Hotels near Science and Industry Museum

The Science and Industry Museum occupies the site of Liverpool Road Station, the oldest surviving passenger railway station in the world, opened in 1830 as the Manchester terminus of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Entry is free. The Power Hall holds one of the largest collections of working steam mill engines anywhere, and when the engineers fire them up the floor moves under your feet. The Textiles Gallery runs live demonstrations of the spinning and weaving machinery that built the city's fortune and its slums in roughly equal measure.

Allow two to three hours. The site spreads across five listed buildings, so it feels larger than the map suggests. Special exhibitions occasionally carry a charge, usually GBP 10 or under, but the permanent galleries never do. Families should head straight for the Experiment gallery on the ground floor.

Pro Tip: Check the daily demonstration board at the entrance before you do anything else. The steam engine runs are scheduled, usually late morning and mid afternoon, and the museum is far less interesting if you miss them.