Greater Manchester Police Museum

Had a lovely time. The museum is a bit small but has really interesting exhibits, and the building itself is also worth visiting. Very accessible for people with mobility issues and had some interactive displays for kids. The highlight however is definitely its volunteers (some of which retired police officers) who explained everything in such an interesting way, told stories and were really nice to just have a chat with. Cannot recommend it enough!

· via Google

Love that the tours are conducted by retired police personnel, including Sandie, who in the 1970s, championed for policewomen to wear trousers instead of skirts as part of the uniform. If you enjoy police history, this is a recommended place to visit if you are in Manchester City.

· via Google

I visited here during the half term break with my son (11), daughter (9), and my friends with their two sons (13 and 10). We went on Tuesday morning, at around 1130am. Surprisingly, there was a queue to get in, but it didn't take long to gain entry inside. It is free to go in, but you can make donations should you wish. It is a great museum but it is small and doesn't take too long to view it all. You could extend the visit if you read every little bit of history that is in there. Various sections to visit, such as the detective room, craft and dress up room, charging office, cells, and a courtroom. The kids enjoyed the cells the most and spent most of their time there. The volunteers are excellent. They are either in historical police outfits or their volunteer tshirts and trousers. Some of the volunteers have roles to play, such as discussing the charge room, uniform, processes, etc. Or in the cells, the volunteer told us about the old days and how the cells worked back in the day. Some of the volunteers are retired police officers and have some funny stories of old, if they have the time to stand and chat. Very pleasant. You can get a free, timed ticket on entry to visit the courtroom. We went in at 130pm. It is an interactive visit, whereby the kids and adults get to hear a court case and decide if the offender is guilty or not guilty. Quite funny for adults, the kids loved it and found making the decision too enjoyable! 🤣 I have been to the museum before, without the kids, and enjoyed it. The only thing that let it down for me on our visit was the number of people inside. It was too busy. It was difficult to see a lot of the items or read the history as you felt the need to move on to let others see inside. My daughter was disappointed at one point as she couldn't squeeze through to view things. It was difficult and very tight moving in between certain areas of the museum. If I were to visit with the kids again, I would probably go later in the day when the rush has most likely been and gone. You would probably benefit more from the visit. Saying that, the kids had a great time. They did learn things from their visit, and it was a good day out. The staff were very helpful, especially when they were so busy, and I thought they did an excellent job. There is no parking, so if in a vehicle, you need to park in one of the many car parks in the city and walk to the museum. There are toilet facilities inside, including a baby changing/disabled room. There is a small shop when leaving. There is no cafe on site to buy food or drinks. I would recommend to others who are visiting Manchester.

· via Google

Fabulous little museum that kept us entertained for a good couple of hours. The volunteer guides were very knowledgeable and we enjoyed chatting with them. It's been said in previous reviews but this is definitely a hidden gem. Only open on a Tuesday so don't miss the opportunity if you are in the area.

· via Google