Chetham's Library

Name: Chetham's Library
Address: Long Millgate, Manchester, M31SB, GB
Telephone: +441618347961

Home
United Kingdom
Manchester
Chetham's Library

Call Directions Website Contact the museum

Chetham's Library was founded in 1653 and is the oldest surviving public library in the English speaking world 📚✨

13/10/2026

We wish we could be turned into medieval Manchester every day... 🏰
September's Medieval Faire was our biggest event to date, with a record number of visitors - thank you! We saw thrilling battles, drank plenty of mead, learned all about the lives of medieval people and had lots of fun! What were your favourite activities at the Faire? ⚔️🛡️

📸 Drew Forsyth

12/10/2026

Fancy spending Halloween at the UK's oldest public Library? 🎃 Join us for two spooktacular events this October:

Magic Makers 🧙‍♀️ 29 October, 2pm-4pm
We're inviting young witches and wizards to join us for a day of magical arts and craft activities and explore our magnificent medieval building and Library. Fancy dress is encouraged! ✨

Library After Hours 🌙 30 October, 5pm
Join us for an exclusive after hours chance to explore the medieval stone passages, secret staircases and richly panelled rooms of Chetham’s Library 😲

🎟️ Visit our website to book tickets!

07/10/2026

Step out of the hustle and bustle of modern Manchester into a medieval oasis hidden in the city for hundreds of years... ✨
Chetham's Library is the oldest public library in the UK and can be found just a stone's throw from Manchester Victoria station! Explore the mysterious corridors and marvel at the towering shelves holding hundreds of historical books 📚

Book a tour online and discover Chetham's Library 🔗

06/10/2026

Halloween is looming, and we have a few gruesome tales of our own 🎃 From a real human skeleton once displayed in the Library to death masks, mummies, mourning jewellery and the earliest gothic novels, Chetham’s collections reveal a centuries-old fascination with death and the macabre 💀

In this spooky blog, discover the sinister stories hiding in our archives and explore how our enduring fascination with the morbid has shaped literature and culture.

🔗 Read here: library.chethams.com/blog/morbid-curiosities-gothic-stories-in-the-library

05/10/2026

We think the oldest public library in the UK might just be the perfect spot to spend Halloween 😉 Join us for two ghastly events this October:

Magic Makers 🧙‍♀️ 29 October, 2pm-4pm
Calling all young witches and wizards! Join us for a day of magical arts and craft activities and explore our magnificent medieval building and Library. Fancy dress is encouraged! ✨

Library After Hours 🌙 30 October, 5pm
Our fan-favourite event is back! Explore the library after dark and discover secret rooms and passageways usually hidden to the public 😲

🎟️ Visit our website to book tickets!

02/10/2026

What better way to spend autumn than exploring the UK's oldest public library? 🍂

Guided tours of Chetham's Library run Monday-Saturday and are led by our expert staff and volunteers. Step out of the hustle and bustle of the city and learn all about our history while taking in the magical atmosphere ✨📚

🔗Visit our website to book a tour!

01/10/2026

Spooky season is upon us! 🎃 We're inviting all young witches and warlocks to a fun-filled magical day of arts and craft activities and exploring our magnificent medieval building and Library.

What will you learn? Who will you meet? What might you discover in our spellbinding Library? ✨

🦇Magic Makers 📅 29 October, 2-4pm
🔗Visit our website to book tickets!

30/09/2026

When the plans involve walking around in a full suit of armour, drinking mead and and watching a good old joust 👌

We had the best time at our Medieval Faire and hope you all did too! It was our biggest and busiest event to date 😲 Thank you to all who visited us ❤️ See you next year!

What were your favourite parts of the Faire? Let us know in the comments ⬇️

29/09/2026

Enrich learning of History and English with the real books and artefacts behind the curriculum 📚

Chetham's Library is open for school visits! Suitable for Key Stages 3 to 5 in English and History, our school tours provide students with the opportunity to engage directly with rare books, manuscripts and historical artefacts. Visits are free for schools based in the North West 👏

Visits include:
👉A guided tour of Chetham’s buildings and Library
👉Workshop activities connected to the curriculum
👉Access to rare books and artefacts from the collection, which are not accessible from elsewhere, that support your area of study
👉Careers and pathway Q&A with the Chetham’s Library team for KS5

To bring your class for a visit, please contact us at [email protected] 🔗

23/09/2026

Our magnificent Reading Room contains some of the most beautiful furniture in the building ✨You might know this room as being a favourite spot of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, but what other secrets might it hold?

Explore Chetham's Library on a guided tour and learn all about our history while marveling at the beautiful architecture of the oldest public library in the UK 📚

🔗Book a guided tour online today!

Address

Long Millgate
Manchester
M31SB

Telephone

+441618347961

Website

http://www.chethams.org.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Chetham's Library posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Chetham's Library:

Want your museum to be the top-listed museum in Manchester?