Manchester Museum

Manchester Museum stands on Oxford Road on the campus of the University of Manchester, England, in a Gothic Revival building designed by Alfred Waterhouse, who also designed the city's Town Hall. The museum grew from the collections of the Manchester Natural History Society, founded in 1821, and the Manchester Geological Society, and moved into its present building in 1888. It is now part of the university and holds around six million objects, covering archaeology, anthropology, natural history, geology and world cultures. Its Egyptology collection is one of the largest in the UK, including mummies and objects excavated by the archaeologist Flinders Petrie and later work, and the Ancient Worlds galleries include material from Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Near East. The natural history displays include a Tyrannosaurus rex cast named Stan, a large vivarium of living reptiles and amphibians, and extensive displays of insects, birds and mammals. A major redevelopment, completed in 2023 and called Hello Future, added new galleries, including the South Asia Gallery, developed with the British Museum and community partners, and the Lee Kai Hung Chinese Culture Gallery, and a new entrance and spaces for temporary exhibitions. The curatorial approach is a combination of thematic and chronological, with co-curated displays developed with community groups, and the museum has been active in discussions about repatriation and the care of human remains. The Waterhouse building has been restored and extended, preserving its historic character while increasing access. Entry is free, and the museum is part of the university's cultural quarter, close to the Whitworth gallery. It is a good choice for families and for visitors interested in how the city's learned societies built collections during the Victorian era.