The Science and Industry Museum has unveiled its programme of free activities for the summer, and it looks set to be a ‘summer of senses’.
With the summer holidays right around the corner, and schools across Greater Manchester and beyond set to be out in a couple of weeks time, parents and carers will likely be looking for ways to keep the kids educated and entertained at the same time, especially if the unpredictable Manchester weather continues to show itself.
Even better if the activities are suitable for mini Mancs of all ages, and you don’t have to break the bank too much either.
By far one of the best places to escape the hustle and bustle with your little ones in the city centre, the Science and Industry Museum has got a spectacular summer holiday programme packed with all sorts of things to be getting up to.
With events running from 19 July to 31 August, whether it’s disco dancing around a giant brain, unveiling the science behind optical illusions, or journeying through a giant ear canal, there’s something for everyone during the museum’s ‘sense-sational’ summer.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Science and Industry Museum has unveiled its ‘summer of senses’ programme / Credit: Science Museum Group
The ‘Bogie Lab’ is where all the action’s happening, as it will be full of sticky surprises for visitors wanting to explore more about their sense of smell.
Interactive workshops will aim to inspire future scientists by giving them the chance to unearth the ‘brilliance of bogies’, and visitors can get hands-on with this ‘magical mucus’ by creating their very own pot of snot to take home.
Our senses of sight and sound will also be examined in a brand-new interactive Explainer experience, unpicking optical and audio illusions that ‘bamboozle’ our brains.
ADVERTISEMENT
Stay tuned as there’s also set to be another live appearance from presenter of Operation Ouch!, Dr Xand, due to be announced soon.
If learning about the senses isn’t really your bag though, then you can explore five decades of play in the ultimate gaming experience, Power Up instead, and discover just how far computer games have come over the years.
There’s dozens of free activities happening across the six-week holidays / Credit: Science Museum Group
“We’re celebrating the summer by exploring the snotty science behind Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You,” commented Tash Camberwell, who is the Interpretation and Content Developer at the Science and Industry Museum.
“With activities from disco dancing to exhilarating experiments and brain boggling illusions, you won’t want to miss this summer of fun.
“Everyone is welcome for six weeks of family fun celebrating our amazing bodies, how our brilliant brains see the world, and the surprising significance of snot. We’ve got brains, we’ve got bogies, now all we need is you.”
Top Manchester attraction Museum of Illusions has been transformed by spooky Halloween surprises
Daisy Jackson
A spooky new Halloween experience has arrived at Manchester’s Museum of Illusions, and it’s perfect for half term.
The top attraction is getting a spooky makeover, with strange surprises, mind-bending tricks and plenty of photo opportunities taking over this October.
Running until Sunday 1 November, Weird Wonders is transforming some of the museum’s best-loved exhibits into a Halloween-inspired experience, making it a fun option for families, friends and anyone looking to get into the spooky spirit.
And with the whole experience taking place indoors on Market Street, it’s a dream option for those unpredictable Manchester autumn days when the weather has other plans, and a perfect spot to fill a day of the half term holidays..
Five of the attraction’s most popular exhibits are getting a Halloween transformation, giving visitors even more reasons to question what they’re seeing, strike a pose and get some seriously strange photos along the way.
Among the spooky highlights is the Bone Throne, where visitors can take their seat on a suitably eerie chair that warps your perspective, while the Spider Clone Table promises a creepy twist on one of the museum’s classic illusions.
There’s also the Web of Faces, where a giant kaleidoscope multiplies your face (now with added cobwebs), alongside the Echo Cave, offering another opportunity to step into a world where your senses can be deceived.
And the museum’s Hollow Faces experience features 3D-printed faces inspired by Einstein, Frankenstein and Count Dracula – bringing together science, classic horror and a little optical trickery.
Halloween at the Museum of Illusions. Credit: The Manc Group
There’s more to Weird Wonders than spooky photo opportunities, too.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Halloween without a few treats. Every child ticket holder will receive a complimentary brain puzzle from the Illusion Shop, plus a sweet treat to take home at the end of their visit.
Adults haven’t been forgotten either, with a free treat available when purchasing two adult tickets.
Weird Wonders is running at the Museum of Illusions Manchester from 3 October to 1 November 2026.
Tickets and further information are available HERE.
Science and Industry Museum announces programme of FREE ‘spooktacular’ October half term activities
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s best museums has announced a programme of free ‘spooktacular science’ activities for October half term.
With half term right around the corner and Halloween not far off either, it won’t be long before parents and carers are looking for ways to keep little Mancs occupied… luckily, the Science and Industry Museum has got you covered.
With only a few weeks to go until schools in Greater Manchester are out for October half term, the massively popular museum in the heart of Manchester city centre has unveiled a jam-packed lineup of free events.
Families are being told to get ready for ‘spooktacular’ science, hands-on activities, and loads of interactive fun, all inspired by the popular Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos exhibition.
You can storyboard and then animate your own extra-terrestrial character inside the Animation Studio, let your imagination run wild and design your own alien species, or even go on a galactic treasure hunt around the museum and build your own interstellar spaceship with a giant rocket building kit.
Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum has announced a programme of free ‘spooktacular’ October half term activities / Credit: Science Museum Group
In the mornings, you can take a break from your cosmic adventures and enjoy family-friendly sci-fi screenings in Revolution Manchester.
You’ll also then be able to put your skills to the test with classic space-themed games on the big screen every day in the afternoon.
And don’t forget, this half term is your only chance to meet Albert Slime-stein – a larger-than-life monster who’ll be popping up in the Upper Yard as part of the annual Halloween in the City MCR Monsters trail.
If you’re planning on visiting on actual Halloween day itself, then the museum is inviting you to come dressed in your best costume so you can get properly stuck into all the spooky fun.
The unveiling of the October half term events programme comes after the museum also announced that its popular adults-only ‘after hours’ event would be returning for one night only later this month, also with a Halloween twist.
Museum After Hours is happening on Thursday 29 October from 7pm-10pm, with tickets setting you back £12 each or £6 for concessions. Find out more here.
Science and Industry Museum’s October Half Term Programme is running from 24 October to 1 November. Entry to the museum (except the exhibitions) is free of charge, but it’s advised that you book your admission in advance, as it’s expected to be busier than normal.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd June 2025 
