Museum of Science and Industry - Manchester

[roisin]

This really is fab! It's so quiet compared to the Science Museum in London; it's great fun; spacious; varied; excellent helpful staff;
free lockers to leave your stuff; not great food - but loads of places you can eat your picnic;
Loads to do and see - we spent 6 hrs there today, and only went in 2 of the 5 sections.

Last time we went we came back full of enthusiasm, but it's taken us nearly 2.5 yrs to manage another visit! I wish we lived closer.

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I particularly appreciated all the 'explainers' around the place. I don't know why they always seemed to home in on ds1 to 'explain' an exhibit to him ... he's a bit of a science nut, so would then 'explain' something back at them ... at length ... and bless them they were all really patient and listened and responded to his enthusiasm
Saved me the job!

my ds loves it- we live near so go all the time- he just loves all the experiments on the top floor!!!that part is a bit like EUREKA! hope you got to visit that section...

... And you can look out of the window of the 'hands on' bit & see Coronation Street !

u can whizz- very true!

I went with dh about 10 years ago and even without kids we loved it. One day we will take dd; she'll adore it.

WWB- i agree, me & dh run around like kids showing ds how to do things

The dino exhibition finishes on 4 Sep, and they are selling off loads of things half price in the dino-shop.

Great opportunity for Christmas present bargains if you live nearby and can make it there this week.

DS2 bought a 'I dig dinosaurs' pretend palaentology kit, with a lump of 'rock' and a triceratops skull hidden inside and a hammer and chisel. It was £6 reduced from £12. I thought it would all break up and the 'fossils' come out in about 5 minutes, but they have both been working on it together for about 2 hours already!!! Fabulous! (I wish I'd bought loads now ROFL!) It is very messy though - they started off in the (tiled floor) dining room, but are now in the garden with it.

would it be good for a 6 and a 4 year old?

I used to love going when I was a kid, it was a fave place for school holiday trips.

We took our 6 and 4 year old last week. They had a fabulous time although DS2 did complain that he prefered a museum with more 'stuffed birds', he's a bit odd though!!! They loved the dinosaurs but there were a few children being carried out because they were too scared.

The hands on stuff is fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed our day.

have had a look at the website but cant find admission charges for special exhibitions (im assuming dinosaurs are special). can anyone give me a rough idea pls? and also is it easy to park there?

Adults were £5, over 5's £3 and our 4 year old was free, grandpa was £3 too!! There's a family ticket as well but I can't remember how much that was.

prices are on here - you have to scroll down a bit

£14 for family ticket (max two adults)

Blue Peter badge winners are free

No idea about parking, but public transport is pretty good in Manchester. 5 mins walk from Deansgate Station if that's any good to you?

The exhibition is of moving models of dinosaurs (with skin, teeth, noises, etc.), rather than fossils, so some 4 yo children might find it too scary. But there were lots of littlies in there when we went.

Roisin - thanks for this - was thinking about what to do next week when MIL is here. Not been for ages so think we'll try it again - as the children get older they get more out of it don't they?

Yes, definitely. And what's more they get more out of it independently, without requiring a lot of input from me

DS1 today was bemoaning the fact that we didn't spend very long there ... we were there for 6 hrs!