Visiting us

Hat Works offers something for visitors of all ages. Admission is FREE so you can visit the museum at your leisure.

On our gallery floor you can see our extensive collection of hats from around the world as well as visiting our temporary exhibition space - where there is always an interesting interactive exhibition on offer. Our temporary exhibition changes approximately every 3 months. On the gallery floor you will also find our Family Fun area where the young visitors will be entertained by the range of activities on offer.

On our recreated factory floor you can see our extensive collection of working Victorian style hatting machinery, along with a reconstructed hatter’s cottage, hat block workshop, working office and habedashery shop front.

We offer guided tours throughout the day which come highly recommended. For £2.50 you can step back in time with one of our expert demonstrators, and experience the world of hatting, from its humble beginnings in the cottage industry to the mass production of early 19th Century when hat manufacturing was a thriving industry with over 100 hat factories and businesses in the Stockport area.

Our guided tour really brings the hatting industry to life and they really enhance any visit to the museum. Our expert guides all have links to the industry and often share personal anecdotes. This makes each tour unique, personal and particularly interesting.