As a family, we almost think of Manchester as our second home. It's where my daughter has settled after graduating from university and is our nearest accessible big city being just over an hour away from our rural Shropshire home. I am always impressed by just how much there is to do there, and last weekend we got to experience the MOSI on a bloggers' family day out with Blogs Up North.
The Museum of Science and Industry is an impressive series of buildings combining the old with the new. Comprising of a series of galleries, it showcases the scientific discoveries and industrial innovations that Manchester has brought the world.
We met up in one of the conference rooms for coffee, cookies and an introduction to the museum. We were visited by Forgetful Fireman Fred a costumed character who we would later see performing in the Power Hall, as he told the children about the workings of a steam engine. My Freddy really liked his namesake, who did some removable thumb tricks for him!
The museum consists of five main buildings: The Great Western Warehouse, the 1830 Warehouse, Power Hall, Station Building and the Air & Space Hall. Each houses a host of exhibitions, some temporary, most permanent. There is also a wonderful steam train that runs on selected weekends and holidays on site which you can ride for a small fee. We were lucky enough to have a ride on the train and Freddy loved feeling the wind in his hair as the train chuffed down the track, giving us a great view of all the surrounding buildings.
Experiment! is the hands on interactive zone where children can learn all about science by playing with the exhibits. Exploring magnetism, light, sound, shapes, liquids, temperature and electricity proved a lot of fun for everyone, kids and adults alike.
We also had our photograph taken to appear up on big screens in a huge digital sculpture which is part of the Revolution Manchester Gallery. You get a bar code card that allows you to register and log in from home to access a series of games and challenges online, keeping the MOSI experience alive.
There is so much to see and do at MOSI. It is all very family friendly with a focus on fun. There is a coffee shop, picnic area, gift shop and restaurant on site. There is also a 4D theatre and a motion simulator, Morphis (charges apply).
MOSI is open from 10am-5pm and has onsite parking (chargeable).
Entry is free but a £3 donation is suggested to help maintain and preserve the historic site.
Find out more at www.mosi.org.uk
