Platt Hall

About the museum

Platt Hall was the home of the Worsley family for around three centuries. The present Georgian house was built in the mid-18th century for John and Deborah Carill-Worsley to designs by Carr of York, later modified by Timothy Lightoler, and replaced an older timber-framed house. It is listed Grade II*.

The Worsley family sold the estate in 1907, and after a public campaign Manchester Corporation bought it the following year, preserving the hall and its grounds as Platt Fields Park.

From 1947 the hall housed the Gallery of Costume, which grew out of the clothing collection of Cecil Willett Cunnington and showed fashion from the 17th century to the present. The collection belongs to Manchester Art Gallery and was moved into storage from 2021, with display planned at the main gallery in the city centre.

Since then the hall has been run as a community-focused cultural venue developed with local residents and partner groups. It is not yet fully accessible and is not open to general visitors, but it holds open days, tours and community projects on selected dates.

Highlights

• Grade II* listed Georgian hall
• Former home of the Gallery of Costume
• Open days and guided tours on selected dates
• Community programmes and weekly drop-ins
• Set in Platt Fields Park

Permanent exhibition

• Community exhibition at Platt Hall – A display of objects and community projects is shown in the hall and is also available digitally through the Bloomberg Connects app.

Founded

1947

Operated by

Manchester Art Gallery (Manchester City Council)

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The website states that the building is not yet fully accessible, and tour listings note there is no lift to the first floor.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The hall stands in Platt Fields Park in Rusholme, south of the city centre, close to Wilmslow Road.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit