Bolton Museum, a free attraction in Greater Manchester, offers a unique indoor experience for families during the school holidays, featuring an Egyptology collection and the region's only public aquarium.
A hidden gem for rainy days
With the weather turning wet, indoor venues across Greater Manchester provide budget-friendly options for parents. Bolton Museum, located in the town centre, covers the town's history from a market town to an industrial hub and its role in the Mass Observation Project, alongside exhibits on natural history, archaeology, and Egyptology.
Egyptology collection and mummy
The Egyptology exhibit is a highlight, considered one of the most important in a British local authority museum, with around 12,000 objects from over 65 sites in Egypt. It explores daily life through artefacts, including a mummy known as the Unknown Man, who died around 3250 years ago. Interactive elements, such as a dressing-up box, engage younger visitors.
Unique aquarium and more
The museum also houses the 'Unpacked' room, displaying quirky items like a dentist's chair and a 1930s dress. The basement aquarium, opened in 1941, is Greater Manchester's only public aquarium, home to over 70 varieties of fish, including Piranhas, Glass Catfish, Neon Tetra, and Spotted freshwater stingrays.
Opening times
Bolton Museum is open from 9am to 5pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays; from 9.30pm to 5pm on Wednesdays; and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays.
