Historic Campus Tours

Step back in time and explore the roots of a revolutionary institution with a guided University of Manchester walking tour.

Begin your journey at under the arches of the Old Quad (Whitworth Hall) and uncover the rich tapestry of history that makes our campus unlike any other. As the nation’s first ‘civic’ university, our unique identity has pushed us to global prominence and this tour offers a fantastic opportunity to learn about pioneering individuals and groundbreaking discoveries – some commemorated in our building names, others hidden just out of view.

Witness the origins of the University as a beacon of radical thought and progressive action, elements that earned Manchester its reputation as the ‘shock city’ of the Industrial Revolution.

The tour concludes on the historic ‘Street of Science’ – the street that changed the world.

This is part of our programme at the Universally Manchester Festival 2026 universallymanchester.com

Children must be accompanied by an adult