National Football Museum

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National Football Museum

Urbis Building, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, M4 3BG
0161 605 8200
  • Thursday10:00am - 5:00pm
  • Friday10:00am - 5:00pm
  • Saturday10:00am - 5:00pm
  • Sunday10:00am - 5:00pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

The National Football Museum Manchester
Image courtesy of National Football Museum
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The National Football Museum is one of Manchester and the UK’s top attractions. Originally based in Preston, it’s been in Manchester for over a decade now, making the famous Urbis building its own and welcoming nearly half a million visitors a year to the city’s attractive Medieval Quarter.

When it comes to footballing cities, it’s hard to think of anywhere more suitable than Manchester. We welcome hundreds of thousands of visiting football fans each year and the city is home to both the world’s biggest club, Manchester United, and one of the most successful teams of recent years, Manchester City – not to mention the fierce rivalry between the two.

The footballing heritage here extends beyond the Manchester clubs and across the North West, with the region boasting an enviable roster of historic football royalty; from Sir Stanley Matthews’ Blackpool, via Sir Tom Finney’s Preston, to Huddersfield Town (the first to be English champions three years in a row), the famous Merseyside clubs and a plethora of iconic players and managers.

Visitors to the National Football Museum can dive into this heritage and more as they explore the whole world of football across several floors of changing exhibitions, vast collections of memorabilia and impressive interactive installations. Relive classic moments from years gone by with the BBC Radio archive, get yourself photographed with (virtual) silverware and take part in the various engaging games and activities dotted throughout the venue.

What's on near National Football Museum

Four young female dancers in folk costumes, one looking at the camera
ActivityCathedral Quarter
Góbéfest

Góbéfest, Manchester’s original international urban folk music and dance festival, is back with a killer line up and the best of Central Europe.

Free entry
Walking Stock Image
TourManchester
Bombed and Besieged: Manchester at War

Marking the anniversary of the Christmas Blitz, this walking tour explores Manchester’s history of conflict, from the English Civil Wars to the World Wars and beyond.

From £20.00
Aisla dancing and Dj'ing
ActivityAncoats
Become A Superstar DJ

Get hands on with the decks in this funk and soul superstar DJ workshop from BBC Radio 6’s Ailsa.

Free entry

Where to go near National Football Museum

Cathedral Gardens
Cathedral Quarter
Park
Cathedral Gardens

Cathedral Gardens is a partially lawned public space in Manchester city centre, located between Manchester Cathedral and the National Football Museum.

Manchester
Event venue
Festa Italiana

The 2022 Festa Italiana was a roaring success, with great food options and captivating live music performances throughout the weekend.

Cathedral Quarter
Restaurant
Mamucium

High-class restaurant next to Victoria Station in Manchester, and attached to Hotel Indigo. Famed for steaks.

Cathedral Quarter
Restaurant
Salvi’s Mozzarella Bar

Head to this tiny Italian eatery for an authentic slice of Naples. It majors in mozzarella and the stuff here is a revelation: light, flavoursome, with oily, oozing pesto.

Chetham’s Library in Long Millgate in Manchester
Manchester
Library
Chetham’s Library

Chetham’s Library is one of the must-sees of any visit to Manchester. The library was founded in 1653, and is the oldest public library in the world – but the building dates back even further, to 1421.

Manchester
Restaurant
Döner Haus

This authentic Berlin kebab and bier haus is the latest addition to the ever-growing Corn Exchange food family.

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Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

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Isabel Galleymore in conversation
Literature Events in the North

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Gigs are coming in hot this spring – from long-awaited returns to one-off happenings you’ll blink and miss if you're not careful.

Experience a unique deep listening art installation inviting audiences to lay down and be bathed in sound and light.
Exhibitions in the North

From city-wide art festivals to open-air sculptural installations, we have exhibitions from all around the North, both indoors and out.