Get a friendly welcome at People's History Museum in Manchester, the national museum of democracy. Explore the museum and be empowered by the past to make a change for the future.
Follow the link below to plan your visit, and find out what to expect when you get to PHM.
Plan your visit
For group visits of over six people, follow the link below to fill in an enquiry form.
Booking is required to guarantee entry.
Group visits are not taken during our dedicated quiet time between 2.00pm and 5.00pm on Fridays.
Book your group visit
The museum is located on the corner of Left Bank and Bridge Street, opposite the Civil Justice Centre, alongside the River Irwell, in the Spinningfields area of Manchester city centre, postcode M3 3ER.
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Follow the link below for information on how to get to PHM.
Getting to PHM
The museum is Family Friendly throughout, from facilities to family favourites including hands-on interactives and activities connecting you and your family with PHM’s unique collections and stories.
Bring your buggies, refillable water bottles and expect a warm welcome, simple signage, accessible toilets, and plenty of picnic places.
The museum has a Quiet Room you can use during your visit and sensory tools can be borrowed from access stations throughout the museum.
Plan your family visit
We are committed to supporting all visitors during their time at PHM. We understand that everyone’s access needs are different.
Please talk to us if you have queries or require any assistance in advance of your visit on 0161 838 9190 or access@phm.org.uk.
For accessibility information check out our Detailed Access Guide on the AccessAble website.
Access at PHM
Explore PHM’s galleries, exhibitions, and hands-on and digital interactives engaging adults and children alike.
Use PHM’s visitor map to familiarise yourself with the museum building ahead of your visit.
Find out what's on
Take a break for brunch, lunch or an afternoon pick me up in PHM’s café Gather
Hot food served until 3.00pm.
For booking please call 01260 543977.
A picnic area is available for visitors bringing their own food and drink to the museum.
View menu
A unique gift shop in Manchester inspired by the museum’s collection, full of books, cards, homeware, souvenirs and great presents for kids and grown ups.
Shop the collection
Join other visitors and make a donation today, helping to ensure the museum remains free for all.
Support PHM
📖 Every great movement starts with a story.
Introducing the new Storytelling Zone at People’s History Museum, a free family-friendly space where children can discover their storytelling superpower through books, play and imagination.
Packed with interactive activities, inspiring stories and colourful artwork by illustrator @iamsamselley, the Storytelling Zone encourages young visitors to create characters, explore emotions and discover how ideas can inspire change.
🗓 Launching Wednesday 10 June as part of Manchester`s Festival of Libraries @mcrcityoflit
Because every voice has a story worth telling. Visit for free between 10-14 June.
#PeoplesHistoryMuseum #FestivalOfLibraries #StorytellingZone #FamilyManchester #DemocracyInAction ManchesterFamilies
📅 On this day in 1968, women sewing machinists at Ford’s Dagenham plant walked out in protest over unequal pay.
Their strike helped pave the way for the Equal Pay Act 1970 and became a defining moment in the fight for workplace equality.
This commemorative plate in our collection marks both the Dagenham strike and the introduction of equal pay legislation, a reminder of the women whose collective action helped change history.
Discover more stories of protest, solidarity and change in On The Line: 100 Years of Strikes and Solidarity.
📍 People’s History Museum, Left Bank, Manchester
#OnThisDay #EqualPay #FordDagenham #WomensHistory
🏳️🌈 Pride Month begins.
At People`s History Museum, Pride is an opportunity to celebrate the people and movements who fought for equality, challenged discrimination, and stood in solidarity with others.
This month, we`re shining a light on stories of activism, and collective action that continue to inspire today, from LGBTQ+ campaigners to communities who came together in support of one another in the pursuit of fairness, dignity and justice.
Because history shows us that when people stand together, change happens.
🏳️🌈 Visit the gallery today and everyday between 10am to 5pm (excluding Tuesdays).
#PrideMonth #Pride2026 #OnTheLine #PeoplesHistoryMuseum #LGBTQHistory SolidarityForever
🏳️🌈 "Pits & Perverts"
More than a t-shirt. A symbol of solidarity ✊🏼
During the 1984–85 Miners` Strike, LGBTQ+ activists and mining communities stood together in support of one another, creating a powerful legacy that continues to inspire today.
This Pride Month 🏳️🌈 we`re celebrating the people who proved that when communities stand together, they can change history.
Discover the story behind this iconic t-shirt in On The Line: 100 Years of Strikes and Solidarity and see this original Pits & Perverts t-shirt on display.
#PrideMonth #OnTheLine #PitsAndPerverts #LGSM #PeoplesHistoryMuseum SolidarityForever
Looking for something to do this half term?
Pop into People`s History Museum and explore our brand new On The Line: 100 years of strikes & solidarity exhibition.
Step beyond the exhibition and discover galleries filled with powerful stories, hands-on activities and plenty to keep little minds entertained too:
📚 Join our Look For A Book giveaway trail around the museum
🎮 Get involved with interactive games and activities throughout the museum
🛠️ Step inside the Strike Den creative play space
👨👩👧 Discover exhibitions packed with inspiring stories, objects and history
It’s all FREE to visit, so whether you’re planning a day out with the kids or a slower wander through history, there’s plenty to explore.
Plan your visit and make a day of it.
#PeoplesHistoryMuseum #OnTheLine #FreeDaysOut #ThingsToDoManchester #FamilyFriendly
📚🔎 Look For A Book returns to People’s History Museum this half term.
From Monday 25 May to Monday 1 June (excluding Tuesday while the museum is closed), we’ll be hiding one book a day somewhere inside the museum galleries for families to discover.
Bring your little detectives along and play a game of finders keepers to see if you can find a hidden copy of @corinnebaileyrae `Put Your Records On`.
Every book also contains instructions on how to claim a golden ticket for the chance to meet Corinne Bailey Rae herself 🎶✨
Perfect for a FREE family day out this half term at Peoples History Museum, with galleries to explore and lunch at @gatherphm cafe.
#PeoplesHistoryMuseum #LookForABook #ManchesterWithKids #HalfTermFun #FreeThingsToDo
If you’ve loved exploring On The Line: 100 years of strikes & solidarity exhibition at People`s History Museum, why not take a little piece of it home with you?
From thoughtfully designed replica postcard prints, tote bags, tea towels and mugs and a carefully curated selection of books, our exhibition shop is filled with meaningful memorabilia inspired by the stories you’ve just discovered.
Whether it’s a small keepsake or something to dive deeper into the history, there’s something waiting for you to remember your visit by.
📍 Pop into the shop before you leave and continue the story beyond the gallery.
#PeoplesHistoryMuseum #OnTheLine #MuseumShop #ManchesterCulture #TakeItHome
Lines of Thought ✍️
Some of the most powerful moments in On The Line: 100 years of strikes & solidarity, aren’t part of the exhibition itself, they’re written by the people moving through it.
From memories of the miners’ strike and standing on picket lines, to reflections on protests, peace and solidarity, our Lines of Thought wall is becoming a living archive of shared experiences.
“The right to strike is one of the last powers we have.”
“As a striking teacher, two of my pupils joined us on the picket line. It meant the world to me.”
.... Be part of the conversation 🖊️
#OnTheLine #PeoplesHistoryMuseum #Solidarity #Strike #MuseumExhibition
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