Description of the attraction
The Manchester Museum is part of the University of Manchester. Its collections number over six million items, and the museum serves as both a research center and a museum open to the public.
The museum exposition is based on the collections of the Manchester Society for Natural History and the Manchester Geological Society, collected in the 19th century. In 1867, due to the financial difficulties of society, these collections were donated to Owen College (now the University of Manchester). The college hired Alfred Waterhouse, the architect of the London Natural History Museum, to build the new museum building.
In 1912, the museum's exposition was significantly expanded due to the "Egyptian collections" donated to the museum by the local industrialist Jess Howarth, who sponsored archaeological excavations and research.
The museum is constantly expanding, acquiring new exhibits and increasing its area. In 1997, the museum received a grant of 12.5 million pounds, and in 2003 it opened after a major renovation. The museum's latest notable acquisition is a replica of the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus, nicknamed Stan.
The museum is famous for its entomological and mineralogical collections, and the collection of molluscs is the largest in the UK.
Of particular interest is the collection dedicated to the art of archery, with over 2,000 artifacts from Europe, Asia and Africa.
