Science and Industry Museum facts for kids
The Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, England, is a super cool place that shows how science, technology, and industry have grown over time. It especially highlights the amazing things Manchester has achieved in these areas!
The museum is part of the Science Museum Group, which means it's connected to other big science museums. It has lots of exhibits about different types of transport, like cars and trains. You can also learn about how power works, from water to steam and electricity. Plus, there are displays on Manchester's old sewerage systems, textiles (how clothes are made), and how we communicate and use computing.
This museum is a special "Anchor Point" on the European Route of Industrial Heritage, which is like a trail connecting important industrial sites across Europe. It's built on the site of the world's very first passenger railway station, Manchester Liverpool Road, which opened way back in 1830! The old station building and its warehouse are so important they are "Grade I listed," meaning they are protected historical buildings.
Entrance structure reflecting its science/industrial themes
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| Established | 15 September 1983 |
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| Location | Liverpool Road, Manchester, England |
| Type | Science museum |
| Visitors | 556,523 (2019) |
| Public transit access | Metroshuttle  – Green Route |
| National Museum of Science and Industry | |
| National Media Museum · National Railway Museum (Shildon Locomotion Museum) · Science Museum (Dana Centre, Science Museum Swindon) | |
Contents
A Look Back: Museum History
The museum first opened its doors in 1969. Back then, it was called the North Western Museum of Science and Industry. It started in a temporary spot on Grosvenor Street in Chorlton-on-Medlock.
The museum had strong connections with the University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology (UMIST). Many of its early exhibits came from the university's history of science and technology department.
In 1978, the local council bought the oldest part of the Liverpool Road station from British Rail. The station had closed a few years earlier in 1975. The council paid only £1 for the site, which is a super small amount! The museum officially opened at this new, much bigger location on 15 September 1983. Over time, it grew to take over the entire old station.
Since 2007, the museum has hosted an exciting annual science festival in Manchester. This festival brings science to life with lots of fun activities and shows.
In July 2021, the museum announced that its Air and Space Hall would close for good. The cool planes and space items that were on display there were either returned to their owners or will be shown in other parts of the museum in the future.
What You Can See: Exhibitions
The Science and Industry Museum has many cool things to explore!
Computing and Communications
This section shows how we've learned to talk to each other over long distances and how computers have changed.
- You can see a copy of the Manchester Baby. This was one of the very first electronic computers ever built!
- The Connected Earth gallery, which opened in 2007, tells the story of how people in Manchester and the North West of England have communicated throughout history.
Amazing Locomotives
The museum is home to some impressive trains and engines.
- Ericsson's Novelty – This is a copy of a very old train from 1829. It even uses some parts from the original!
- British Rail Class 77 No. 27001, also known as Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Dutch Railways) No. 1505, Ariadne. This is an electric train built in 1953.
- South African Railways GL class Garratt No. 2352 – This huge train was built in 1929 in Manchester.
- Pakistan Railways 4–4–0 No. 3157 – This train was originally built for the North Western Railway of India around 1911–1914.
Past Exhibitions
Some galleries that used to be at the museum have now been changed or removed.
- The Electricity Gallery used to show how electricity is made, sent out, and used.
- The Gas Gallery explored the history of the gas industry.
- Underground Manchester was a gallery about how cities handle sanitation and water supply.
- There was also a space-themed gallery with exhibits about space travel, space science, and even science fiction. This gallery was on the upper level of the Air and Space Hall, but it was removed because it became outdated.
Some Special Past Shows
The museum often hosts special, temporary exhibitions.
- Body Worlds 4 was a unique exhibition that showed the human body in detail. It was there from February to June 2008.
- LMR 57 Lion – This is Britain's oldest steam train that can still run! It was at the museum but moved to the Museum of Liverpool in 2007.
- Stephenson's Rocket – This famous old train was on display at the museum from September 2018 to September 2019.
The Museum's Railway
Until 2018, you could sometimes ride on special demonstration trains within the museum grounds. These trains were pulled by the museum's two working steam locomotives:
- Planet – This is a copy of a train built in 1830. The original Planet train pulled trains on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
- Agecroft No. 1 – This steam engine was built in 1948 for use at a power station. It was fixed up and started running again in 2011.
The museum's railway line used to connect to the main national train network. However, a new railway link called the Ordsall Chord was built in 2017. This new link cut off the museum's connection to the national network and made its own railway line much shorter. Because of this, train rides at the museum were stopped in 2019.
Amazing Industrial Machines
The museum has a huge collection of big machines that used to power factories and mills. These include steam engines, hot air engines, diesel engines, and giant electric generators. Many of these machines still work and are sometimes run for visitors to see! One special machine is the very last steam engine ever built to power a mill.
There's also an exhibit with spinning and weaving machines. These machines show you all the steps involved in turning wool into fabric. You can often see these machines running for a few minutes at certain times.
Nearby Developments
The museum is right next to a huge new development area called St John's Quarter. This area is being built on the old site of Granada Studios. A new arts venue called Factory opened next to the museum in 2023.
The museum is also planning to build a new Special Exhibition Gallery. This new gallery will be a place for exciting temporary shows. The museum is working with the developers of St John's Quarter to make the whole area a creative and cultural hub.
Images for kids
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Oddfellows Hall, the first home of the museum
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Exterior of the museum's Air and Space Hall
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NS 1505 Ariadne outside the museum
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