Discover and Explore at the Science and Industry Museum

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

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Discover and Explore at the Science and Industry Museum

9 September 2024-30 September 2025

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

Discover and Explore at the Science and Industry Museum
State of Mind installation at the Science and Industry Museum. Image courtesy of Orbie Pullen Photography.
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Come rain or shine, whether you have just half an hour or an entire day, you’ll find something new to discover and explore at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum.

Dedicated to the people and ideas that have shaped our world, the museum offers an interactive and stimulating experience for all ages.

Check out the latest must-see exhibition, Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You, bringing the popular BBC children’s educational series to life. Plus, be sure to visit Stephen Hawking at Work to see extraordinary belongings and fascinating objects from the world-renowned theoretical physicist’s office.

And, continuing its run during weekends and throughout school holidays is Power Up, an interactive gaming experience where you can play your way through five decades of the best video games. We’re thrilled that you can now purchase a new annual pass – meaning you can return as many times as you like over 12 months for just £15.00.

Whatever your age or interest, and, no matter how many times you’ve visited – there’s always something new to discover and explore at the Science and Industry Museum. Take a look at 40 Things to See, Do and Discover for even more inspiration.

Our top picks

Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You at the Science and Industry Museum

Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You at Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, Until 4 January 2026, From £10.00 - Book now

A sense-sational exhibition, based on the hit BBC Children’s TV series, returns to Manchester this year.

Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You at the Science and Industry Museum
Promotional Stills for Operation Ouch: Brains, Bogies, & You at the Science & Industry Museum - 13th February Image courtesy of the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum.

Where to go near Discover and Explore at the Science and Industry Museum

Manchester
Restaurant
Teppanyaki Chinatown

A Japanese teppanyaki restaurant in the centre of Chinatown. The focus is on high-quality food with a minimum of theatrics. It doesn’t disappoint.

Manchester
Music venue
Castlefield Bowl

The Castlefield Bowl is an outdoor events pavilion in the inner city conservation area of Castlefield in Manchester. The 8000-capacity arena is often used for food festivals and music events.

Great John Street Hotel in Spinningfields in Manchester.
Castlefield
Hotel
Great John Street Hotel

A converted Victorian school house nestled on the edge of Spinningfields, the Great John Street Hotel has a relaxed and decadent atmosphere.

Castlefield
Bar or Pub
Cask

Cask is a well-loved pub on Liverpool Road in Manchester. It has an excellent selection of continental beers and a cosy beer garden.

Castlefield
Event venue
Castlefield Viaduct

Launching in summer 2022, the National Trust and Twelve Architects and Masterplanners will be bringing a new lease of life to Castlefield Viaduct.

Campfield Open Day-3
Castlefield
Event venue
Campfield Market Hall

Having undergone years of transformative and restorative work, the complex will now be known as Campfield Mega Campus, Manchester’s most ambitious creative-tech destination.

Saul Hay Gallery
Manchester
Gallery
Saul Hay Gallery

Saul Hay Gallery, located one of Castlefield’s Victorian red brick buildings, is one of Manchester’s most important commercial galleries.

Manchester
Restaurant
Fenix

Modern Greek Mediterranean cuisine from the team behind Tattu.

Altrincham
Shop
IDAHO

Every piece in IDAHO has something special and will guarantee to make your homes, offices and wardrobes feel a little more inspiring.

Castlefield
Theatre
Versa Manchester Studios

Formerly the Old Granada Studios, VERSA Manchester Studios is evolving into a dynamic Studio Campus with TV, Film, Motion Capture and VR / AR Studios alongside a glamorous new Soho House.

What's on: Exhibitions

Until
Exhibitions
The Vessel at PINK

Chris Thompson transforms PINK into an uncanny, interactive cabinet of obsessions, inviting visitors to uncover its shifting, unstable narratives.

Free entry

Culture Guides

Music in the North

Manchester’s closing out the year – and looking to the new one – with a run of gigs from some of the country’s best underground exports.

A performer in a bright red costume sits on a snowy stage set, holding a large snowball between their legs with a surprised expression. The colourful winter backdrop features snowflakes, hills, a snowman, and a traffic light with glowing lights.
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.

Sepia image of a courtroom with the words 'Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird’
Theatre in the North

Winter brings a huge haul of seasonal shows, as well as productions that resolutely veer away from the fairy lights.

Exhibitions in the North

This season, exhibitions across the North West feel attuned to the world beneath the world – the forces and stories shaping how we see, feel and imagine.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.

Food and Drink in the North

Hear ye, hear ye. Take some eating-out tips from our wintertime guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.