Stockport Story - about the museum

Stockport Story
ABOUT THE MUSEUM

Family friendly with interactives and activities for all ages
Stockport Story Museum takes visitors on a fascinating journey through Stockport's history dating back over 10,000 years through to the present day. Explore changing social climates, attitudes and lifestyles and hear from characters of Stockport's past.

Explore the wonders of Stockport's rich archaeological discoveries in the Origins gallery. The local settlement has finds that show the site was used over 7000 years ago. Highlights of the dig’s finds include the early flint tools of the hunter - gatherers, rare Iron Age pottery and beautiful Roman brooches. Visitors will find out what life was like during the Palaeolithic Period, Neolithic Period, Bronze Age and Iron Age in early Stockport, and experience how their ancestors would have lived thousands of years ago. Then proceed through the Dark Ages and on to the Medieval Stockport gallery; ‘The Making of the Town’, and enjoy more hands-on history. Discover how Stockport was transformed from a small settlement to a thriving market town and then an important centre of textile production. Highlights of this gallery include a Stockport Charter dating back to 1530, and a newly restored painting of Stockport’s historic market place painted by William Shuttleworth in 1810.

From medieval Stockport continue your journey on to Victorian Stockport exploring the local industrial economy of coal mining, engineering and textile production, as well as changes in modes of transport, public services and social trends. The ‘Work and Play’ gallery will also look at how families spent their leisure time, and what life was like for a family during the Industrial Revolution in Stockport. The final gallery explores ‘Changing Lives’ from the first and second world wars through to contemporary living. Highlights of the latter galleries include a fine example of a fabulous fifties kitchen and amusing video memories from Stockport residents.

The museum is open seven days a week 10am - 5pm and makes a fantastic family day out.