Free self-led visits

Cost: Free

To ensure that school groups are able to make the most of their museum visit, we require all school groups to book in with us.

Free self-led visits include:

• Access to galleries
• Free tickets to visit Golden Mummies of Egypt
• Coat storage
• A reserved 30 minute lunch slot in our picnic area (full day visits only)
• Hazard ID & Risk Assessment documents.

Full day self-led visits:

Bring your class for a full day visit to the museum! We have 3 different timetables available every day, including a scheduled 30 minute lunch slot in our picnic area.

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Small group full / half day visits: (maximum 12 pupils):

We encourage smaller groups (maximum 12 pupils) to book in with us for a full day visits so that we can provide you with a timetable that will meet your needs. Booking enquiries for groups of 12 pupils or less can be made using our small groups booking enquiry form.

Afternoon (half-day) visits:

If you wish to bring your group for an afternoon visit after lunch (arrival from 1.30) please complete our booking enquiry form.

Free Resources

We have produced a detailed guide to support teachers to make the most of their visit to the museum. You can access this free resource along with our museum map here.

Careers Support

Cost: Free 

During the autumn term, we are able to offer a limited number of careers assemblies for Manchester Schools. Please contact school.bookings@manchester.ac.uk and we will try to accommodate your request.

We are also planning a Museum Careers Day that will be taking place during Careers Week in March 2024. Further details will be released nearer the time.

Sign up to our Secondary & Post-16 e-newsletter to hear about our new programmes and offers as we launch them.

Museum Careers Resources

Cost: Free

We have produced a series of free online Careers Resources to offer practical advice and shed light on the types of museum careers that are available to you. These resources capture the breadth of roles that museums offer and provide advice and guidance to support students to seek and apply for roles in the sector.

Work Experience Placements

We are launching our new Work Experience Placement scheme in the Autumn term, so watch this space.

Sign up to our Secondary & Post-16 e-newsletter to hear about our new programmes and offers as we launch them.

Carbon Ruins Manchester

Manchester Museum is delighted to offer our Carbon Ruins Manchester programme for KS3 & KS4 students from autumn 2023. Carbon Ruins offers a creative and hopeful way to approach the pressing issue of climate change.

The year is 2050 and you are the curator of an exhibition, Carbon Ruins. The exhibition celebrates our achievement of net zero emissions and contains objects from the Fossil Era back in the 2020s; telling the story of how they fell out of use or were replaced by something else. Your task is to select an object from the Fossil Era that represents the change that has happened to reach net zero, and to create a label that tells the story of that change.

Please visit our dedicated Carbon Ruins Manchester site to find out more about the programme and access our free resources: https://carbonruinsmanchester.wordpress.com/

Things to know before you visit

Getting here   

There is a drop-off point for coaches outside the museum on Oxford Road. Mini buses can park at Cecil street car park. The museum is also on a major bus route and a short walk from rail and tram stops. Plan your visit here.

There is limited disabled parking available for school group transport. Please contact school.bookings@manchester.ac.uk to discuss this or include this information in your booking or enquiry.

Space for everyone   

• • All of our programming has been made with SEND in mind.
  • We are working on video tours and additional information to support students with SEND and help them prepare for a visit to the museum.
  • Our lifts offer step-free access to all museum spaces.
  • Please let us know of any access requirements when you book your visit.
  • More information on accessibility can be found here.

Risk assessments and group visits

• Our Museum Hazard ID document and General Site Risk Assessment are available to support you to produce your own risk assessment for your visit. You are welcome to arrange book a site visit ahead of your school visit to carry out your risk assessment and we are happy to arrange for you to meet a member of the team to discuss this: please email school.bookings@manchester.ac.uk to arrange this.
• Teachers (or other accompanying adults) remain responsible for the general health and safety of children, as at school. Teachers (or other adults) should remain with their primary and secondary school groups at all times.
• The minimum adult to pupil ratios that we recommend for schools visits is: 1:6 for Early Years & KS1; 1:8 for KS2, 1:15 for KS3, KS4 & Post-16. Note this excludes adults providing 1:1 support.

Facilities  

• View the museum map here.
• There is a picnic area and on the ground floor next to the Main Hall. Space for school groups on full day visits will be allocated through the booking process.
• The Museum Shop is full of souvenirs inspired by our collections and prices start from 50p.
• There is a water fountain in the Welcome area.
• We are able to arrange for storage of coats, bags and lunches for school groups through the booking process.
• We have lots of toilets throughout the museum including a fully accessible Changing Places toilet and all-gender toilets.

Find more information to help plan your visit