Fireground
BEST FOR
Ages 0+
ENTRY
from £6
WHERE
Rochdale
What it’s like
A museum of old fire engines and firefighting history, open Thursday to Saturday in Rochdale.
This one's for kids who point at fire engines going past and won't stop talking about it for the rest of the day. Inside there are fire appliances and engines pulled from Greater Manchester's fire service history, plus displays on how firefighting has changed over the years, going back as far as the Great Fire of London. It's not a big flashy attraction with rides and noise, it's a proper museum, so it suits kids who like looking closely at things and asking questions more than ones who need constant activity.
Entry is £8 for an adult and £6 for a child aged 4 to 15, with under-3s in free. A family ticket at £24 covers two adults and two children, or one adult and three children, which works out sensible if you've got a few of them in tow. There's a café on site for when the questions about hose reels run dry.
It only opens Thursday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, and that's excepting Bank Holidays. Parking's free if you come in via the Richard Street entrance, and if you're coming by train the Metrolink stop is right outside with the mainline station a hundred yards further on. Worth knowing that open days and special events can shift things around because it's still a working fire station setup behind the scenes.
They do run occasional extras too, like a fire memorabilia sale and a Christmas open day with Santa, both at normal entry prices, which is a nice bonus if the timing works out for you.
What’s on here
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- School-age kids into fire engines; under-3s go free but it's not a play space
- Parking
- Free onsite car parking available (use Richard Street entrance OL11 1DU)
- Getting there by bus or train
- Metrolink Rochdale Railway Station immediately outside
- Only open Thursday to Saturday, and Bank Holidays are excluded from that
- Special events like open days can affect access, so a normal Thu-Sat visit is the safer bet
- There's a fire memorabilia sale and a Christmas open day with Santa on the calendar, both at normal entry prices
- School visits are catered for if you're thinking beyond a family day out
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£8 for an adult, £6 for a child aged 4 to 15, and under-3s go free. A family ticket is £24 for two adults and two children, or one adult and three children.
Do we need to book?
No, you can just turn up during opening hours.
What are the opening hours?
Thursday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, though Bank Holidays are an exception to that.
Is it suitable for a toddler?
Under-3s get in free, but this is a look-and-learn museum rather than a hands-on play space, so it suits kids old enough to take an interest in the exhibits.
Is there parking?
Free onsite parking, using the Richard Street entrance, OL11 1DU.
Can we get there by public transport?
Rochdale Railway Station and the Metrolink stop are right outside, and there are buses to Manchester, Bury and Oldham nearby too.
Is there anywhere to eat?
There's a café on site.
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