This September marks another month of Heritage Open Days, offering free access to some of our most wonderous cultural, historical and heritage sites. One of the Manchester spots taking part in this year’s event is our very own Science and Industry Museum which, alongside other activities, is offering free behind-the-scenes tours.
Go behind-the-scenes, discover rarely seen archive material and get creative with transport-themed arts and crafts with the museum’s programme of free activities inspired by this year’s Heritage Open Days theme of ‘Everyday Histories‘.
Behind the scenes tours
12–13 September, 11am, 1pm and 3pm
Join museum curators on a special walking tour for behind-the-scenes access to the museum’s historic spaces, including some that are temporarily closed while conservation and repair work is underway, such as the iconic 1830 Station and 1830 Warehouse.
Explore the history of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, imagining what everyday life would have been like for the workers and passengers who filled the site almost two centuries ago.
How to book: You can sign up for a tour when you arrive at the museum. Capacity is limited – arrive in good time to avoid disappointment.
Dive into museum archives
12–13 September, drop-in at 11.30am and 1.30pm
Discover archive material in the Research Study Area in a drop-in session led by a team of expert archivists. Uncover stories behind the Manchester-based engineering firm Beyer, Peacock and Company, as well as inventor Herbert William Garratt, designer of the company’s iconic Beyer-Garratt locomotives, pioneering photographer James Mudd, and other fascinating individuals whose work helped shape the company’s industrial story.
Get hands-on with Manchester’s histories
12–13 and 19–20 September, drop in, 10am–5pm
Get creative with activities for all ages, inspired by this year’s Heritage Open Days theme ‘Everyday Histories‘. Budding inventors will take inspiration from the museum’s historic collections from Manchester and the North West, working together to design their very own heritage engines.
Discover Manchester’s revolutionary railway
13 September, 11.15am and 12.15pm
Join Highlights volunteers for an introduction into the museum’s historic site and buildings. Hear the story of Liverpool Road Station and how it revolutionised the world as the terminus of the first inter-city passenger railway line.
Discover how the railway station and historic buildings were transformed into the present-day museum, and look to the future to upcoming plans to create an innovative, more sustainable site.
Times may be subject to change. Speak to a member of staff on the day of your visit for more information.
The Station Agent’s House
12–13 September, drop-in, 10am–4pm
Explore one of the city’s oldest surviving Georgian houses, once home to the Station Agent working on the world’s first passenger railway. The Grade I listed property was reopened in 2024 as a city centre holiday let by UK restoration charity, The Landmark Trust, who worked with the museum to restore the house and make it accessible to the public and enjoyed as a residence for the first time in 100 years.
