Greater Manchester Police Museum & Archives
BEST FOR
Ages 6+
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Manchester
What it’s like
Free walk-through police history museum in the Northern Quarter, open Tuesdays only, with a real Victorian courtroom and cells to poke around.
This one's a proper old police station turned museum, and it only opens its doors on Tuesdays, so you can't just decide on a whim and turn up on a Thursday. Kids aged six and up get free run of the ground floor galleries and the old cells, with a first floor courtroom reachable by lift if the queue outside hasn't put you off first.
That queue is worth knowing about. Fire rules cap the building at 120 people at once, and on a busy Tuesday that can mean standing about outside before you even get in, which isn't much fun with a fidgety kid. Last admission is 3pm even though the doors don't shut till 4, so don't roll up at ten to.
There's no café inside, but the Northern Quarter is right there with five minutes' walk getting you to plenty of places to eat afterwards. The gift shop by the entrance has bits from 50p if you need a small souvenir to keep the peace on the way out. Entry costs nothing at all, which for a museum with a genuine courtroom and cells is a decent deal, though the free admission is only good for open days rather than any old day of the week.
If a Tuesday doesn't suit, or you'd rather skip the queue entirely, they'll do private tours for groups of five to twenty five on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, running an hour and a half to two hours. Same age guide applies, six and up, and it's free with donations welcomed rather than a set price.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- Ages 6 and up, given the museum's own age guide
- Last entry
- 3:00pm
- Food
- No café on site. Several restaurants and cafés within 5-minute walk in Northern Quarter
- Wheelchairs
- Step-free access to ground floor galleries
- Parties
- Private tours for groups of 5-25 people available Monday-Thursday
- Shut on bank holidays, and closed the Tuesdays of 15th and 22nd September this year
- Extra opening days sometimes get added in school holidays, but that depends on volunteers being available
- There's no adult Changing Places facility on site, nearest is at the Arndale Shopping Centre
- Archive research visits are by appointment only, separate from a general museum visit
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
Nothing, entry is free on open days, which are Tuesdays 10:30am to 4pm with last entry at 3pm.
Do we need to book?
No, Tuesdays are drop-in. If you'd rather skip the walk-in queue, a private group tour can be booked for Monday, Wednesday or Thursday instead.
Is it suitable for a toddler?
Not really, the museum sets its own minimum age at six for both open days and private tours.
What about food?
There's no café on site, but the Northern Quarter is a five-minute walk away with plenty of places to eat.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
The ground floor galleries and police station are fully step-free, and there's a lift to the first floor courtroom. That lift can't be used in a fire emergency, so the upper floor isn't accessible if there's an evacuation.
Can we do a birthday party or group visit?
There are private tours for groups of five to twenty five, lasting an hour and a half to two hours, on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday. They're free but donations are welcomed.
How long does a visit take?
Private tours run an hour and a half to two hours. Open day visits aren't timed, but last entry is 3pm with closing at 4pm.
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