The Silk Museum is open from Wednesday to Saturday (also Treacle Sunday which is the last Sunday of each month). Visit to find out how Macclesfield became the global centre of silk and find out more about our textile and design collections. Paradise Mill is the heart of the Museum, where our expert guides will give you a tour of Europe's largest known collection of Jacquard silk handlooms in their original setting. See all stages of the Jacquard silk weaving process from cocoon to the finished fabric, including a demonstration on one of our restored looms. This is a technology that laid the foundations for our digital age. Tours of Paradise Mill are at 11.00am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm, with Look Around visits available on Treacle Sundays.
I had a half-day in town for some business and booked myself a tour without doing much research. Well, I was totally blown away by the experience. Dan gave an excellent tour and amazed us with his deep knowledge of the silk production process and the history of the mill. As you'll see, the machines are original and have been kept just as they were. As we walked through the corridor, we also traveled back in time and witnessed the height of silk production in the 19th century. Totally worth visiting. I'd also recommend visiting Quarry Bank to see the cotton mill.
Great visit to a unique place. Our guide Dan, is so enthusiastic about the project for the restoration of the Jacquard looms in a mill which was the centre of the silk industry in the UK. Seeing these looms in action is rather special.
Went on a weekend and was transported back in time! You must book a tour here, you can walk in, if there is space or go on the museum website. Dan and Daisy; the people who walked us through know so much. Thank you!!
Very interesting. Good visit. Only downside which I hope will be taken as a hint is that the shop had silk items for sale but not made at the mill. Bit disappointed to find that the scarf I bought was made in India. It would be great if some things were made there.
This is a must see! Pre-book your tickets and you'll be rewarded with a tour of a time capsule, taking you back in time, seeing the machines in operation and understanding how the weaving worked. Astonishing to think that this was operating commercially into the 1980s
20/01/2022 Free parking to the front of the museum only few spaces but you can park outside the front of the weatherspoons in there carpark but it is a pay & display carpark There is Disabled Spaces in this carpark Museum as a little gift shop & also a small cafe The museum is free to enter but please give a donation when leaving the museum there is a donation box in the gift shop The Rise and Fall of Silk in Macclesfield Delve into the history of silk in Macclesfield with our latest exhibition, 'The Rise and Fall of Silk in Macclesfield' where Macclesfield's silk story is brought to life through textiles, costumes, photographs and more. Discover why silk first came to Macclesfield and how it ultimately shaped the town we know today. Find out about the lives of the children, women and men who worked in the silk mills and discover how central a role the mills played in their lives in both work and leisure. Learn about Jacquard weaving and screen printing through the work of Cyrus Newton Fytton and Edith Buxton, textile designers who trained at Macclesfield School of Art, the building which houses the Silk Museum today. With over four hundred years of Macclesfield's silk history to explore, there is something for everyone. Marianne Brocklehurst's Egyptian collection Our famous Ancient Egyptian collections are on display once again. Come and find out about the lives of these fascinating people through the artefacts and inscriptions they left behind as you explore the oldest objects in our museums. Learn about the connection between silk and Egypt through the lives of Marianne Brocklehurst and Mary Booth, the two Victorian explorers who gave their collection of Ancient Egyptian artefacts to Macclesfield. With more objects on display than ever before - including Tutankhamun's ring, our well preserved Shebmut Mummy case, a collection of over forty Shabti and other fascinating artifacts. The exhibition is a must for visitors both young and old - exploring the everyday life, customs and beliefs of an ancient Egyptian civilisation. Macclesfield at War Find out about the crucial role that Macclesfield's silk industry played in the Second World War, maintaining the vital supply of parachute silk. See our collection of silk 'escape and evade' maps used by the RAF. Maps were printed on silk during the war because of the durability and ease of concealing in soldiers' clothing. At the end of the war when fabric was still rationed, soldiers returned home with maps and they were used to make clothing. Silk map dresses used 12 maps and are considered very rare. Macclesfield Museum is proud to display our silk dress along with maps, war memorials, parachutes and other artefacts. The Silk Museum also has a permanent display of War Memorials (formerly housed in Christ Church) commemorating the lives of 865 silk workers who lost their lives during the two World Wars.
On-site services
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Wheelchair-accessible seating
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Toilets
Getting tickets in advance recommended
Good for kids
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I had a half-day in town for some business and booked myself a tour without doing much research. Well, I was totally blown away by the experience. Dan gave an excellent tour and amazed us with his deep knowledge of the silk production process and the history of the mill. As you'll see, the machines are original and have been kept just as they were. As we walked through the corridor, we also traveled back in time and witnessed the height of silk production in the 19th century. Totally worth visiting. I'd also recommend visiting Quarry Bank to see the cotton mill.
Great visit to a unique place. Our guide Dan, is so enthusiastic about the project for the restoration of the Jacquard looms in a mill which was the centre of the silk industry in the UK. Seeing these looms in action is rather special.
Went on a weekend and was transported back in time! You must book a tour here, you can walk in, if there is space or go on the museum website. Dan and Daisy; the people who walked us through know so much. Thank you!!
Very interesting. Good visit. Only downside which I hope will be taken as a hint is that the shop had silk items for sale but not made at the mill. Bit disappointed to find that the scarf I bought was made in India. It would be great if some things were made there.
This is a must see! Pre-book your tickets and you'll be rewarded with a tour of a time capsule, taking you back in time, seeing the machines in operation and understanding how the weaving worked. Astonishing to think that this was operating commercially into the 1980s
20/01/2022 Free parking to the front of the museum only few spaces but you can park outside the front of the weatherspoons in there carpark but it is a pay & display carpark There is Disabled Spaces in this carpark Museum as a little gift shop & also a small cafe The museum is free to enter but please give a donation when leaving the museum there is a donation box in the gift shop The Rise and Fall of Silk in Macclesfield Delve into the history of silk in Macclesfield with our latest exhibition, 'The Rise and Fall of Silk in Macclesfield' where Macclesfield's silk story is brought to life through textiles, costumes, photographs and more. Discover why silk first came to Macclesfield and how it ultimately shaped the town we know today. Find out about the lives of the children, women and men who worked in the silk mills and discover how central a role the mills played in their lives in both work and leisure. Learn about Jacquard weaving and screen printing through the work of Cyrus Newton Fytton and Edith Buxton, textile designers who trained at Macclesfield School of Art, the building which houses the Silk Museum today. With over four hundred years of Macclesfield's silk history to explore, there is something for everyone. Marianne Brocklehurst's Egyptian collection Our famous Ancient Egyptian collections are on display once again. Come and find out about the lives of these fascinating people through the artefacts and inscriptions they left behind as you explore the oldest objects in our museums. Learn about the connection between silk and Egypt through the lives of Marianne Brocklehurst and Mary Booth, the two Victorian explorers who gave their collection of Ancient Egyptian artefacts to Macclesfield. With more objects on display than ever before - including Tutankhamun's ring, our well preserved Shebmut Mummy case, a collection of over forty Shabti and other fascinating artifacts. The exhibition is a must for visitors both young and old - exploring the everyday life, customs and beliefs of an ancient Egyptian civilisation. Macclesfield at War Find out about the crucial role that Macclesfield's silk industry played in the Second World War, maintaining the vital supply of parachute silk. See our collection of silk 'escape and evade' maps used by the RAF. Maps were printed on silk during the war because of the durability and ease of concealing in soldiers' clothing. At the end of the war when fabric was still rationed, soldiers returned home with maps and they were used to make clothing. Silk map dresses used 12 maps and are considered very rare. Macclesfield Museum is proud to display our silk dress along with maps, war memorials, parachutes and other artefacts. The Silk Museum also has a permanent display of War Memorials (formerly housed in Christ Church) commemorating the lives of 865 silk workers who lost their lives during the two World Wars.
