The Pankhurst Centre - Manchester

fortune E.

This is the 4-room house museum of the famed Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst. Although tiny, it's fantastic.

The staff are welcoming, helpful, charming & passionate advocates for women's rights. I loved the colorful REBEL! t-shirts so much I bought one myself.

The cafe/tearoom features a wide choice of teas you basically make yourself, a few biscuits & some fruit & nut bars. It's quirky in that definitely British way. You'll love it.

The largest room features a timeline of the Suffragette movement, its success with the labour movement to improve worker's rights, and how that v energy has carried into the peace movement.

The front room is the family room describing the Pankhurst family, their activities & their influences during the Victorian era, as well as post-WWI.

The middle room offers an engaging 15-minute summary of Suffragette history as well as Pankhurst's passionate part in its tumultuous events as they strove to gain the right to vote in the face of media ridicule & brutal government over-reaction, an over-reaction that only served to radicalize otherwise normal upper-middle-class mothers.

The back parlor is a gorgeous Art Noveau room with amazing wainscoting, a beautiful wallpaper of twisting plants, and e original period furniture.

This is the very room in which Pankhurst held the first meeting of the Suffragettes, committing themselves to the struggle for women's rights.

The museum is a bit hard to find as it's hidden at the back of a hospital parking lot. But walk towards the street corner. You'll see a gate that takes you through the calm & tidy Suffragette garden along a side path that twists around the building to the front door.

In the summer you'll want to follow the museums advice & purchase your £5 ticket in advance, as the place could get crowded very quickly.

This tiny museum is surprisingly relevant in light of today's events in both the US & the UK. I highly recommend for both women & men.

And remember: REBEL. Stand up lawfully for women's civil rights. Refuse to go backwards.

Diane B.

Emmeline Pankhurst (née Emmeline Goulden) is remembered as one of the many women who fought hard to help women gain the right to vote. Her 40-year campaign achieved success in 1928, the year of her death, when British women finally gained full equality when it came to voting in political elections.

Pankhurst was born in Manchester and she and her family lived at number 62 Nelson Street from 1898 until 1907. The first meeting of the movement that became known as the suffragettes took place in the parlour of this house. Today, the house has been transformed into a museum where visitors can learn the story of women’s fight for the right to vote.

Kirsty M.

The Pankhurst Centre is such a historic and important place to visit. I took my two teenage children during half-term, and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. The staff were knowledgeable and friendly and made our visit extra special.

Laura R. (.

Came to visit randomly, and I was wonderfully surprised. The museum itself is on the hospital grounds and was unexpected. I know a fair bit about the Suffragette movement, but the volunteers added to this knowledge. I was happy to learn more about the Pankhurst family as well. It is a lovely museum. It is free as well, which is a bonus too.

Lucía S.

We absolutely loved our visit! It is a must for everyone interested in feminism and human rights. The volunteers are amazing too, they know every detail about the family. Also, the house itself and the garden are lovely. Really recommended.

Allison G.

A wonderful piece of Manchester history! (er, "her"-story). Led by a wonderful staff and volunteers, if you haven't checked it out, you should. I had the opportunity to tour the museum and in passing, met many of the eager and passionate volunteers.

Gregory D.

The Pankhurst Centre is an iconic site of women’s activism, past and present. It is the only place where members of the public can visit a former home of the Pankhurst family and the only museum dedicated to telling the story of women’s fight for the right to vote. The centre, located at 60-62 Nelson Street, Manchester, is a pair of Victorian villas that were home to Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Sylvia, Christabel, and Adela. It continues to fight for women’s equality today as the headquarters of Manchester Women’s Aid. The Pankhurst Centre is a testament to the importance of women’s campaign for the vote and inspires action today. A bit of a short visit, but it's still worth making the effort.

Ian R.

What a little gem. Volunteers are very friendly and great source of information. Highly recommended.