One of Manchester’s most visited museums is gearing up to host an array of special events and activities as it celebrates four decades of inspiring visitors with ideas that change the world.
The Science and Industry Museum is celebrating 40 years since opening on its site of significant global importance in the heart of Manchester. To mark the occasion, people visiting between Friday 15 – Sunday 17 September can take part in a host of free celebratory activities, including expert talks, behind-the-scenes tours and birthday-themed arts and crafts.
Since it opened at its current home in Castlefield on 15 September 1983, the museum has been devoted to exploring Manchester’s rich heritage and world-changing ideas, from the Industrial Revolution to today and beyond. It’s uniquely placed to tell this story – sitting on the site of the oldest surviving passenger railway station, in the heart of the world’s first industrial city, today alive with innovative discoveries in science and technology.
40th Birthday Activities
To mark its milestone, visitors can enjoy special ‘spotlight talks’ over the celebratory weekend. The free, 10-minute events will focus on the pioneering Liverpool Road Station and how it revolutionised the world, exploring how the station’s buildings were transformed into a museum and how that museum is now setting out a vision for a sustainable future. They will take place at 10.45, 11.45, 13.45 and 14.45 on Friday and Saturday.*
Those eager to see more of the site, which is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound regeneration project, can also join special walking tours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. During the 30-minute sessions, members of the public will be given behind-the-scenes access to the museum’s historic spaces, including some that are temporarily closed while conservation and repair work is underway. From here, they’ll be invited to explore its history, including its role in the birth of the industrial revolution, and imagining what life would have been like for the railway workers and passengers who filled the site almost two centuries ago. The free tours will take place on across the three days at 11.00, 13.00 and 15.00. Visitors can sign up for the tours at the front desk. Capacities are limited, so they are encouraged to arrive in good time to avoid disappointment. Large parts of the tours will be hosted outside, so they are also advised to dress for the weather.
Birthday-themed arts and crafts activities will also be available over the full weekend. Visitors can explore more about the city’s history of textiles production by creating personalised paper bunting or designing a birthday card, where they can also leave individual messages expressing what the museum means to them.
They can also join in with a birthday sing-along during the popular Revolution Manchester show – a free, action-packed science performance taking place at 10.30 and 13.30 on Friday, 10.30, 11.30, 13.30 and 14.30 on Saturday and 10.30 and 13.30 on Sunday. Throughout the weekend, visitors can also witness the museum’s team of expert Explainers show off their scientific party tricks during interactive ‘curiosity stops’.
A new digital discovery guide has also been made available online to celebrate the birthday. It supports visitors with the top 40 things to see, do and discover at the museum, from its most iconic objects to inspiring stories and interactive activities.
