The world-famous Museum of Illusions is ready to open its doors in Manchester city centre, filled with optical illusions and interactive exhibits.
Inside the new attraction, which opens this week on Market Street, visitors will be able to dangle upside down on a Metrolink tram, have their minds blown in the Vortex Tunnel, and probably learn a thing or two while they’re at it.
This is the Museum of Illusions location in the entire UK, promising mind-bending illusions and curious games around every corner.
Taking over what was formerly the Sports Direct unit on Market Street, and set to open its doors this week, there are dozens of installations to explore.
There’ll be signature Museum of Illusions exhibits like the Walk-in Kaleidoscope, the Vortex Tunnel (where it feels like you’re spinning upside-down) and the Infinity Room (where clever mirrors make it look like there are hundreds of you).
But also some brand-new, Manchester-exclusive installations, like The Reversed Room, which makes visitors look like they’re hanging upside-down from a Metrolink carriage; and The Building Illusion, where you can dangle, Spider-man-style, from a classic city brick terraced building.
Guests are even welcomed by an Alan Turing illusion, whose eyes follow you around the room as you pass by.
Museum of Illusions Manchester has loads of different mind-bending installations. Credit: The Manc Group
And every illusion is explained as you make your way around the fully-accessible museum, explaining the intriguing science behind things that play tricks on our brains.
The Museum of Illusions has locations across 25 countries and draws in more than 15 million visitors every year across the globe, but this is its first UK location.
Steven Buchan, general ,anager at Museum of Illusions, commented: “We are delighted to have Manchester chosen as the first UK location for the Museum of Illusions, as it’s known for its vibrant cultural scene, rich history, and reputation as a hub for innovation and creativity.
“Market Street, with its bustling atmosphere and central location, perfectly complements our mission to make interactive, educational experiences accessible to everyone.
“The Manchester location will offer a unique experience that blends our globally recognised exhibits with specially curated installations inspired by the city’s iconic landmarks and cultural heritage, making it distinct from our other locations around the world.”
The Museum of Illusions opens on Market Street in Manchester city centre on Friday 27 September – you can book your tickets here.
In pictures: Museum of Illusions Manchester
You can put your head into a kaleidoscope. Credit: The Manc GroupYou can put your head into a kaleidoscope. Credit: The Manc GroupThe Vortex Tunnel. Credit: The Manc GroupMerging faces at Museum of Illusions Manchester. Credit: The Manc GroupYou can make yourself look giant or tiny in one room. Credit: The Manc GroupThere are loads of interactive exhibitions. Credit: The Manc GroupThe Infinity Room. Credit: The Manc Group
How much are tickets for Museum of Illusions Manchester?
Online / walk-in
Adult (15+) – £21.00 / £23.00
Child (5-14) – £17.50 / £19.50
4 and under – Free
Senior (+65) – £17.50 / £19.50
Student – £17.50 / £19.50
Blue light card holders – £17.50 / £19.50 (Police, Hospital, Firefighters – all service providers with blue lights)
‘Dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture goes on public display in Greater Manchester after fears it was lost
Emily Sergeant
A long-lost masterpiece of Victorian silverwork has been saved and is now on display to the public in Greater Manchester.
Anyone taking a trip over to the National Trust’s historic Dunham Massey property, on the border of Greater Manchester into Cheshire, this summer will get to see the ‘dazzling’ sculpture called Stags in Bradgate Park – which was commissioned by a former owner in a defiant gesture to the society that shunned him.
The dramatic sculpture of two rutting Red Deer stags, commissioned in 1855 by George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford, was said to be an ‘act of love and rebellion’.
It also serves as a symbol of ‘locking horns’ with the society that ostracised him over his marriage to a woman considered ‘beneath him’.
“This isn’t just silver – it’s a story,” says James Rothwell, who is the National Trust‘s curator for decorative arts.
“A story of a man who fell in love with a woman that society deemed unworthy. When the Earl married Catherine Cox, whose colourful past was said to have included performing in a circus, Victorian high society was scandalised. Even Queen Victoria shunned the couple at the opera and local gentry at the horse races in Cheshire turned their backs on them.”
Modelled by Alfred Brown and crafted by royal goldsmiths Hunt & Roskell, Stags in Bradgate Park is a meticulously-detailed depiction of nature, and was considered a ‘sensation’ in its day.
Showing the rutting deer positioned on a rocky outcrop with gnarled hollow oaks, it graced the pages of the Illustrated London News, was exhibited at the London International Exhibition of 1862, and at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867 – both of which were events that drew millions of visitors.
A ‘dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture has gone on public display in Greater Manchester / Credit: Joe Wainwright | James Dobson (via Supplied)
The silver centrepiece was the celebrity art of its time, paraded through streets and admired by the public like no other.
Gradually over the years, some of the Earl of Stamford’s silver collection has been re-acquired for Dunham Massey, and this particular world-renowned sculpture, thought to be lost for decades and feared to have been melted down, has miraculously survived with its ‘dramatic’ central component being all that is left.
“The sculpture is not only a technical marvel, with its lifelike depiction of Bradgate Park’s rugged landscape and wildlife, but also a dramatic human story key to the history of Dunham Massey,” added Emma Campagnaro, who is the Property Curator at Dunham Massey.
“It speaks of nature, of craftsmanship, and of a couple who chose each other over status and what others thought of them.”
The sculpture has now gone on display at Dunham Massey from Thursday 26 June.
Featured Image – James Dobson (via Supplied)
Things To Do
Lewis Capaldi announces MASSIVE comeback gig in Manchester this year
Thomas Melia
Everyone’s favourite Scottish ballad-maker, Lewis Capaldi, is heading out on tour across the UK, including a massive Manchester date.
Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi is ready to tug at our heartstrings again right in front of our eyes as he announces a new UK arena tour.
This huge announcement comes right after his surprise set at the UK’s biggest music event of the year, Glastonbury, where he made a heroic return to the Pyramid Stage just two years after being forced to pull out.
Capaldi is known for writing some of the most notable and emotive hits of the late 2010s and early 2020s, including a long list of anthems such as ‘Someone You Loved’, ‘Bruises’ and ‘Before You Go’.
His monster of a hit ‘Someone You Loved’ has surpassed 3.9 billion views and is the UK’s most-streamed song of all time, so it is safe to say that his presence has been well and truly missed.
To many fans’ delight, the singer has stepped back into the spotlight and is ready to sing his heart out live at a variety of arenas across the UK, including Co-op Live right here in Manchester.
Now, in a post on his official Instagram account announcing this upcoming UK and Ireland arena tour, it’s good to see the Scottish powerhouse hasn’t lost his wit and charm as he jokes, “About time I got back to work.”
These shows are set to be in high demand as the singer has also revealed these upcoming dates, “Will be my only shows in the UK, Ireland or Europe this year! Would love to see ya there.”
On the back of his glorious Glasto return, Capaldi has dropped a huge heart-wrencher titled ‘Survive’ which offers more insight into the struggles and challenges the singer has been facing.
There is no confirmation of whether this new single marks the launch of a bigger project or not, but we can’t wait to scream his hits at the top of our lungs, regardless of when he pays Manchester a visit later this year.
Daisy Jackson -
24th September 2024 
