Greater Manchester Police Museum

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Greater Manchester Police Museum Come and discover one of Manchester's hidden gems! A Victorian police station in the heart of the Northern Quarter.

‘Explore Manchester’s hidden past – a labyrinth of alleyways and slums, interrupted only by the huge mills casting shadows below. An eerie underworld where police officers were kept busy apprehending unsavoury characters of all ages. The Greater Manchester Police Museum and Archives enables you to experience what life was really like for these officers in a busy Victorian police station. You’ll also see how times have changed and how policing has evolved to meet today’s needs. Located in the historic Northern Quarter of Manchester, the Museum was one of the cities earliest police stations and has been lovingly restored to reflect the reality of policing in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s. See where Manchester’s criminals were charged and fingerprinted before being put into the cells, often packed with up to twelve men on a busy night! Why not take a seat on one of the cell beds with their wooden pillows. Admire the polished wood panels and stained glass in the 1895 Magistrate’s Court and experience how inmates would have felt standing in the dock!

Today the GMP Museum is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its first open day! 30 years ago, this museum had its first ...
01/10/2026

Today the GMP Museum is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its first open day!

30 years ago, this museum had its first regular Tuesday public open day, and we have enjoyed every open day since.

If you are interesting in visiting the museum, our regular open days are still every Tuesday, opening at 10:30am with final admissions at 3pm. Due to volunteer availability, please check we are open ahead of your visit by looking on out website: https://orlo.uk/gs6Br

This month, the museum had the pleasure of acquiring two ceremonial swords belonging to two of Manchester’s most importa...
30/09/2026

This month, the museum had the pleasure of acquiring two ceremonial swords belonging to two of Manchester’s most important Chief Constables, Sir Robert Peacock and Sir John Maxwell. But why did some police carry swords, and when did they become only ceremonial items? In this monthly blog, we take a brief look at police cutlasses: https://orlo.uk/mCJQ2

Due to volunteer availability the museum will be shut for the following open days: Tuesday 15th and 22nd September. We w...
10/09/2026

Due to volunteer availability the museum will be shut for the following open days: Tuesday 15th and 22nd September.

We will be back for our next open day on Tuesday 29th September.

112 years ago this month, the Alien Registrations Act was passed at the onset of the First World War, marking the beginn...
24/08/2026

112 years ago this month, the Alien Registrations Act was passed at the onset of the First World War, marking the beginning of modern Alien Registers which tracked the arrival, personal details, and potential departure of foreign nationals, formally referred to as 'Aliens'.

The GMP Museum is proud to hold one of the country's largest remaining collections of Alien Registers, which are used today to help people track down when and how their ancestors arrived in the UK.

To mark this anniversary, the museum is taking a brief look back at the history of the registers, including a guide on how you can access and use our collection of Alien Registers for your own research.

You can learn all about it here: https://orlo.uk/Ni87Y

It's summer holidays time! Join us every Tuesday during the holidays for free family fun activities. See if you can be ...
16/08/2026

It's summer holidays time! Join us every Tuesday during the holidays for free family fun activities.
See if you can be a history detective by completing the trail or even take part in a court case.
We are open from 10.30am until 4pm (last admission 3pm).
Please note that we are not able to open Thursday due to volunteer availability.

Dinky Detectives update! We are now fully booked for all sessions.
21/07/2026

Dinky Detectives update!
We are now fully booked for all sessions.

Join us for a Dinky Detective Session on Thursday 13th, 20th or 27th August! This fun interactive session is aimed at 3-...
20/07/2026

Join us for a Dinky Detective Session on Thursday 13th, 20th or 27th August!
This fun interactive session is aimed at 3-7 year olds but suitable for the whole family, with story time, craft and play followed by an explore of the museum.

The session last approximately 1 hour 30 minutes. Starting at either 10.30am or 1pm.

Booking is essential, please email [email protected] with your preferred date, time slot and the number of adults and children you want to bring along.

The Scrappy Scuttlers are here! The GMP Museum has taken inspiration from Horrible Histories to answer some of the most...
16/07/2026

The Scrappy Scuttlers are here!

The GMP Museum has taken inspiration from Horrible Histories to answer some of the most popular questions about the 'scuttlers', the infamous youth gangs who caused havoc across Manchester and Salford during the late 19th century.

Read our newest blog entry here: https://orlo.uk/y1tD9

Address

57A Newton Street
Manchester
M11ET

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10:30am - 3:15pm
Thursday 10:30am - 3:30pm

Telephone

+441618563287

Website

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