The Science and Industry Museum is launching 16 days of family-friendly activities from May 23 to June 7, all themed around the power that propelled Manchester’s industrial past and still shapes its future.

Designed to spark curiosity and creativity, the half-term programme includes miniature steam train rides, visiting steam-powered traction engines, hands-on engineering activities, and live demonstrations.

A young visitor with a balancing activity at the Science and Industry Museum (Image: Drew Forsyth/The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum)

Grace Brindle, public programme producer at the Science and Industry Museum, said: “We are so excited to be bringing power and play together in such a hands-on, dynamic way this May half term.

“The forces that shaped Manchester’s industrial past weren’t just powerful, they were innovative, bold, and full of possibility.

“Through this programme, we’re inviting visitors to explore those ideas in ways that are active, playful, and fun.”

A highlight of the programme is a pop-up miniature steam railway hosted by Little British Rail, offering visitors a short ride around the museum’s newly reopened outdoor space.

Family with the Pender locomotive in Power Hall (Image: Drew Forsyth/The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum)

Railway journeys are priced at £4, with under ones travelling free.

The train experience is available daily except May 30 and 31, from 10.30am to 4pm.

Ms Brindle said: “It’s especially exciting to welcome a pop-up miniature steam rail experience to the museum as we celebrate the reopening of our Upper Yard.

“The yard will give visitors even more historic outdoor space to explore, just in time for the summer months.

“The miniature rail is also a wonderful reminder of our museum’s special site, home to the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway station.”

Family in the Experiment Gallery at the Science and Industry Museum (Image: Drew Forsyth/The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum)

While waiting to board, visitors can explore Curiosity Stops, where expert Explainers will lead playful investigations into the mechanics of motion.

Other outdoor activities include garden games and refreshments from a pop-up stall run by Benugo.

Inside, Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery invites visitors to engage with an interactive trail and witness live demonstrations of working steam engines.

This historic building, once a goods shipping shed, is now home to one of the UK’s largest collections of working steam engines.

Younger visitors can take part in percussion workshops with Manchester-based Drumroots, experimenting with rhythm and movement inspired by the sounds of industry.

Performances run from May 23 to 31 at 10.45am, 11.45am, 12.45pm, and 2.15pm.

From June 5 to 7, Urmston & District Model Engineering Society will display early 20th-century steam-powered vehicles, including a Fowler Showman’s traction engine and Foden steam wagon.

Visitors are invited to don a flat cap and take photos with the historic machines.

The museum’s free galleries will remain open throughout, including the Experiment science playground, the Textiles Gallery, and Revolution Manchester, which tells the story of the city’s industrial legacy.

The fun continues in the Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos exhibition, an interactive journey through the Solar System filled with immersive challenges and experiments.

Power Up, the museum’s gaming experience, will be available during the first week of the holidays and on weekends.

Visitors are encouraged to check the museum’s website for a full schedule of events, as some activities are date-dependent.