Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester

The Museum of Transport in Greater Manchester preserves the region’s public transport past. It sits in Cheetham Hill, a short distance north of Manchester city centre, close to the junction of Cheetham Hill Road and Queens Road. The site occupies a former bus depot and tram shed built in 1901, later extended with two halls added in 1928 and 1935. Volunteers run the museum, which became a registered charity in 1980. The entire block of buildings is Grade II listed for its historical importance. The museum holds one of the largest collections of buses in the United Kingdom, with around 80 vehicles, most kept on site. Restoration work is often visible, and some vehicles travel to summer events across the country. The collection also includes two trolleybuses, a prototype Manchester Metrolink tram, and transport signs, uniforms, and filming props from the Harry Potter films. Behind the scenes, archives contain timetables, maps, manuals, and photographs available for research or online viewing. Visitors find two main halls displaying buses, trams, and smaller exhibits. Regular events run throughout the year, from February’s Morris Minor gathering to December’s Christmas market. A heritage bus service links Manchester Victoria station to the museum every twenty minutes on event days. The Queens Road tram stop is just 200 metres away, making the site easy to reach by public transport.