Spring into Sense-sational holiday at Science and Industry Museum

Prepare for a spectacular spring holiday packed with science shows, a blockbuster exhibition and a host of sensory activities at one of the region’s best loved museums.

From 5 – 21 April, the Science and Industry Museum is exploring the world of senses, inspired by the museum’s latest blockbuster exhibition, Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You. Visitors will encounter the surprising superpowers of the animal kingdom by putting their own senses to the test.

Young animal lovers will discover what life is like for their furry friends by challenging their sense of touch in a special agility course. Live science shows led by the museum’s expert Explainers will explore the senses of curious creatures.

Families can take a break in the bat cave to learn more about the nocturnal creatures’ super senses and make their own bat to take home.

Following a sell-out February half term, visitors can discover the sensory inspiration behind the spring holidays with a ticket to Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You. The family exhibition takes intrepid explorers on a journey into the senses.

Visitors travel through an ear canal covered in gooey wax before encountering rooms dedicated to each of our senses, packed with interactive activities. The experience comes to a gloriously gross end as adventurers don a bogie hat before being sneezed out of a giant nose.

Visitors can explore five decades of play in Power Up, the ultimate gaming experience, where they can discover how far computer games have come. From retro favourites like Pac-Man and Street Fighter to virtual reality, there’s something for all the family with over a hundred consoles to experience. Annual passes are available to purchase, meaning visitors can unlock a new level of play and gain access to the experience for a whole year.

Chris Hill, Public Programmes Producer at the Science and Industry Museum said:

‘We’re delighted to be celebrating the senses this spring and taking inspiration from the amazing Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You. We’re inviting everyone to see the science in the world around us by learning something new about your furry friends at home or creatures that live around the world.

‘From tasting like a bee, being sneezed out of a giant nose or testing your reaction times in Power Up, it’s going to be sense-sational!’

Free museum tickets, plus charged-for tickets for Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You and Power Up can be booked now.

Details of all the activities taking place at the museum over the spring holidays can also be found on the website (https://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/spring-holidays-2025/) The museum is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound restoration programme. Spaces including the Power Hall and 1830 Station are currently closed to the public but there’s still lots to enjoy. Visitors can see science in action in the museum’s interactive gallery, Experiment, meet mighty machines in the Textiles Gallery and discover world changing ideas in Revolution Manchester. Incredible objects from Professor Stephen Hawking’s office are also on display in its highlights display.