Prepare for a spectacular spring holiday packed with science shows, a blockbuster exhibition and a host of sensory activities at one of the region's best loved museums.
From 5–21 April, the Science and Industry Museum is exploring the world of senses, inspired by the museum's latest blockbuster exhibition, Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You. Visitors will encounter the surprising superpowers of the animal kingdom by putting their own senses to the test.
Young animal lovers will discover what life is like for their furry friends by challenging their sense of touch in a special agility course. Live science shows led by the museum's expert Explainers will explore the senses of curious creatures. Families can take a break in the bat cave to learn more about the nocturnal creatures' super senses and make their own bat to take home.
Following a sell-out February half term, visitors can discover the sensory inspiration behind the spring holidays with a ticket to Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You. The family exhibition takes intrepid explorers on a journey into the senses. Visitors travel through an ear canal covered in gooey wax before encountering rooms dedicated to each of our senses, packed with interactive activities. The experience comes to a gloriously gross end as adventurers don a bogie hat before being sneezed out of a giant nose.
Visitors can explore five decades of play in Power Up, the ultimate gaming experience, where they can discover how far computer games have come. From retro favourites like Pac-Man and Street Fighter to virtual reality, there's something for all the family with over a hundred consoles to experience. Annual passes are available to purchase, meaning visitors can unlock a new level of play and gain access to the experience for a whole year.
Chris Hill, Public Programmes Producer at the Science and Industry Museum said:
'We're delighted to be celebrating the senses this spring and taking inspiration from the amazing Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You. We're inviting everyone to see the science in the world around us by learning something new about your furry friends at home or creatures that live around the world.
'From tasting like a bee, being sneezed out of a giant nose or testing your reaction times in Power Up, it’s going to be sense-sational!'
Free museum tickets, plus charged-for tickets for Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You and Power Up can be booked now.
Details of all the activities taking place at the museum over the spring holidays can also be found on the website (https://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/spring-holidays-2025/).
The museum is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound restoration programme. Spaces including the Power Hall and 1830 Station are currently closed to the public but there's still lots to enjoy. Visitors can see science in action in the museum's interactive gallery, Experiment, meet mighty machines in the Textiles Gallery and discover world changing ideas in Revolution Manchester. Incredible objects from Professor Stephen Hawking's office are also on display in its highlights display.
Notes to editors
About the Science and Industry Museum
The Science and Industry Museum tells the story of where science met industry and the modern world began. Manchester was one of the first global industrial cities, and its epic rise, decline and resurrection has been echoed in countless other cities around the world. The museum's mission is to inspire all its visitors, including future scientists and inventors, with the story of how ideas can change the world, from the industrial revolution to today and beyond.
The Science and Industry Museum site is on the site of the Liverpool Road Station terminus of the Liverpool Manchester Railway, the world's first purpose-built passenger railway. Among its internationally significant buildings are the world's first passenger railway station and the oldest existing railway goods warehouse. In total there are two Grade I listed buildings and four Grade II listed buildings on the site.
The museum is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound regeneration project that will see brand new spaces opened and significant improvements made to some of its best-loved galleries.
The Science and Industry Museum is part of the Science Museum Group, a family of museums which also includes the Science Museum in London; the National Railway Museum in York and Shildon; and the Science and Media Museum in Bradford. The Science Museum Group is devoted to the history and contemporary practice of science, medicine, technology, industry and media. With five million visitors each year and an unrivalled collection, it is the most significant group of museums of science and innovation worldwide.
