Museum of Science and Industry

Here are just some of the interesting historical characters that you might meet at MOSI. Check the 'What's On Today?' information on arrival to see whose turn it is next!

Alan Turing
Have you ever wondered what a computer is or how the machines we take for granted were invented? Come along and find out from Alan Turing - mathematician, war hero, godfather of the modern computer and victim of intolerance - in this fascinating costumed performance.
** Please note that the minimum age for this performance is 8+ **

James Sadler

Meet balloonist extraordinaire James Sadler and find out how he became the first man to fly over Manchester back in 1785.

Mr and Mrs Chadwick

Meet Mr and Mrs Chadwick, rail travellers from the 1830s, as they embark on their first railway journey. Discover the trials and tribulations of travelling by train on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.

Dolly: Cooking with Gas

Take a trip back in time to meet Dolly, our 1930s Gas Showroom Assistant, who will demonstrate all the 'mod cons' from that era and remind us just how much technology has moved on since then.

Lady Heath

Meet the famous female aviator who flew from Cape Town to London in an open-cockpit Avro Avian aeroplane. Discover how she suffered sunstroke, soared over the Pyramids and was escorted over the Mediterranean by Mussolini's planes.

John Dalton

Born into a modest Quaker family, John Dalton rose to become one of the most influential scientists in the world. He is best known for his groundbreaking work on atomic theory.

William Huskisson

Find out more about the MP's tragic accident at the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester railway in 1830.

James Watt

Learn how this engineering genius helped spur the industrial age, providing power and drive to shape our modern world.

Scavenger's Story

Meet Annie Pritchard, a scavenger from the 1830s, and find out what it was like to work in a cotton mill during the 19th century.

Max Woosnam

Hear about the famous amateur sportsman who played football for Manchester City, won the men's tennis doubles title at Wimbledon and the Olympics... and still managed to hold down a full-time job with Crossley Brothers, the world-leading Manchester engineering company.