From a journey around the body, to the birth of computing to lifting a mini, there’s a great day out at the Science and Industry Museum this February half term.
From Saturday 12th to Sunday 27th February, families can find plenty of science-filled fun and discovery at one of Manchester’s most loved attractions, exploring a whole host of family favourites alongside brand-new construction and body-themed experiences every day during the holiday.
Come and discover the fascinating science behind our bodies through activities especially created to mark the museum’s newest exhibition, the world-first Cancer Revolution: Science, innovation and hope.
Every day the museum’s team of Explainers will be presenting activities that will reveal some of the different ways we can see inside our bodies at Science Stops across the museum, from microscopes and magnets to high-tech cameras and the chance to make a model cell badge to take away.
Fans of the 1965 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang can discover the charming final work of one of Britain’s best loved artists and sculptors, Rowland Emett, the creator of the inventions of ‘Caractacus Potts’ in the classic film.
On display in Manchester for the first time in the museum’s Textiles Gallery visitors can see two scenes from the fantastical work of art named, A Quiet Afternoon in the Cloud Cuckoo Valley, telling the story of a journey aboard the imaginary ‘Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway,’ based on one of his cartoons.
The two scenes—Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway featuring the ‘Wild Goose’ locomotive, and Oyster Creek—come to life four times a day (11:30, 12, 13:30 and 14:00). Treating visitors to the whirring of cogs and characters toasting teacakes and diving, while also revealing what this whimsical sculpture has in common with the museum’s thundering textiles machinery.
If that wasn’t enough, the Revolution Manchester Show is back to bring the Mancunian ideas that changed the world to life in a fun and interactive, high-paced experience.
Visitors can continue to find amazing stories in the rest of the galleries including Experiment, a favourite among family visitors, where science is brought to life through a series of interactive exhibits, from lifting a Mini car to creating a hurricane. Step out into our cobbled Upper Yard to see what’s springing to life in our Planting Stories garden and see the museum’s multi-million pound restoration programme taking shape
Especially for our youngest visitors, Mini Movers is back for half term inviting little people to roll, clank, whirr and clack their way round the Textiles Gallery thinking about how the machines in the museum and construction currently taking place across the siteworks.
Plus make sure you ask for the museum’s new Construction Packs which include wooden tools, high vis jackets and hard hats for Mini Inventors to use to explore the museum and construction work happening on site.
For older families there is the unmissable Cancer Revolution: Science, innovation and hope.
Created with support from expert partner Cancer Research UK, it is the first major object-rich exhibition to explore the revolution in science transforming cancer care – giving visitors the opportunity to discover the past, present and future of how cancer is prevented, detected and treated. Suitable for children aged 8 and older, free tickets are available to book online.
The Science and Industry Museum is currently going through a multi-million pound restoration programme, meaning some areas including the Power Hall remain closed to the public. However, there’s still plenty for families to do, see and enjoy during the holiday period.
Tickets for February half term are available now and can be booked in advance through the museum’s website (www.scienceandindustrymuseum.
Other activities available at the Science and Industry Museum include:
The Revolution Manchester Show (Ages 5+)
Daily from 12 – 27 February: 11.15 and 13.00
Join our expert Explainers for an action-packed show that tells the story of how science met industry right here in Manchester, building our world and shaping our lives today.
Meet Baby demonstration (Ages 12+)
Wednesday – Friday
The Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine, nicknamed ‘Baby’, was the first computer to store and run a program. Watch volunteers run our replica Baby and see how far computing has come since 1948.
