Overview

Described as the national museum of democracy, the People's History Museum lives up to its name. Distributed over three floors, with a cafe, gift shop, and reception desk on floor one, a worker's rights and suffrage exhibition on floor two, and a politics exhibition on floor three, the museum is surprisingly engaging. There were a few standout elements of the museum, the Spitting Image style puppets on the political floor and the retro jukebox on that same floor. The museum holds an important focus on the Peterloo Massacre, which took place in St Peter's Field in 1819, where 60,000 people gathered to demand reform of parliamentary representation and were charged by cavalry. The location is well equipped, with level access and step-free access throughout and features a recently added Changing Places toilet.

Transport & Parking

There are no dedicated parking facilities at this location, though there are spaces in the nearby Bridge Street car park. Public transport is also a great option as the 8, 35, 36, 37, 38, 50, 51, 67, 67A, 100, V1, V2, and V4 bus services serve Bridge Street.

Access

The front entrance has two sets of automatic doors, both of which were open upon my visit. You enter on the ground floor, with the gift shop on your left, the reception desk just beyond, and the Open Kitchen Cafe & Bar on the right, which is run as a social enterprise and provides sustainable and ethical food and drink. The venue is very spacious, providing plenty of room to manoeuvre most mobility devices. The lifts are roomy and have a grab rail installed for those who need extra support. The doors to enter the exhibits were heavy. I needed help to open them, but the staff were on hand to assist, which I appreciate. There are no braille markings on the buttons or a hearing loop in the lifts. There are plenty of seating areas throughout the museum and the cafe. The signage is clear throughout.

Toilets

In the immortal words of Owen Wilson, wow! This facility supported by Muscular Dystrophy UK and the National Lottery Fund has everything you could need but loses half a point due to the lack of a shower. There's a large adjustable change bed, and a height-adjustable sink with a lever-style tap, which has grab rails on either side, as does the toilet itself and a colostomy. There is space for both a left and right-side transfer onto the toilet, though the ceiling track hoist also reaches the toilet. A paper towel dispenser is available for use with the change bed and privacy screens are provided. The red emergency cords are on the door as you enter and to the right of the toilet. A large mirror is provided, and the door has a grab rail on the inside. Access is gained by use of a RADAR key, which the staff can provide if you don't have your own. The door opens outward. What sets this toilet apart is just how clean it is, it is gleaming, making the experience all the more pleasant. There are two additional accessible toilets on this same floor, with something I've never seen before - signage on the door that tells you which side the transfer space is on! Why is this not standard everywhere? Both toilets feature a contrasting toilet seat, with a soft backrest and grab rails, enough room to transfer and a low small sink with grab rails on both sides. In all instances, the red cord hung to the floor, and all featured a Euan's Guide red cord card - we love to see it.

Staff

The staff were lovely, so helpful and happy to explain the features of the toilets and provide assistance around the building. I was glad they were there to help with the heavy doors.

Photos