Explore 200 years of innovation with our self-guided campus tours
02 Apr 2024
Take the brand-new tour of the University’s history – in person and on campus, or remotely from anywhere in the world, through a self-guided app.
Designed and developed by University colleagues as part of our bicentenary celebrations, the Origins and Innovations: Historic campus tours offer two self-guided tours providing an opportunity for you to delve into the fascinating stories of our pioneering firsts, remarkable discoveries and radically progressive beginnings whilst exploring our historic campus buildings.
The first tour, Innovations is available now, with the second tour, Origins to come in early June. So, why not take a break and step out into the Spring sunshine to embark on a journey of discovery and celebration.
Innovations Tour
Our Innovations Tour celebrates 200 years of The University of Manchester’s innovations – our groundbreaking firsts and discoveries.
During the 25-minute tour you’ll hear stories of our innovators and how their pursuit of knowledge and discovery is shaping not only Manchester, but the world.
Tread the path of trailblazers like Catherine Chisholm, the University's first female medical graduate, Nobel prize winner Sir Arthur Lewis, Britain’s first inaugural black professor, and Samuel Alexander, a passionate supporter of women’s education and the technical learning provided at institutions such as the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST).
Similarly, marvel at the ingenuity of a diverse team of mathematicians, scientists, coders, and technical staff, including Alan Turing, Tom Kilburn, Geoff Tootill, and Cecily Popplewell who, changed the face of the world from buildings we all work in today.
Origins Tour
Our Origins Tour will be launching at our bicentenary festival, Universally Manchester, this summer (6 to 9 June).
The 15-minute tour will explore the University’s radically progressive beginnings; how barriers in higher education and wider society were broken down to establish the foundations of the UK’s first civic University. It can be joined up with the Innovations tour to make one full, 40-minute tour.
Take the tours – on campus, or remotely
Our app-based tours are easy to follow and accessible to use, whether on campus or accessing them remotely. To begin, download the app by searching ‘Visit UoM’ in the App Store or Google Play.
Alternatively, you can download the app via the Visit UoM QR code:
Once downloaded, simply select the required guide from the ‘Find Guides’ section of the app.
Don’t miss the chance to learn more about our unique history during this milestone year.