Manchester Museum

I took my young nephew here last month and he seemed to enjoy himself and wanted me to take him again. There are a number of different exhibitions that would appeal to all people. The main reason I decided to take my nephew here was because of the dinosaurs and fossils. The staff here are so friendly and the fact you can see staff working with the living animals was great. My nephew's favourite exhibition was the frogs they had (he didn't want to leave). They had an exhibition where tickets had to be booked which was a shame but understandable. The building caters for all, having disabled access and also gender neutral toilets and gender assigned bathrooms. The gift shop was a bit on the pricey side but the products are great quality so in a way justifies the pricing. All in all the "dinosaur museum", as my nephew calls it, is a must see if you have a few hours free or are looking for something to do with children during the holidays, that will not cost anything, unless you make a donation to the museum but this isn't mandatory.

A beautiful and well organized museum. Free entry, free picnic area with ovens and sink, there are paid lockers to keep safe bags and a prayer room (with odhu place).

The Museum makes for a decent day trip. The entry is free but I recommend bringing your own food and or drink because the Museum Cafe is overprice. If you want to support the Museum I personally think the gift shop, guide book and direct donation is the best way. Make sure to check out the Golden Mummy Exhibit. I also found the display of human remains unethical, the people did not consent to be on display in death.

(Detailed review below) Food ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Atmosphere ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Accessibility ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Cost ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Service ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Entrance is free (including for the Golden Mummies of Egypt exhibition) but a donation is encouraged. The new extension is pretty good and the highlight, the mummies exhibition, is really nice and fascinating; you do have to book for tickets to enter the mummies exhibition but you can do so at the museum. However, you may want to book in advance if you think that it's going to be busy (i.e. weekend). The new South Asia Gallery and Chinese Culture Gallery are also welcomed additions to the recently refurbished museum. There's certainly more to see now. The Museum Shop has some really nice things on sale (including items for kids). The cafe is okay but I would like to see more food options (they do have a small area outside to sit if the weather is good). Overall, this is easily a nice day out for individuals, groups or families. Do plan ahead if you're visiting during peak periods.

This was actually my first visit, despite visiting Manchester dozens of times. I was pleasantly surprised. It's not the biggest museum but that probably makes it more appealing, as you can get around and see most of the exhibits in an hour or two. There seemed to be plenty of consideration about how the exhibits are viewed, especially the newer and temporary ones - from translations for the Chinese exhibits, an explanation about returning some antiquities to China, storyboard/pop art style descriptions to appeal to kids, and a description on the mummy about the ethics of displaying a mummified body. It can be a bit noisy and busy at times, if you're sentive to environmental stimulus. There appeared to be good accessibility, including a lift to all floors. Lovely welcoming staff. Worth a visit.