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 • 2 min walk
  • Exchange Square • 3 min walk
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See what travellers are saying
  • Laziz
    Castricum, The Netherlands7 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
  • POB76
    Widnes, United Kingdom141 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lots for the children.
    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
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 28 January 2024
  • Stuart
    Birmingham, United Kingdom1,364 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Oh wow !!
    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!!
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 28 January 2024
  • Mark G
    32 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic Museum
    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.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 7 March 2024
  • Bren S
    Middlesbrough, United Kingdom38 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Footy fans must do
    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.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 13 March 2024
  • J C
    Sunderland, United Kingdom428 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Some people are on the pitch, they think it’s all over, it is now!
    We visited the National Football Museum during the day on our trip to Manchester. We paid the entry fee and were pointed to the first floor. The museum was full of history on all aspects of the game, from the beginning to recent history as well as the women’s game. They also included a sections on video games and boards games such as subbuteo. The portraits of the current England squad were great, mixed great artwork with the players flair just as the artist intended. There were certain sections which were very informative and I learned some new things about the history of the game. I particularly enjoyed the trophies section and seeing everything from the biggest achievements such as the FA Cup and Premier League to smaller trophies such as County Championships. I would’ve loved to see the Association of Northern Counties cup again, first time since lifting it a good few years ago now. Great venue to visit to teach young ones about the history of the game, I would’ve loved it to be bigger to spend more time there.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 3 April 2024
  • Katie S
    37 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely place for a couple of hours
    Myself and two of my kids a girl and boy age 15 and 11 visited here. We had a lovely time, lots to read and lots of interactive games etc. Very reasonably priced. Will visit again as the ticket is an annual pass.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 9 April 2024
  • mayccm2018
    Hong Kong, China1,061 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful Museum
    Located in the heart of Manchester.   It was a wonderful place for football fans and quite informative and interesting.  Full of history about football.  Some articles and items related to football were displayed.  Explored more knowledge about football through this visit.    Staffs were knowledgeable.  There were four floors including pitch, match, play and score galleries.    Price was a little bit expensive but worth it.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 18 April 2024
  • Xuan D
    Leeds, United Kingdom12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    more like a football interactive center
    This museum is not free. My child and I spent more than twenty pounds in total. However, this ticket is valid for one year and can be used repeatedly. This place doesn't seem like a museum, but more like a football-themed interactive center. All kinds of playable things are quite interesting for children. However, a 5-year-old child doesn't really understand the rules and spirit of football very much, so the interactive games are more interesting. Older children or adults who love football more should enjoy it more.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 24 April 2024
  • Todor E
    Plovdiv, Bulgaria209 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting and pleasant place for football fans
    An interesting and pleasant place where football fans can spend some time. Interesting exposition, interesting facts, interactive entertainment. I think the £14 ticket price is reasonable considering it is an annual ticket
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 1 May 2024
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 bubbles3,930 reviews
Excellent
1,953
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1,296
Average
506
Poor
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62

Angela C
Thirsk, UK7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Friends
Went with a friend who is most definitely not a football fan, but it was something we hadn't been to.
Greeted by very friendly staff, who gave us useful information about the museum itself. Staffed by a number of volunteers and everyone we spoke to were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the museum.
Found the interactive level very entertaining, especially when we got 4 of 4 referee decisions!
Worth the £10 admissions fee, especially as it can be used again within a 12 month period
Written 15 March 2020
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.
Glad you had a nice time Angela. And good work on the referee decisions!
Written 17 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

champ69
Nottingham, UK63 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Family
A really interesting museum in close proximity to our hotel the park inn raddison. Arrived just before 11am on Saturday and had no issues in gaining admission. Excellent safety measures in place and clear floor markings throughout to keep to a safe distance..Enjoyed visiting the exhibitions throughout across 3 floors and learning about the “strips and how football got shirty”. Great to go back in time to see how football shirts have been designed throughout the world and the hall of shame was great fun to learn which shirt and team didn’t make the mark. Friendly staff were on hand to offer guidance and information in visors. Lots of interactive things for kids to do too making it more enjoyable- our son had a few goes on the penalty shoot out - this is a separate charge £2 pay as you go. We also enjoyed being a commentator with the help of Gary Lineker. The ticket cost us £23 and can be used again in a 12 month period. Well worth a visit for anyone interested in football from past to present.
Written 29 August 2020
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.
Glad you had such a fantastic time! Thanks for the nice review. (Dickie)
Written 1 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

MissHelB
Aberdare, UK191 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Friends
Visited the Museum with my 13 year old son during a recent visit to Manchester from Wales.

I have read some of the comments regarding the cost of entry (I believe it was free to local residents previously), but I have to say that I thought it was worth the cost, as it is a totally unique experience, (which was about £15 for us both as we booked online before we visited).

If you are a football fan, you CANNOT miss this Museum, the only national football museum in the UK.
It is full of priceless memorabilia that tell the story of English football and some of it worldwide.
Even if you aren’t a massive football fan and just hold a passing interest, it’s worth the trip.

The museum displays exquisite football history from its beginnings until what it is today. Really interesting to see how the game has evolved.

There are also various "interactive" exhibits, the game type ones my son enjoyed particularly. There is a whole level for testing your skills (such as scoring penalties, dribbling, shooting aim and goalkeeping reflexes). The penalty shootout costs an additional £2, but there are lots of others included in the price)

In addition to the game type interactive tools, there are a number of other interactive tools on each of the 3 floors, for engaging with the past, videos about former stars discussing historic events. I thought this was a really good way to engage visitors and it added to the enjoyment compared to a ‘normal’ museum visit where you just wander around in silence, then stand and look at some old items through the glass!

The staff that we spoke to (volunteers I believe) were extremely helpful.
We spent 2 hours here and had to leave to make the journey back home, but we could have easily spent longer here.
They are working on the top floor which revolves around women in the game, especially after the recent success of the Lionesses, and I am looking forward to returning when it’s finished!

Cafe and shop on site. Didn’t have time for either so can’t comment further.

Central location. We parked in the Q car park which is easily accessible and right opposite-cost £6 for 2 and a half hours.

Would definitely recommend!
Written 23 August 2022
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.

tonywilson77
North West England, UK139 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
How can a “national football museum” charge ten pounds to enter unless you live in Manchester and it is free. Maybe they should rename it the Manchester football museum outsiders allowed to visit at a charge.

Absolutely disgraceful should be free to all as this morally wrong

Written 4 January 2020
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.

Stephen R
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
Very disappointing visit today. Visited a few years ago when it was free to all and there were loads of exhibits and lots of things to do. Visited today and despite having a Manchester postcode had to pay £12.50 each for myself and four teenagers aged 16 plus and £7 for a child.

Very few exhibits, loads of open spaces with nothing in them - had done all floors in just over an hour - really poor value for money and as a National Museum it is galling that visitors from outside the city (even when in my case you live in Manchester) have to pay when Manchester residents (supposedly) are allowed in for free. Some of the exhibits were closed and the activities in need of repair. The staff were friendly but the lad serving us seemed to think his banter was worth nearly £70, trust me it wasn't!

Visited the Imperial War Museum later that day, - free entrance and lots more to see and do. Would recommend that any day. Wished we'd just gone there today as we had an excellent experience there.

My advice when they ask, give them a Manchester postcode and house number.

Not impressed atll!
Written 1 September 2022
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 S
West Midlands, UK125 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Friends
I visited the museum in August 2020 and spent 3 hours in here. I'm not a massive fan of modern football these days but I love football nostalgia and the games history.

There is a brilliant collection of footballing memorabilia including a excellent gallery on the 1966 world cup win. Also there is a vast display of retro football shirts which I personally found very interesting.

Some great exhibits include Geoff Hurst's 1966 world cup final shirt, the 1966 world cup final match ball, Stanley Matthews 1953 FA Cup Final winners medal, An England shirt worn by Busby babe Duncan Edwards and Maradona's 1986 'Hand of God' shirt and many more items.

There is interactive games too such as penalty shootout games, table football etc

I really recommend this museum.
Written 8 August 2020
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.
Thanks Mark! glad you had a great time at the museum. Dickie
Written 11 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Lucy Y
York, UK59 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Family
We enjoyed about 3 hours here. We did spend about 45 mins queuing for the penalty shoot out (£2 for 3 goes). Luckily the play area part for u5s were next to this queue. My daughter age 4 enjoyed the colouring and a little bounce about on small soft play. The first floor is mostly things to look at but some interactive parts. Second floor was good with lots of things to do, so a bit more fun for the kids. Staff/ volunteers were friendly and chatty, always coming over to talk or show you things. We got blue light discount so it made it slightly cheaper- worth doing if you can. I think the tickets last a year so if we were in Manchester we may come again for the interactive parts / games. It was quite hot in there and by time I got to the top floor I was ready to leave. No lift working so don’t know if that was a one off or something that’s regularly happening so lots of stairs to climb.
Written 30 July 2022
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.

toonbhoy16
Northumberland, UK66 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Solo
I was really looking forward to doing this attraction while at Manchester and, despite my train time home making it a slightly rushed visit, I still found it enjoyable and informative. Its location was convenient, its exhibitions were clearly labelled and the layout easy to get through. The shop had a range of items including some football programmes, of which I picked up a few, at decent prices for a museum gift shop.
Overall, I enjoyed my visit and would return in the future to do a more relaxed visit.
Written 25 September 2021
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.
Thanks toonbhoy. Glad you had a great visit. Hope they programmes were a good read on the train home. Dickie
Written 29 September 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Amanda T
125 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Family
Excellent experience for all the family. From our tour around The History of Football with a really informative guide to the interactive games, we really enjoyed our visit. The only downside was that the cafe was closed otherwise we would have spent more than 3 hours there.
Written 20 August 2021
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.
Hello - glad you and your family had a great time at the museum. Sorry our cafe is currently closed. We hope to re-open this in the near future. Thanks Dickie.
Written 31 August 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Chris P
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020 • Family
Very helpful staff, Alan was a font of knowledge and told us some great tales. Lots to see and, we loved the interactive penalty shoot out.
Only downside was the cafe that didn’t have much of a selection and was quite pricey
Written 31 October 2020
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.
Glad you had a great time at the museum!
Written 10 November 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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