Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester facts for kids
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The vehicle collection in the Museum of Transport
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| Established | 27 May 1979 |
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| Location | Cheetham Hill, Manchester, UK |
| Type | Transport museum |
| Accreditation | Arts Council England |
| Collections | Horse buses, buses, trolleybuses, trams, transport-related objects and documents |
| Owner | TfGM and Greater Manchester Transport Society |
| Public transit access |   Queens Road |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Bus Depot and Transport Museum | |
| Designated: | 19 June 1988 |
| Reference #: | 1247471 |
The Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester is a cool place to visit. It helps keep the history of public transport alive. This includes buses, trams, and trolleybuses. You can find it in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester, in North West England.
Contents
Discovering the Museum's History
The museum first opened its doors in 1979. It is located on Boyle Street in Cheetham Hill. Many dedicated volunteers help run the museum every day. They make sure everything works smoothly for visitors.
The Museum Building's Past
The museum is inside an old bus depot. This building was once used by Manchester Corporation Transport. It was built in 1928 for buses. There was also an electric tram shed nearby from 1901.
Later, in 1935, a roof was added between the old tram shed and the bus depot. This created the lower hall of the museum. The original tram shed is still used today. It is a bus depot for Go North West. The whole group of buildings became a special listed building in 1988. This means they are important for history.
The museum became a registered charity in 1980. This helps it get support to continue its work.
Exploring the Collection
The museum has a huge collection of vehicles. It holds about 80 buses! Around 70 of these are kept at the museum site. This makes it one of the largest collections in the UK.
What Vehicles Can You See?
Because the building is so big, some vehicles are stored off-site. The museum often changes which vehicles are on display. This means there's always something new to see! Also, some vehicles travel to events around the country in summer.
The museum's collection is always growing. You can often see people working to fix up old vehicles. This is called restoration work.
Besides buses, the museum also has two trolleybuses. These are from Manchester and Ashton-under-Lyne. You can also see a special tram body. This was a test model for the Manchester Metrolink.
Other Cool Items
It's not just vehicles here! The museum also has many other interesting objects. You can see old transport signs and uniforms. There are also vehicle parts and ticketing machines.
Did you know? The museum even has items used by Warner Bros.! These were for the movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Research and Archives
The museum has a large collection of old documents. These are called archives. They include old timetables, maps, and posters. You can even find old manuals and plans. If you want to research, you can make an appointment to see them.
There's also a collection of old photos. Many of these are online. You can find them on the GMTS account on Flickr.com.
Fun Events at the Museum
The museum hosts many regular events throughout the year. These are great times to visit!
- February: A special event for Morris Minor cars.
- May: A themed event with different activities.
- September: The museum takes part in UK Heritage Open Days.
- October: Another fun themed event.
- December: The Christmas Cracker! This is a market day for special shops and booksellers.
In 2023, the museum had a 'twilight running day'. Visitors could ride the old buses into the evening. For most events, a special heritage bus service runs. It goes from Manchester Victoria station to the museum. Buses run every 20 minutes from 9:50 AM to 5:00 PM.
Finding the Museum
The museum is about 2 miles north of Manchester city centre. It's near where the A665 (Cheetham Hill Road) and A6010 (Queens Road) meet. It is next to the Go North West bus garage on Boyle Street.
The Queens Road tram stop is very close. It's only about 200 meters away. Bus services 41, 135, and 151 also stop nearby. You can find signs to the museum from the Manchester Fort shopping centre.
The museum is open on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Public Holidays. It opens at 10:00 AM and closes at 4:30 PM. It is closed during Christmas and New Year.
See also
- Science and Industry Museum
- List of museums in Greater Manchester
- List of transport museums
- Listed buildings in Manchester-M8
