Hat works, the country's first museum of hats and headgear, is one of Stockport's newer visitor attractions. It is located in Wellington Mill opposite the bus station and only a few minutes' walk from the train station.

You will be provided with an unique opportunity to see original working machinery demonstrating the hat-making process and a range of hats both historical and contemporary.

Entry to the top floor is free as is the Lvel 2 café and shop.

Opening Times
The museum is open Monday to Saturday 10.00-5.00 and on Sundays 11.00-5.00.

Booking your visit
Booking ahead is essential if you are bringing a group of foreign students to the museum. This means the museum will know that the group are EFL students and you can benefit from the specially designed worksheets.

1. Contact the museum on tel.+44 161 355 7770 and say you want to make a booking for EFL students.

2. When making the booking please give the following details: date and time of visit; your name and position/relationship to the students; name of organisation; which country/countries the students come from; number of students; age of students; students' level of English; how you are going to pay for the visit; special requests (i.e. if you are bringing a coach the museum can arrange parking opposite the museum at the bus station).

3. You should arrange payment with the museum in advance.

4. Your booking will be confirmed and you collect tickets on arrival.

Prices
Group discounts are available. Please ask at the time of booking.

Transport
The museum is situated in the centre of Stockport in Wellington Mill. The chimney of this building is highly visible from all the main routes into Stockport. It is located on the main road through Stockport, the A6 Wellington Road South.
If you are arriving by coach there is plenty of space to park right in front of the museum of the museum at the bus station but this must be notified at the time of booking. This is free.

If you are arriving by bus the museum is situated opposite the main Stockport bus station.

If you are arriving by car you can park at various inexpensive car parks nearby. The nearest are situated at Heaton Lane, Mersey Way and Grand Central.

If you are arriving by train the museum is only 5 minutes walk away.

Other useful information

• Toilets are on the ground floor and first floor.
  
  
• There is a café serving hot food and drinks available at the museum. If it is good weather students can sit on the grass surrounding the museum to eat their packed lunches. There are facilities for students to eat inside the museum if it is waiting.
  
  
• Wheelchair access is to all floors.
  
  
• Worksheets are available for EFL students as well as for other groups of students i.e. younger students. Staff at the museum can recommend which sheets are most appropriate to your group.
  
  
• Maximum group size for the museum is 50 students approx. A group of this size would be accommodated at this site but would usually be split into two groups.
  
  
• A visit to this museum should be followed by a visit to the Air Raid Shelters which is situated about 5 minutes walk away in Stockport town centre. Please see the separate information sheet for this site.
  
  
• There is small shop in the museum which small souvenirs. If students wish to visit the shop they should do so in small groups so it is probably best if they see the shop during the tour of the building rather than leave it until the end.