Improved access at Manchester Museum with new gallery spaces

Manchester Museum, part of The University of Manchester, has received a confirmed grant for a major project which will see new spaces created for exhibitions. 

The project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, will develop and transform the museum by providing new exhibition spaces and an extended programme of activities. 

‘The Courtyard Project’ as it’s being referred to, will start in August 2018, with the finished building expected to reopen in late 2020. 

The new additions and refurbishments aim to create a more accessible layout for older visitors and those with a disability.

What will the transformation include?

A major new Temporary Exhibitions Gallery will be a new home for blockbuster and international shows.

Also opening is what’s said to be the north of England’s first large-scale gallery of South Asian history and culture, created in partnership with the British Museum, which will combine the Manchester Museum’s South Asian collections and sculptures, textiles and artefacts from the British Museum.

At the heart of the gallery will be a performance space, dedicated to showing live music, dance and performances from and inspired by South Asia.

There will also be a new Oxford Road-facing entrance and welcome area and shop, to create a more visible and welcoming first impression. 

Underpinning the transformation, there will be a dynamic programme to address some of the key issues of our time; climate change, ageing, migration and belonging. 

The museum predicts hundreds of thousands of new visitors to the museum after the refurbishment is complete in 2020. 

Group information

Group visits are welcome and will involve a ‘Group Welcome’ which aims to help visitors navigate through the museum easier.

Admission is free but groups are required to book in advance via the website.

For more information, visit www.museum.manchester.ac.uk.