Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry
Also widely known as MoSI.
This is an outstanding museum. Located in the city centre on the site of the Manchester terminus of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
The museum provides an important and fitting tribute to the scientists, engineers and industrialists whose work made Manchester the world's first 'industrial city'. Manchester has now lost its traditional industries, so the role of the museum is invaluable to understand the city's development, and to place the surviving 19th century infrastructure of canals, mills, etc. in context. The exhibits are remarkably well-chosen to illustrate the breadth and depth of local production and technological achievements. The wide range of artefacts, large and small, encourages visitors to make many return trips.
A large proportion of the museum's collection is on open display, and a remarkably large proportion of the items were made within a few miles radius of the museum.
The leading light in the establishment of the museum was Richard L. Hills. The fascinating story of its development and the difficulties of acquiring exhibits is told in 'The North Western Museum of Science and Industry, Some Reminiscences' by Richard L. Hills, available online here.
Unfortunately, there are clouds on the horizon, and the results of the hard graft are starting to be undone. The excellent electricity and gas galleries have been permanently closed. The space is wanted for temporary exhibitions, which will apparently rely heavily on words and pictures rather than historic artefacts.