A fascinating perspective on the contributions by the people of the Manchester area to major…read moreinnovations in science and industry throughout history. Numerous displays and examples of equipment and machinery large and small. Steam engines to electron microscopes on display, with emphasis on Manchester's relationship with the cotton industry, both good and bad. Something for everyone here, young and old. Free to enter, donations appreciated. Reservations will make sure that you don't need to wait for entry. A must-see if you are in the area.

Fantastic place for families with children! Adults can enjoy the many exhibits while young ones can…read moreenjoy the hands on displays. We liked watching the textile demonstration in the Textile area. This place has so much to see and do. And it's free! Contributions are gladly accepted to keep this fabulous museum operational.

We stayed nearby on a work trip, and I brought the kids here. It was a nice, little museum with a…read moresizeable gift shop. The things on display were fun and interactive. The place smelled old, so that was cool. This place is a little gem, especially for tourists! The staff was nice and accomodating.

Keeping on with the iconic buildings of Leeds theme that I've got going on, I suddenly realised I'd…read morenot penned (or typed) my thoughts for this fabulous building. Certainly, it's not necessarily a cutting edge piece of architecture, but its structure is actually one of my favourites in Leeds. The huge steps out the front are a great spot to eat you sandwiches, and guaranteed much freer and more picturesque to pause at than the Parkinson steps, and with so many places near by to grab refreshment the location is certainly a handy one. Whilst I've only been around the inner workings a few times it's always been a fun browse. They have a few rotating/changing displays - one of which I remember featuring this 'crazy scientist' type character and all in all it offers a good deal of info-tainment for the kids, as it were. Their other staples, as mentioned in previous reviews, also offer a good afternoon's browsing and is certainly worthwhile whether you're a resident or a visitor. They're not adverse to other events being held in the space either, indeed an opening night to an Irish festival, celebrating the Irish cultural heritage in Leeds, was held in the main room which was fantastic too. If you've not been, you've overlooked another gem of the city!

Interesting museum showing history of Leyland trucks and commercial vehicles.read more

Excelent museum run by enthusiasts and retired truckers with stories galore. There is a good…read morearchive and many exhibits from the earliest days to modern commercial vehicles. Well worth a visit. Parking is free outside, and there are many cafes, supermkts,shops etc. in Leyland town centre next to it.

This is a very impressive museum full of artifacts and exhibits. We loved everything about this…read moremuseum and the best part was the entrance is free! They have artifacts from Egypt, Africa, and many locations. They have quite a bit of wild animal exhibits representing the different species in the UK. They have a nice cafe to sit and rest also. They have a lift. I definitely recommend this museum. So nice and so much to see.

Imagine it is 150 years ago, and you are a rich, white English dude. You travel the world and…read moresimply help yourself to whatever catches the fancy of your magpie little brain. You plunder flora and fauna, antiquities, important cultural objects from other peoples. You compete with other rich, white dudes to create the biggest collection of the most random things someone could think of. "I have one of every butterfly on each of the inhabited continents!" "Oh yeah, my stuffed 2-toed sloth is bigger than yours!" Fast forward to the present, and the current caretakers of this hodgepodge of objects of dubious provenance are tasked with creating cohesive exhibits for the public. There are some really interesting pieces in the museum. I was able to hold a 2,000 year-old carved stone perfum vial. See the cross section of a turtle skeleton (so cool how the spines follow the inner curve of the shell), admire a stuffed porcupine. It was fascinating to think about what caught the fancy of people in the past. I would have loved to have seen more discussion of how these objects came to be, and what that tells us about classism, racism, and the history of imperialism. Be that as it may, I'm glad to see that someone's past light fingeredness is at least entertaining and educating the public today, instead of collecting dust in a storage facility somewhere.

This is a great day out regardless of age be you 5 or 105 there should be something to interest…read moreyou. Located on a former wartime Air-base this museum is run by many volunteers, including an ex-rear Gunner and wireless operator who was shot up during a raid over Germany. George Martin can be found in the Air Gunners Exhibition and I can assure you a more interesting bloke with his experiences and memories of this period I have yet to meet. The Museum is spread within several restored wartime sheds which house the various themes on display, along with many restored aircraft outside and in hangers. It also still has the air traffic control tower which displays how things would have been. One of the hangers displays other restored Aircraft including, the Halifax bomber of which nearly 80 were lost during raids over Germany from this base alone. Other more modern planes are also on display including the Buccaneer, Vulcan Bomber, and Harrier to name a few. The museum continues to restore aircraft and long may it continue we had an excellent day out and at an entrance cost of only £5.00 per adult including parking it wasn't going to break the bank.

We went on a slightly miserable but warm morning. When we arrived we were very impressed with the…read moresetup of the museum. It is very well kept with lots if different executions and lots of planes to see. I was particularly impressed with the Halifax bomber! You could also try out a couple of actual cockpits and they had 2 simulators, one to practice landings and the other as a rear gunner! The sun came out and it was a glorious day, we sat outside the NAAFI with a drink and a cake from the canteen. We would highly recommend you take a trip out, the kids would love it at well!!!

Interesting museum with a displays about various aspects of the criminal justice system locally…read more Quite expensive for a small museum but worth the money. There is a rather good audio commentary but unfortunately it does not work as intended because there is a very poor mobile signal and the free Wi-Fi does not work in the main exhibition areas, it only works close to reception. Doubtless this is due to the thick walls of the former jail, but if the investment in Wi-Fi that covered the whole place could be made, it would enable visitors to make full use of some good material (which I listened to later when connected elsewhere). Anyway, that aside, it is an interesting place with plenty of exhibits and explanations about the misery of being a prisoner in that building, and memorabilia relating to the police.

A truly amazing museum. Lots of exhibits, demonstrations, and re-enactments for all ages. The…read moreartifacts displayed go from primitive times to modern day. The gift shop stocks tons of books, toys, and of course, tee/ sweatshirts. We are museum nerds so we needed two days to explore the Royal Armouries. Most people can probably do it in one. It's a don't miss when in Leeds.

This is a huge exhibit so be prepared to have information overload, and maybe sore feet! The way…read morethey present the Armouries from all over the world is incredible! Pieces of art work in themselves! The collection is beyond extensive and beautifully displayed. I highly recommend attending the daily scheduled talks, they are engaging and informative, with a chance to ask questions and handle relevant items. During the weekday is less busy with general public, but can get busy and a bit loud with school visits, but we actually took advantage of this and listened to the teachers giving talks to the children! This is a free exhibition that does welcome donations. There is plenty of bathroom facilities, lifts as well as stairs for moving throughout the floors. Also, there Is a cafe on the ground floor. They do like you to book in advanced even though it's free, that way they have an idea of numbers.

I was so very impressed with this museum! It's not just a history of the castle and prison within…read morebut also a history of Britain through the times. Enjoy each "decade" of British history between window exhibits , a Victorian street you can walk through (and in and out of shops , sit in a school classroom and sit in a prison cell) and enjoy tons of interactive exhibits such as a room full of vintage arcades and a WWI trench. The prison is really neat - from getting a sense of how it was Luis to be locked in one of the cells to the ability to watch/listen holograms of famous prisoners - very interesting and a highlight in York!!

This place was full history and it is set to tell a different story in every room. It was a nice…read moreinteractive museum with plenty of staff giving speeches to inform the audience of different perspectives of history. It was a nice experience but it did smell a bit funky in there. Pro Tip, use your London Pass for "free" entrance and you will ultimately save yourself a few bucks.

So I'm a bit of a cultural kick. Oh yes, it had to happen. Knowledge is power folks, so feed me…read moresome information. What better place than somewhere called the Discovery Centre? It's a modern day high tech storage facility with a host of things to gawp and gaze at. You'll see masses of stuff stacked up and you can even have a look more closely in the special observation area. What I really like is how helpful and super knowledgeable the staff are. It really does put me to shame. In fact, maybe I'll go back to school and pay attention in science classes this time. Throw in a learning zone, special events and loads of regular talks and it's a different day out and a welcome option to have on our door steps.

The Discovery Centre is a specialised facility as well as a museum. It has been designed to enable…read morespecimens and collectables to be stored and displayed in conditions optimum for their preservation. Bugs, animals, clothes and sculptures are stored here. You can wander around or pre-arrange a guided tour to get the most from your experience. There is a diverse range of collectables that so most people can find something that intrigues them be it natural history, human history or culture.