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The Science and Industry Museum is gearing up to mark a monumental milestone by welcoming visitors back inside one of the UK’s most significant industrial heritage buildings.
On Friday 17th of October, the Science and Industry Museum will swing open the doors of its Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery, inviting visitors to experience the sights, sounds, and even smells of the engines and ideas that propelled Manchester, and the world, into the modern era.
For the first time in nearly a decade, some of the museum’s historic steam engines will roar to life, pumping power through a hall steeped in industrial grandeur. From weaving machines in Rochdale mills to locomotives that transported holidaymakers around the Isle of Man in the 1870s, these mechanical marvels tell the story of a city that transformed industry forever.
Power Hall opens at The Science and Industry Museum
The Power Hall Restoration at the Science & Industry Museum – 27th August 2025
Originally built in 1855 as a shipping shed for Liverpool Road Station, the world’s first purpose-built passenger railway station, Power Hall is a Grade II listed building that has witnessed over 160 years of Manchester’s industrial story. Now fully restored and reimagined, the gallery blends timeless architecture with hands-on interactivity, ensuring visitors of all ages can get their cogs turning.
Visitors can explore new interactive exhibits that put problem-solving skills to the test: build, pump, hammer, and even crawl through activities designed to show what it takes to power industrial machines. Meanwhile, the restored engines demonstrate STEM in action, powered by 21st-century carbon-neutral infrastructure that highlights the city’s ongoing innovation.
Celebrating the people behind the railways
The Power Hall Restoration at the Science & Industry Museum – 27th August 2025
Power Hall doesn’t just celebrate machines, it celebrates people. From pioneering women engineers to the designers of modern wind turbines, the gallery reveals the diverse individuals whose ingenuity has shaped energy, industry, and technology. Historical narratives sit alongside contemporary tales, creating a multigenerational journey from the Industrial Revolution to greener futures.
Sally MacDonald, Director of the Science and Industry Museum, said: “Power Hall symbolises Manchester’s innovation, creativity, and resilience. Many people have told me that this gallery inspired them as children. Now it can spark a new generation of inventors, engineers, and technicians.”
Science and Industry Museums sustainable credentials
The Power Hall Restoration at the Science & Industry Museum – 27th August 2025
The reopening also marks a milestone in heritage conservation and sustainability. From water-powered heating systems to energy-efficient lighting, the gallery marries historic preservation with cutting-edge environmental solutions, saving over 500 tonnes of carbon per year while keeping the engines steaming.
Visitors will enter through the newly landscaped Upper Yard, which together with Power Hall now opens more than 1.4 acres of accessible public space. Inside, cobbles, timber floors, and the grand platform layout recall Manchester’s industrial might, while contemporary lighting and interpretive design highlight both the machinery and the people behind it.
Power Hall promises a full sensory experience
The Power Hall Restoration at the Science & Industry Museum – 27th August 2025
Whether you’re a history buff, STEM enthusiast, or just looking for an extraordinary day out, Power Hall promises a full sensory experience that reconnects Manchester with its proud industrial heritage. And best of all? Entry is free.
Step inside, hear the engines roar, and let the ingenuity of Manchester’s past inspire your future. Power Hall is back, and it’s more alive than ever.
Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery reopens Friday 17th of October at the Science and Industry Museum. Free tickets are available at the museum.
You can find out more on their website by clicking here
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