Every city’s got a museum with a few works by big-shot artists and dusty relics once owned by rich white men and/or pilfered from former colonies, but only Manchester has a museum dedicated to the history of democracy, radicalism, equality and social justice. The People’s History Museum tells the story of democracy from the 1819 Peterloo Massacre to the present day. The museum hosts top-notch talks and workshops year round, plus an augmented reality installation that opened in 2020.
With all of its history, Manchester can't make do with just two or three museums. Oh no. From being the birthplace of the Suffragettes to hosting the UK’s first-ever bus service and boasting two of the world’s best-known football teams, there’s an awful lot to cover.
This city has more than 30 museums that tell many centuries of stories between them. But where to start? There’s the universally acclaimed war museum with more than a dozen architectural awards or the hat museum where all your burning bonnet-based questions will be dutifully answered.
After wandering around some art galleries, catching a show at the theatre and boogying in one of its beloved music venues, a trip to a museum to round it all off just makes sense. So, for all you culture vultures, here’s our selection of the 12 absolute best museums in Manchester.
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