National Football Museum
National Football Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The world's biggest and best football museum is open seven days a week in Manchester city centre. Here, you will discover how football became the game of our lives, following the stories through fascinating objects and exhibitions. Unearth the game's origins, relive the FA Cup fairytales and explore the different aspects and issues that make the game such an integral part of our culture and society. Chart the fortunes of our national teams in our new display, England on the World Stage, and see the country's footballing crown jewels: the ball from the 1966 World Cup Final, Geoff Hurst's iconic shirt and the Jules Rimet Trophy, still gleaming in its new case! Get in the game with a host of fun interactive challenges, from penalty-taking and shot-stopping to match commentary, and check out the latest changing exhibitions on the ground floor and in our Score Gallery.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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How to get there
  • Victoria • 3 min walk
  • Exchange Square • 3 min walk
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See what travellers are saying
  • Linda B
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Museum visit by train
    We took our 6 and 4 year old Grandsons here in the Easter holidays. We travelled in by train which I would highly recommend as Victoria Station is just opposite. Plenty of activities for all ages. Would have been good to have a few more activities where they could handle a football. Penalty shoot game had a que for well over an hour so we didn't wait. Staff especially those doing activities were wonderful. The young man doing the football head activity showed real interest in the children and talked football with them at their level and they loved it. Not much choice of food in the cafe although what we had was good. Thank you
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 17 April 2023
  • Thomas J
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fab Football Fun
    Brilliant day out with my 3 year old plenty to keep minds both young & old engaged. Lots of interactive quiz/trivia games, memorabilia and artwork. 2nd floor full of challenging football games and penalty shootout was brilliant, £2 a go but good fun. Entry fee was £13 but lasts a year, cracking value would highly recommend
    Visited May 2023
    Written 19 May 2023
  • Emily
    Doncaster, United Kingdom16 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing amazing amazing
    We have been before last year and it was fantastic how we this time it was even better!!! We used the new VR headset and the gentleman who was running it in the morning was brilliant. Unfortunately didn’t get his name but he was a Scottish gent. Beth was also amazing had a brilliant chat with her and she gave us some more information about the museum and had a normal chat whilst it wasn’t busy. Paying £12 for a 1year pass is amazing and worth every penny. Would definitely be back again.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 25 July 2023
  • Jasbris81
    Gainsborough, United Kingdom32 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    My 9 year old son loved it
    Great day trip to this museum, not mega expensive, to be fair. £20 for me and my son and lots to see. It's really interesting if, of course, you love football. Would recommend it to any football. Parking is a bit of a pain, but other than that, it's a great trip.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 6 August 2023
  • No place like home
    Lincolnshire, United Kingdom127 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good for football lovers.
    Great for lovers of football. Lots of things to see and do for a football lover. Some things you need to scan your ticket for (the keepy uppy challenge and a couple more) and you have to pay a couple of pounds for the penalty shoot out but everything else is free. Top floor is just footballing games, but the other floors have facts and items from various teams in leagues. I thought the price was a little much for an adult ticket, although it is valid for a whole year, but if you live outside of Manchester and the displays don't change then I don't think you would go back again within the year. Still it's worth a visit.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 10 August 2023
  • Laura J
    Sheffield, United Kingdom187 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Loads of information on offer
    I traveled up to Manchester National Football Museum just after the women's World Cup to see the displays on offer, and I wasn't disappointed at all. The first section you go into was dedicated to women's football and had the opportunity to have my picture taken next to, both the women's and men's FA Cup. In the room there is also a massive wall art piece of Mary Earps which I was really impressed by. The rest of the museum is spread across 3 floors, with the majority of the displays on the 2nd floor, with information around when the first FA cup was held, who invented red and yellow cards and when they were first implemented, why women's football were banned in the 70's and much more. These displays also went into the more disastrous side of football with all the major incidents/events which have happened over the years. Some displays had video and audio properties which I found was quite nice just to stand a listen without reading an overwhelming amount. There were also loads of activities for kids like tutorial videos with a football being provided on how to do a variety of tricks and dribbles, with the experience to also have a penalty shootout upstairs for an extra £2 which I thought wasn't too bad at all. Overall, I would recommend this place to anybody football mad and especially if you have kids. They won't be bored here.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 30 August 2023
  • Katsuki
    Tokyo, Japan4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    National Football Museum
    National Football Museum is a good place to know football. they have a lot of exhibitions such as old kits, football, and a chair of Wembley stadium. I could entry there as student fee with student-id of my univ. in Japan.
    Visited February 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 19 September 2023
  • Belotti
    Oberwil, Switzerland1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent Museum Tour with Beth!
    Today I went with my son to the football museum. At 2 p.m we decided to visit the free museum tour to learn more about the history of football. We weren’t disappointed at all! Beth was an excellent guide who told us many interesting facts about football. We saw that she is very fond of football so that she was able to give us the same feelings. The excursion was very informative and thrilling. We highly recommend it! Family from Switzerland
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 25 September 2023
  • Laziz
    Castricum, The Netherlands12 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must-visit for any football fan!
    The museum features multimedia displays, changing exhibitions, and match footage that will take you on a journey through the evolution of the game. You can also experience the atmosphere of a real stadium, with interactive exhibits that let you feel like you're part of the action. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just curious about the history of the sport, the National Football Museum will give you an unforgettable experience.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 24 October 2023
  • Fatoumata
    Brooklyn, New York7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must-visit for football fans
    The National Football Museum in Manchester is a must-visit for any football fan. The world-class collection of memorabilia and multimedia displays will take you on a journey through the history of the beautiful game. Not to mention, the stadium tours and fanzone activities make it a great day out for the whole family. Highly recommended!
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 November 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles3,891 reviews
Excellent
1,934
Very good
1,292
Average
497
Poor
108
Terrible
60

Bren S
Middlesbrough, UK31 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Solo
So many interesting items and exhibits for all ages to see and interact with.
A second visit is a must and fortunately our ticket allows returns.
Although we weren’t on a guided tour we were fortunate enough to meet staff member Andy, with his remarkable insight and knowledge of Football History.
Written 13 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mark G
Kent, United Kingdom34 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
As a 56 year old football nut, this place was fantastic. Visited with my 18 year old son and could have spent a couple of hours on the first floor and the games and tactics on upper floors were good fun - although i did lose 2-1 at subbuteo. The snippets of commentary on every club before entering the main exhibits on the first floor were brilliant. Fantastic welcome from the FC United fan who blamed Gillingham for the Emptihad and superb customer service from the lady with dark hair who showed us the Millwall and Gillingham pieces I should have taken your names, but hope you can identify yourselves from what I've written. If you love football, go, it's as simple as that.
Written 7 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RLBAllen
Loughborough, UK720 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
Great walk through history of the last 200 years of football, things to see with a few interactive things for kids to do as well. A decent few photo opportunities
Written 17 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Olin S
Chicago, IL6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Solo
I was not sure what to expect here, but I ended up staying well past the amount of time I had planned and had a great time! The staff were great and friendly and there is enough information to spend many hours taking it all in.
Written 15 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jim B
1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
It was very bad most of the information was wrong/out of date and the waiting line for the vr and pen shout-out was massive total rip off
Written 15 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stuart
Birmingham, UK1,225 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
This was so much better than expected. The articles and items on display were amazing. A real important walk through football history and so many amazing things to view. The VR room was also good fun. Highly recommended!!
Written 29 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

POB76
Widnes, UK103 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
Pre booked tickets so slightly cheaper. Arrived at 10am on a Sunday morning and was first in. Plenty for my son to look at and do. Interactive games. Take penalties £2 charge. VR game, be a commentator and goalkeeping speed game. Lots to see about the history of football
Written 28 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Travellers resting place
Willerby, UK48 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Friends
We went the national football museum before we went MEN Arena to see dancing on ice.
The museum had some very interestand educational.i paid extra to lift the league Cup FA Cup and the Premier league trophy
Written 24 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Yasmin A
Manchester, UK68 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Friends
What is the National Football Museum about?

The National Football Museum is located in the heart of Manchester. It is a great place for die hard Football fans. They hold a series of exhibitions and displays that take place throughout the year with a changing programme of events.

It is done inside the beautiful and modern Urbis building.

It consists of 3 floors.

Ground Floor – Pitch Gallery

First Floor – Match Gallery

Second Floor – Play Gallery, Interactive Games and Discovery Zone

Third Floor – Score Gallery

Exhibitions and Displays Visited

The Pitch Gallery

It certainly looks like a pitch as the carpet is green and looks like grass. A great touch. This floor is a great way to start your trip at the museum. It was great to see that both the Premier League and Women’s Super League trophies were on display. It was lovely having a photo with both. It was incredible that they still have George Best’s iconic Mini Cooper.

There was also an interesting art exhibition on women in the game. It was empowering to see women from different backgrounds where football has shaped their lives in a positive way. It was great to see.

The Match Gallery

This is an interesting floor that looks at different aspects of football through art, photographs, videos, and more. It emphasises the importance of the Women’s game, Lily Parr, the FA Cup, racism, the building of stadiums, the England Men’s Football managers through the years and more. It was varied, informative and engaging.

Other highlights featured:

The oldest surviving FA Cup Trophy

The 1966 Jules Rimet trophy replica and match ball

The 180 Cinema Experience

The Play Gallery

This is the interactive floor of the museum. It highlights how the game has influenced on our culture. There are a number of games in which you can test your skills with the ball.

This floor was entertaining especially when doing the quiz that was done via a video screen. I really enjoyed that. In addition I had a short period kicking the ball. That was fun too.

The games that are on offer include:

Penalty Shootout (payment required)

Pass Master

Shot Stopper

The Discovery Zone for little footie fans

Entry and Admission

You are required to book a time slotted ticket and pay for it online. Once purchased it is then free for 12 months and you can visit as many times during that period.

If you reside in the City of Manchester then it is free for you.

If you have a disability then a free carer can come with you on your visit.

For ticket prices then check out the Football Museum website for further details.

Facilities

There is a café that serves a selection of sandwiches and cakes alongside hot and cold drinks. Alternatively there are cafes nearby too.

Toilets are on site.

Access

There is a circular rotating door in order to enter the museum building and all floors are accessible via stairs or lifts.

Parking

Parking is available at Q-Park which is a multi-storey car park where payment is required even with a Blue Badge. Alternatively there is pay and display parking where payment is needed too. It is reasonably priced.

If you want to learn about the history of the game in an engaging, informative and in an entertaining way then the National Football Museum is the place for you.
Written 1 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mr Brown
Bingley, UK73 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Solo
Was expecting so much more. Thought this was a national football museum. There are 92 clubs in the football league and more in the lower leagues and yet non are really catered for unless you are a north west club. Could do so much better.
Written 13 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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NATIONAL FOOTBALL MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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