What Science and Industry Museum does

The Science and Industry Museum is a UK registered non-profit museum located on Liverpool Road in Manchester, operating as a constituent institution of the Science Museum Group, a national charitable network encompassing five museums including the Science Museum in London and the National Railway Museum in York. Founded in 1983 and currently employing 51-100 staff, the museum is dedicated to documenting and presenting 250 years of Manchester's industrial and scientific heritage, from the Industrial Revolution through the pioneering computing era. Its core holdings include the world's first modern computer (the Manchester Small Scale Experimental Machine/Baby), the Ferranti Mark 1, and the SpiNNaker neural-network supercomputer, alongside extensive collections of historic engines, industrial machinery, and railway artifacts.

The museum operates an event-driven and community-led go-to-market model, with free admission supported by a diversified revenue base including donations, venue hire for corporate and private events, retail merchandise sales, corporate partnerships, major gifts and legacies, and grants from trusts, foundations, and government bodies. Its product portfolio spans permanent galleries (Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery), temporary exhibitions (Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos, running February 2026 to January 2027), special events (Power Up gaming days), educational programmes for schools and early years, and digital extensions including the Wonderlab+ online learning platform and Objects and Stories digital collection. The museum is open daily 10:00-17:00, closed only on 24-26 December and 1 January.

The museum serves a diverse customer base spanning families and general public visitors, school and educational groups, academic researchers, and corporate clients seeking venue hire and partnership opportunities. It is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound restoration programme including the 1830 Station and Warehouse, which is expected to expand visitor capacity and product surface over the medium term. Marketing channels include the website, social media (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram), email newsletters, press relations, and dedicated Wonderlab+ digital content.

Name

Science and Industry Museum

Legal name

Science and Industry Museum

Website

https://mosi.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Science and Industry Museum is a UK non-profit museum in Manchester and part of the Science Museum Group, presenting 250 years of industrial heritage and computing history through free exhibitions, educational programs, and digital platforms to families, schools, researchers, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural and Educational Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG), Specialty Physical Artifact Storage (Museum Collections, Historical Documents, Rare Materials) (TLALALAJ)

Keywords

• Science museum exhibits
• Industrial heritage museum
• STEM education programs
• Venue hire services
• Museum retail merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: Voluntary donations from visitors and supporters, including one-time and recurring gift options through the donation portal.
2. Venue Hire: Corporate and private event hosting services utilizing museum spaces for conferences, weddings, and special occasions.
3. Retail Shop: Sale of science-themed merchandise, toys, gifts, and gadgets inspired by stories from the Industrial Revolution and beyond.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorship and partnership arrangements with businesses seeking association with the museum's brand and audience.
5. Major Gifts and Legacies: Major donor cultivation and legacy giving programs including gifts in wills for significant contributions.
6. Trusts, Foundations and Government: Grant funding and institutional support from charitable trusts, foundations, and government bodies for restoration projects and educational programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Science and Industry Museum operates a free-admission museum in Manchester that curates permanent galleries (such as Power Hall), blockbuster temporary exhibitions (such as Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos), special events (Power Up gaming days), and educational programmes for schools and families. The museum preserves and displays historically significant artifacts charting 250 years of Manchester's industrial and computing heritage, including the Manchester Baby replica, and extends its reach through the Wonderlab+ online learning platform and an e-commerce shop.

Product overview

The Science and Industry Museum offers a diverse portfolio of exhibitions, permanent galleries, and educational programmes. Its core offerings include temporary exhibitions like Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos, permanent galleries such as Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery, and special events including Power Up gaming days. The museum provides free admission to its main galleries and complements physical exhibitions with online resources including Wonderlab+, Objects and Stories digital collections, and Online Talks featuring expert discussions. The museum also maintains significant historical computing exhibits including the Manchester Baby replica, SpiNNaker supercomputer display, and Ferranti Mark 1 commemorative exhibit, celebrating Manchester's pioneering role in computing history.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wonderlab+: Online family-friendly website featuring exciting experiments, games and videos for science education.
• Manchester Science Festival

Products and services

• Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos An out-of-this-world premiere exhibition exploring space science through interactive displays and family-friendly activities, targeting families and general visitors.
• Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery A permanent gallery showcasing engine-driven ideas and industry that started in Manchester, featuring the sights, sounds, and smells of industrial innovation. Open daily.
• Power Up A gaming-focused special event offering interactive gaming experiences on Saturdays and Sundays during term time and daily during school holidays.
• Early Years Activities Story time, imaginative play, Makaton-friendly adventures, and curious moments designed to inspire and entertain young learners at the museum.
• Wonderlab+ A family-friendly online platform featuring science experiments, games, and videos for at-home learning and engagement.
• Objects and Stories Digital collection exploring the people, places, and ideas behind the museum's holdings, charting 250 years of discoveries and innovations from Manchester.
• Online Talks Recorded live talks featuring scientists and experts discussing topics including climate change, AI, diversity and inclusion in STEM.
• Summer Holidays 2026 A free summer holiday programme featuring space science activities, hands-on challenges, and family fun from 18 July to 1 September 2026.
• Manchester Baby (Manchester Small Scale Experimental Machine) Exhibit Full-scale replica of the world's first modern computer (1948), displaying the first program stored in electric memory, with updated display celebrating the 78th anniversary.
• SpiNNaker Neural-Network Supercomputer Exhibit Exhibition showcasing the SpiNNaker neural-network supercomputer as part of Manchester's computing history displays.
• Ferranti Mark 1 Commemorative Display Commemorative display marking the 75th anniversary of the Ferranti Mark 1, the world's first commercially available computer produced in 1951.
• Venue Hire Corporate and private event hosting services utilising museum spaces including the historic 1830 Station and Power Hall for conferences, weddings, and special occasions.
• Museum Online Shop Sale of science-themed merchandise, toys, gifts, and gadgets inspired by stories from the Industrial Revolution and beyond, sold through the online store.
• Manchester Science Festival An annual flagship event hosted by the museum celebrating science and innovation in Manchester, featuring scientists and experts discussing topics from climate change and AI to diversity and inclusion in STEM.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free museum admission ensures broad accessibility to STEM education
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Science Museum GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Science and Industry Museum is a constituent museum of the Science Museum Group, which also includes the Science Museum (London), Science and Media Museum (Bradford), National Railway Museum (York), and Locomotion (Shildon). The Group provides shared resources, collections management, digital platforms, marketing, and institutional governance across all member museums.
• Manchester Science FestivalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe museum hosts Manchester Science Festival, an annual flagship event celebrating science and innovation in the city. The festival brings together partners from across academia, industry, and cultural organizations to deliver public engagement with STEM.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Exploratorium: San Francisco-based interactive science museum known for hands-on exhibits and STEM learning. Comparable as a free/affordable-admission science museum emphasising interactive exhibits, family learning, and digital content extension.
• Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago): Chicago's flagship science and industry museum, formerly the Museum of Science and Industry, sharing the exact same nomenclature and remit of charting industrial innovation. Comparable as a major urban science-and-industry museum with interactive exhibits and a strong educational mission.
• Deutsches Museum: One of the world's oldest and largest science and technology museums, located in Munich. Comparable as a major international science-and-technology museum with deep computing and industrial-heritage collections and a strong STEM education focus.
• Science and Media Museum (Bradford): Another constituent museum of the Science Museum Group, focused on the science of media and photography in Bradford. Shares the same funding model, Group-level governance, collections management, and free-admission visitor proposition.
• National Railway Museum (York): Science Museum Group sibling museum in York focused on rail heritage. Operates under identical free-admission, donation-supported model and benefits from the same Group-level marketing and digital infrastructure.
• Science Museum (London): The flagship constituent museum of the same Science Museum Group, located in London. Directly comparable as a free-admission science and technology museum with interactive galleries, blockbuster touring exhibitions, and a national educational mandate.
• Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum: Birmingham's primary science museum, the most direct UK regional peer. Operates a similar interactive STEM-focused exhibit model targeting families and school groups in a major English industrial city.
• Centre for Life: Newcastle-based science centre combining a visitor attraction with an active research village. Comparable as a UK regional science-and-innovation visitor destination with strong educational programming and public engagement.

Broad incumbents

• California Academy of Sciences: San Francisco-based science institution combining natural history museum, aquarium, and planetarium under one roof. Comparable as a large, free/affordable-admission science institution with strong educational programming and digital reach.
• National Museum of Scotland: Scotland's national museum, offering broad science, technology, and industrial-history collections alongside cultural displays. Comparable as a large UK national museum with free admission and a remit covering science, technology, and industrial heritage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ScienceandIndustryMuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/scienceandindustrymuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/scienceandindustrymuseum
• Xx.com/sim_manchester

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Science and Industry Museum