters of the University, add to the sense of Victorian voyeurism and desire to be startled.

When I was at Manchester uni and living on the Oxford Road, I visited this museum on numerous occasions, and was always able to find something I hadn't noticed the time before. Personally, my favourite part is the part with the live animals, as described by Emma-Louise. I didn't discover this part until I'd been a couple of times, as I never bothered looking at a map and the layout can be quite confusing. The changing exhibitions on the top floor can also be interesting - at the moment there is a photographic exhibition about polar bears. Recently I took my 8-year-old niece here. I knew she'd enjoy the T-Rex (which kid wouldn't?), the mummies and the whale but was surprised at the amount of time she spent examining all of the stuffed animals - an area that I would normally wander straight through in favour of seeing the real animals. On the top floor she spent another hour or so colouring and tracing the animals at the little activity benches, and we literally had to drag her away from the museum as we still had the Museum of Science and Industry to visit! If you're visiting Manchester, I would definitely recommend a visit here along with Urbis, the Imperial War Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry - all great for kids and none of them will cost you a penny!

This is super-cool for a free museum. Housing everything from dinosaur bones and Egyptian casks to ancient weaponry, Roman treasures dug up in Manchester and a vivarium full of uber-cute, exotic frogs, Manchester Museum is a great way to spend an hour or two when you're in need of a culture fix. On your way into the museum, you'll be greeted by a window display featuring a (dead) giant spider crab. If I'd known they existed before, I don't think I'd have ever swam in the sea. This is one creature I never want the pleasure of meeting. If you're into history, there's a lot to read. And if you've got kids, there's plenty for them to see and do too (but maybe keep them away from the collection of human bones and skulls if they're prone to nightmares). I really liked the taxidermy bit as it's the closest I'll ever get to the blood-thirsty jaws of a tiger, lion, or crocodile (I hope so, anyway). There are hundreds of other cool stuffed animals to point and laugh at too. Honestly, there is so much to see at MM, it's difficult to take everything in at once, so my other half and I have decided we'll go back and have another gander soon.

Like many other museums in Manchester and all over England, also this one is free of charge. Nicely located within the Manchester University campus, you can see various interesting exhibits dealing with natural history, ecological & climate changes, archaeology and many other current biological issues. What I particularly liked was the focus on how humans are mistreating our ecological wonders on this planet and how we can change to actually make it better. Very important subjects being dealt with, but always presented in an interesting and motivating way. Truly great museum!

The last time I was at the Manchester Museum, a load of suits walked out chatting. I thought - this isn't right.. But then you actually get inside and its all toddlers with pigtails staring at the giant tree trunk and wanting to grab it, their mother waiting by the pram. The Museum, to its credit, has some pretty damn old stuff in there so if thats what you are after then have a peek inside (its free, by the way). In fact if you just want some peace and quiet, then now is the time to go: the summer was bustling with school kids but for the time being its just the enthusiastic volunteers at the Object Handling Tables. Complete with their laminated cards about how old this fossil is or what animal made this footprint. Their massive dinosaur is impressive, but its just a cast of the one in the Natural History Museum. I was most enamoured by their glass cases of crystals and pretty rocks. I was heard to say 'You could put that on a necklace and it wouldn't be that heavy' about some calcite or graphite. A centre of learning then..

You may get lost in the Manchester Museum but it's a good thing. It's huuge, it's divided into zone A and B and spans on four floors containing temporary exhibitions, rocks and minerals, pre-historic life, ancient Egypt, nature, mediterranean Archaeology, live animals and tons more. Things for the children such as the life lab and the play and learn area but also us adults learn something new too. Currently the Darwin exhibition is very impressive. Follow a timeline of how Darwin rose to be the man he is renowned for today. There's even a little Darwin collection of books and papers in the corner to reflect on. I was quite surprised about the live reptiles and amphibian section, it felt a bit cruel but it's for the close care and study of the little creatures and apparently does its best to replicate its true environment. As I walked around I could see children and adults faces light up with curiosity and amazement. It is very popular indeed with many tours going on too. Best of all it is free but I always like to give a little donation.

I'll be back! It's our own fault that our visit to this museum was rushed but in the time we were there we managed to see 3 different periods. I am always interested in the Italian or Roman artifacts which did not disappoint. The taxidermy section was creepy as usual but I did like the butterfly displays. The reptiles were a no show - probably had enough of tourists gawping and were not going to reappear for us late stragglers. Although we were ushered out (and rightly so) at closing time, it was a gentle nudge to the door. The museum is over a few levels but easy to get around. Have to see more on offer in this beautiful building.

A superb museum at the University of Manchester. It has some incredible exhibits including an Egyptian collection which was really cool!! I also loved the new Siberia exhibit: At the edge of the world, though its only on until the 1st march. Every exhibit was really interesting and informative and some of the exhibits are hundreds of years old. The Museum also has a vast array of stuffed animals from around the world. It really is a great place to visit if you haven't been before!

I've not been here since I was a kid and I remember being amazed last time I went. Absolutely nothing has changed !! The displays are brilliant and they have a great exhibition on about Siberia at the minute. A personal favourite here for me is the Egyptian and mummy exhibition which I remember seeing when I was only young. It was even better today and they have great examples of sarcophagus's and even a mummified Egyptian to look at if that's your thing ! (So my thing) Great natural life exhibition as ever, plenty of skeletons and stuffed animals. They have great big skeletons of a sperm whale and an elephant (which has a lovely story accompanying it so keep an eye out). They even still have the giant spider crab on display which haunted my dreams for years as a child haha. The most exciting thing at this museum however is the vivarium full of live frogs and lizards in their enclosures. Worth a visit, a great one for all ages and 100% free ! (Although a donation is appreciated ! )

It had been flipping ages since I went to this museum, so I thought it was high time to take the 'rents there in my lunch hour and relive it all. My dad studied zoology and is full of scientific know-how, so he's superb to have at a museum. He's the original tour guide. The two operative words in this update are 'lunch hour'. Reviewers have commented on the relative small size of this museum compared to behemoths of a similar nature, but for me, this is one of its assets. Grab yourself a nice lunch or hot coffee in Café Muse, perhaps a bit o' cake, then have a quick whip round the museum. This time my parents and I partook in the Ancient Egypt section with its awesome relics, artifacts and of course the stars of the show, the mummies, then scooted over to see good ol' Stan the T Rex. Remember that this is not so much a skeleton as a *cast* of a real T Rex skeleton, because of course to put an actual T ex skeleton up there in that fierce running position would cause all kinds of mishaps. Just know that Stan exists, and his cast replica is darn near perfect. It's the next best thing! Oh and don't forget the spider crab, not that you'll miss it. The creepy arachnid crustacean stares at you from the street its glass case, but you can take the upper hand by stalking up behind it while you're in the museum. Take that, spider crab. Not so scary now are you. (Disclaimer: nothing stops the spider crab from being anything short of terrifying.)

I had a great time at the Manchester Museum with its entertaining natural history and anthropology collections. The vivarium is particularly great - so many beautiful tiny BUT DEADLY frogs! I also enjoyed the old architecture - there is a fun completely superfluous double bridge in the taxidermy hall. It's absolutely great for kids - there's a major Egyptian collection as well as, of course, lots of hilarious/scary/beautiful stuffed animals. Navigation is a bit confusing, the main entrance feels like a side door, but there are free maps on hand. Overall, it's punching well above its weight for a university museum - a massive asset to the city. And free!

The Manchester Museum is in such close proximity to both the city centre and the university that it attracts everyone and anyone. Go midweek and you're likely to be surrounded by students wasting time between lectures, go at the weekend and it's more likely to be mummies, daddies, grannies and grandpa's shuffling around and taking in the wonders that the museum has to offer. I myself was the wasting-time-between-lectures individual, especially when I found out that they had animals upstairs; bright green lizards, striped snakes, and frogs hiding away in foliage. What better way to spend that time? And no, the library doesn't count. My most recent trip to the museum was for an evening event called 'Breed: After Hours' in connection with one of the new exhibitions about the English and their dogs. I read about it online thought 'free event, there's probably wine, and this will potentially push away my want for a dog for at least a little while' so along I went. Boyf in tow, we were greeted by a really friendly woman, given a quick talk about what was going on around us, and handed raffle tickets to trade in for some Barefoot wine who were sponsoring the event. So, over to the Barefoot wine stall where we were given a choice of whites, reds, and roses and had a quick chat with the server about Barefoot wines and their involvement in charitable events. A quick stop at the Therapy Pets stall to have a look at what good dogs can do for those in need, lovely to see the docile whippet/greyhound being petted and bringing joy to those of us who would never admit to needing a therapy pet but secretly could do with it. Next was a set of 3 talks about 3 different breeds of dogs. We stayed for two, naturally, as we knew that, in the exhibition space, the breeds were actually there. The space the exhibition is in is right next to the gift shop; small but perfectly formed, the walls are colourful and super informative, a great place to bring children. Unfortunately the dogs were only here for this event but even the stuffed versions would've had me fascinated. The borzoi and the bloodhound were really friendly and gained a huge amount of attention due to their distinctive features and docile natures. All the handlers were very informative and great to chat with, well chosen by the museum for the event and the audience. Clever and interactive, just another tick in the box for this all-encompassing museum.

Want a way to spend a couple of hours, this place is perfect. The variety is great in this fairly little museum. Out of the three floors with 2 exhibits on each fllor we maybe missed out two by quick scanning rather then being engrossed like everything else. They have such variety from Ancient Egypt to most animals imaginable, from Space and Earth rock and amethysts to Dinosaurs and even live animals!! Well worth a visit and if you go say hi to Stan from me :)

An amazing place to visit. Very interesting and fun. There are many different exhibitions to visit, each with its own unique and captivating characteristics. There is also a lot of beautiful displays to see and interact with making sure you are never bored throughout your whole visit. A great experience.

This is a wonderful resource for Manchester - this museum has something for everyone. It is definitely worth the short walk down Oxford Road and it's beautiful building offers an impressive welcome. The most recent exhibition spaces offer very unique insights into natural, social and environmental aspects of human life and their ethnography section is very well done with a strong Manchester focus. The changing exhibitions are always interesting and worth a visit so even if you have visited recently there's always something new to see. The vivarium is my highlight - go and meet Rainbow the chameleon. He's a champ.

Museums with stuffed animals have never been my favourites. But I wanted to give it a try as I am curious to discover new places in general. I always fear in natural museum to be overwhelmed by tones of mixed stones and butterflies that I can't really appreciate because I am not a specialist. What I really liked there was the way the collection was organised : not necessary by kind of species but by a common theme that bring them together. There are not to much information and there is a balance between interactive content and classic presentation. ( I really hate places when you feel like being in a kid amusement park. The exhibition " Siberia at the edge of the world) was not as huge as. I expected and I was a bit deceived by the informations provided , but overall , I really liked the place .

I didn't find this museum as impressive as some other reviewers. Maybe it's because I grew up in London at the massive museums there, maybe it's just because I'm a jaded scrooge. I really like it though. It isn't huge (though it's larger than it looks) and it's exhibits aren't awe-inspiring. But it doesn't try to be what it isn't, and focusses very successfully on maximising what it is. The museum is a mix of history, a bit of science and everything from geology to Darwin to weapons to taxidermy (and at one point, a great exhibit on money). It doesn't work on the show-stopping like the national museums in London, it focusses on making exhibits which are genuinely interesting and not something you will necessarily have seen before. The museum also has a few unique points. The taxidermy section is brilliantly done, but the stand out for me is the vivarium (reptile house). Here are about 8 or 9 cases with a few frogs or lizards in (and in one case, two snakes) which you can just watch. Since the museum is fairly poorly visited and fairly large, if you want to just relax in the student centre of Manchester this is a great place to do it, and I have spent many a 30 minutes or so just quietly enjoying the atmosphere. Definitely worth a couple of visits to see it all, probably worth going back to again and again.

This building has the kind of inner structure that dominates my recurring dreams. Really only two long rows of glass cases, all stuffed animals gazing out as disinterested old me tries to read but gets bored quickly, but it's the number, the number. Glass cases, dead-alive animals. Fusty smell, no fresh air. And the creaking old man at the door who wishes you to come back soon.

As a parent, anything that is FREE and fills you child with ideas, invokes a wild imagination (and keeps them happy for at least 1 hour) is a winner every time! The first time my son saw the huge T-Rex skeleton he practically scaled my leg into my arms... absolutely hilarious! I did tell him they call him Stan, he thought that actually Stan was friendly and calm was restored. They also have temporary exhibits that will keep parents happy on the many return visits your child will ask for over and over again. It does get a little busy at the weekends, and is very quite during the week.

Waltz past the main buildings of the University of Manchester's central campus and take your time. You'll soon spot a gigantic crab (literally 5 foot across) in a glass case. Take a look around and you'll realise your stood outside the university Museum. Inside you'll find the pieces that remind you of Ben Stiller's Night in the Museum, Mummies, Giant crystals, Poison arrow dart frogs!! And a t-rex skeleton!!! (Deserves 3 apostrophes) take you back to the days of school trips and blowing fivers in the museum shop. The venue is always home to a study of particular interest, currently on righting this review its Charles Darwin and an exhibit sits in memory of him and his work. It plays host to one of the biggest collections of preserved fauna, including polar bears, lions and giant whale skeletons. Great fun for the kids (as they gawp at the huge animals in their stuffed serenity through the glass boxes). Genuinely interesting for the adults.

Free entry, an interesting collection, and a very manageable size means a good review for the University of Manchester's Museum. The place is largely focused on natural history, with a wide range of exhibits, from dinosaurs to fish. I also enjoyed learning about topics as varied as ancient Egypt and climate change. The place is suitable for children and adults alike, and it's certainly worth a stop for a couple of hours when in the city. Touring around the nice campus of the university also makes this museum worth the trip.

Leave behind the modern times, and get into this amazing building that will take you to different centuries. I took my mom to this place, when she came here to visit me. She was fascinated. She was excited, saying that all the time when Discovery channel presents something about museums, the Manchester's one is always in there. When you get in there, on the left you can find a little shop, where you can buy few things to remind you of the place. Books as well, few bracelets that look from the olden days, or just greeting cards. One of the rooms, is being changed all the times. It's reserved to new artist that are in search for a bit of recognition. The rest of the building is full of history and notes to make you go back in time and live even for a minute, in the same era with maybe dinosaurs or rare birds. I personally love museums in general, but this one is maybe so special because it was the first one that I've visited since I've been in Manchester. P.S, don't expect to see only weird stuff from the past, you will see living frogs and few snakes as well.

Manchester Museum is definitely worth a visit especially if you have kids as it's a great free day out. There are lots of different exhibits with the highlights for me being the Egyptian collection and the natural history section. There are several mummies and lots of Egyptian artefacts to look at. In the natural history part you can look at real life lizards and poison arrow frogs. There are a few hands on exhibits too. The café is very nice and is run by Teacup who also have a café in the Northern Quarter so the food quality is high. I'd definitely recommend the carrot cake.

Very disappointed. I visit a lot of museums, this was poorly presented, displays lacked depth and information cards poorly lit and presented. I did a 60 mile round trip and will not be visiting again and could not recommend it.