Museums United - Welcoming You, Welcoming Your Students
The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester
Hat Works - The Museum of Hatting
Manchester United Museum and Tour
Manchester Jewish Museum
The Wigan Pier Experience
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Bramall Hall
Quarry Bank Mill
Stockport Air Raid Shelters
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Wigan Pier
Information

What will you see?
In one day at Wigan Pier you can experience 100 years of history brought to life by our own professional Theatre Company. Learn about local Victorian life in 1900 in the 'Way we Were' museum. Visit one of the World's largest mill steam engines and machine hall to learn about steam power and the working conditions of an Edwardian cotton spinning mill. Travel by boat along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to Opie's Museum of Memories. There is a café, 'The Parlour at the Pier' where you can buy food and drink at reasonable prices. A place to eat a packed lunch, the 'Tuck Box' and to end your special day souvenirs can be bought from our shop.


Why visit Wigan Pier?
So much to see, learn and enjoy.

Developments in transport and communications have made the world a smaller place in the last 100 years. Now trends in food, fashion, music, toys, advertising and packaging are international and familiar to us all. At Wigan Pier, whatever your age, sex or nationality you are sure to find something which will remind you of a special time or a favourite thing. Specially appealing to young adults is Opie's Museum of Memories at Wigan Pier, where examples of daily life over the past 100 years are remembered, decade by decade; newspapers, magazines, comics, toys, music, entertainment, fashion and design. Part museum, part theatre, actors bring history to life performing short scenarios and 'Century' a musical play which will remind you of national and international events from 1900 to present day. You can watch Pathe newsreels in the 1930s cinema, play the Jukebox in the 1950s Milk Bar, dress in the fashionable clothes of the 1960s in our boutique and listen to the music of the 70s in the Record Shop.


Opening Times
The museum is open Monday to Thursday 10.00-5.00 and on Saturday & Sunday 11.00-5.00. The museum is closed on Fridays.

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 1942 702495 fax. +44 1942 701927 and say you want to make a booking for EFL students. This will give you a provisional booking. This will be held for 3 weeks unless you are booking within 4 weeks of your visit, when a provisional booking will be held for 7 days.

2. You will be sent an information pack with full details of the educational facilities available at the museum and a booking form.

3. Fill in the booking form for secondary/college visits. You should write the course being studied is English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in order that the staff are prepared for your visit. Remember that you should choose Opie's Museum of Memories as your main visit.

4. A deposit of 20% is required to secure your booking. This should be sent back to the museum with your booking from. The remainder of the entrance fees is payable on the day.

5. If you have any enquiries please call the Learning Centre on +44 1942 702495.

Prices
The price of £4.25 per students includes entry to all parts of the museum. There is one free adult per 10 students booked. Guides can be booked at a price of £10 per booking for the duration of your visit. This is strongly recommended.

Transport
The museum is in the centre of Wigan, 5 minutes walk from the train stations (Wigan Wallgate & Wigan North Western). It is clearly signposted from the train stations.
If you are arriving by car there are car parks to be found on both sides of the site.
If you are arriving by coach the coach park is marked on the site map. The coach parking is in the nearest car park to the Museum of Memories. Please make sure that the driver knows the way to Wigan Pier as the town centre has a lot of one way systems which can cause delays if you take a wrong turn.

Other useful information

  • Packed lunches can be stored in the Tuck Box, a café and eating area where students can later eat their packed lunches and buy other snacks. This area should be kept clean and tidy by any students using it.

  • Educational materials in French, German and Spanish are available for use in 'The Way We Were' section of the museum as well as the EFL materials available for Opie's Museum of Memories.

  • There is no maximum group size for the museum but teachers and guides are asked to split their groups into easily supervised groups of approx. 15 whilst moving around the museum.

  • Students should be encouraged to explore the museum in their own time and can start and finish where they like, they do not have to follow the museum chronologically. The EFL worksheet has been designed to allow for this.

  • There is shop in the museum, which sells a great range of things including old-fashioned English sweets, postcards featuring old advertisements, cards and books. If students wish to visit the shop they should do so at the time they have been allocated on arrival. This is to avoid overcrowding in a very popular part of the museum!

  • If you prefer you can order a 'goody' bag for each student which contains a pencil, sharpener and a stick of Wigan Pier rock!

  • It is a 5 minutes walk from the Trencherfield Mill to the 'Way We Were'. You can walk or there is a free Waterbus service that can take you from one site to the other. Currently there is no wheelchair access to the Waterbus.

  • There is a Tourist Information desk at Trencherfield Mill (the building which has the Museum Of Memories in it). You can get lots of useful information on other things to do in and around Wigan.