Silk Museum
Free museum in Macclesfield's former School of Art with silk-industry displays, an Egyptian collection, historic machinery and a garden.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Silk Museum tells the story of how Macclesfield grew from a small market town into a world centre of silk manufacture. It is housed in the former Macclesfield School of Art on Park Lane, built in 1877 to train designers for the silk trade and restored in the early 2000s. The building is owned by Cheshire East Council and run by the Macclesfield Silk Heritage Trust.
The galleries cover local silk history, historic machinery, pattern books and the stories of the people who worked in the mills. An Egyptian gallery holds objects brought back by local travellers in the 19th century, including those collected by Marianne Brocklehurst, and another gallery looks at the wider history and culture of the town. Works by the Macclesfield-born bird artist Charles Tunnicliffe, who studied in this building, are also on show; much of this material came from the former West Park Museum.
Next door, Paradise Mill is the preserved factory floor with Jacquard handlooms, visited on separate tickets. The two sites share a garden, a tea room and a gift shop.
Highlights
- Egyptian collection in the Red Room
- Machine gallery with historic silk-industry equipment
- Pattern books and mill-workers' stories
- Artwork by Charles Tunnicliffe
- Tunnicliffe Garden, a Britain in Bloom Gold Award winner in 2024
Permanent exhibitions
- The Red Room: Egyptian collection – Egyptian objects brought back by local travellers who combined an interest in textiles with global travel.
- The Blue Room: local history and culture – A gallery on the heritage of Macclesfield, including its football history and community stories.
- Machine gallery – Historic textile machinery that shows how silk was woven in the town's mills.
- Operated by
- Macclesfield Silk Heritage Trust
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups (10+ people) | £3 per personGroups of at least 10 who book in advance pay £3 per person for museum entry only (maximum 22 people for entry-only visits); museum talks and Paradise Mill tours cost extra. A £30 non-refundable deposit secures the date. |
|---|---|
| Paradise Mill admission, adult | £7.50Timed slots at 14:00, 14:30, 15:00 and 15:30; concession £6.50, child £4.50 |
| Paradise Mill guided tour, adult | £14.50Tours at 11:00 and 12:15; concession £12.50, child £4.50 |
Admission to the Silk Museum galleries is free, and donations are welcome. Paradise Mill is charged separately.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- 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 Silk Museum has toilets for visitors with disabilities, and accessible parking is available at the site. The neighbouring Paradise Mill is reached by stairs or a lift.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Baby changing facilities
Free children's activity packs and trails are available at the front desk, there are toys for children in the Tunnicliffe Garden, and workshops and craft activities run regularly.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Macclesfield railway station · 5-min walk
Macclesfield railway station, on the main line between Manchester and London, is about a 5-minute walk away.
By car
Parking available
Public car parks are next to the museum, including nearby parking on Duke Street.
- Accessible parking
The Silk Museum is on Park Lane; the What3Words address is chefs.bands.lovely.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
The tea room serves tea, coffee and cake, and drinks can be taken out to the Tunnicliffe Garden. The gift shop sells scarves, jewellery, books and fabric woven on the Paradise Mill looms.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 30 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography is permitted. |
| Good to know | Groups can book 30-minute museum talks on silk heritage or on the Egyptian collection. School sessions let pupils handle objects and join a craft session; there are also adult art classes and workshops. The whole site (museum and Paradise Mill) is suggested to take two to three hours. |
