Museum of Science and Industry

Please note that the Textiles Gallery will be closed from 13 September to 8 October inclusive as part of the Main Building redevelopment work, so the demonstrations below will unfortunately not be taking place during this time.

Working machinery, hands-on exhibits, artworks and human stories bring to life the story of Manchester's textile industry. Explore the properties of different fibres and fabrics, and try out processes such as braiding and weaving. A merchant's office gives a sense of what it was like to sell the cotton goods that made Manchester famous worldwide. You can examine samples of fabrics made in Manchester for export to West Africa.

Watch yarn being spun and turned into cloth while our presenters explain what's happening and what mill work was like. Several of the working machines were made by Platt Bros. of Oldham, once the world's leading manufacturer of textile machinery. Follow the production process through the finishing stages of design, dyeing, printing and making-up to the afterlife of textile recycling. Artworks feature throughout the gallery, adding colour, insight and surprise.