The Museum of Transport in Manchester is offering free heritage bus rides across two weekends this September as part of the Heritage Open Days festival. The tours will run on September 12 and 13, and 19 and 20, from 10am to 4pm each day. No pre-booking is required, and the rides are completely free.
Heritage Open Days weekend tours
The heritage buses will call at the Manchester Jewish Museum, the Science and Industry Museum, and the People’s History Museum in the city centre. The latter two venues are also participating in the Heritage Open Days festival, making it a good opportunity to visit multiple sites in one day.
More than 100 locations across Greater Manchester are taking part in the festival, including the Science and Industry Museum, Sale Town Hall, and the Avro Heritage Museum. Participating venues offer free activities and events, behind-the-scenes tours, and public access to areas normally closed off.
Special events at partner museums
On September 19, the People's History Museum will host a live event with Findmypast’s genealogy experts, who will uncover family stories. Throughout the day, expert talks will cover local history, the Peterloo Massacre, and the suffragettes. Visitors can also explore family history with free access to Findmypast’s records, though pre-booking is recommended.
The Science and Industry Museum will host free activities during the festival, along with exclusive archive access and behind-the-scenes tours of its historic site, which is currently undergoing a multi-million pound regeneration.
Museum of Transport collection
The Museum of Transport, housed in a former bus garage, holds a collection of over 80 vehicles. Visitors can also see a fire engine, a prototype Metrolink tram, lorries, and ancillary vehicles. Alongside the vehicles, the museum displays signage, uniforms, and ticket machines. The museum is open from 10am to 4.30pm on September 12, 13, 19, and 20, at Boyle Street, Manchester, M8 8UW.
