Revealing the "HiDDEN" during National Lottery Open Week

12th March 2026

Manchester has long been celebrated as a city of ideas. From the industrial revolution to the first computer and much else. Yet it’s a place of action, too. It didn’t just invent new ideas about society, it lived them.

And for National Lottery Open Week 2026 you can see - in many cases experience - much of this by visiting five of Manchester’s hidden gems that are offering Open Week deals to say thank you to National Lottery players.

Map showing 13 locations across Greater Manchester of 'The HiDDEN Network' — A great place to start - the map shows the HiDDEN Network's members at the hub in Manchester's Central Library basement run by Manchester Histories - one of 13 HiDDEN members, all of whom have had National Lottery funding at one point or more over the past 30 years

Greater Manchester’s HiDDEN Network

The network has 13 unique members – from museums and historical spaces to present day cultural hubs. Included are significant sites like the Pankhurst Centre, and grand builds like Portico Library, that any city would take great pride in.

All 13 network members offer a wonderful web of buildings, ideas, movements that shaped modern history – see ‘The HiDDEN Timeline’ below.

Aside from their rich historical value and cultural relevance today, all 13 members of the Network happen to have received one or more grants from The National Lottery.

Since 1996, 100% of the network’s members have shared nearly 100 grants from various National Lottery distributors - almost £16m has backed everything from crucial building works to staffing and various project work.

To say thank you to National Lottery players, five of the HiDDEN Network’s venues are putting the great in Greater Manchester by offering special deals during National Lottery Open Week 2026.

Photo of a cabinet, doors open, revealing 17th-Century books under lock and key, chained up - the gift of the original owner Sir Humphrey Chetham in 1655. — Books under lock and key, "The gift of Humphrey Chetham, 1655"

1) Chetham’s Library, Manchester

“ We are a hidden gem,” says Sian-Louise Mason of Chetham’s. “We are the oldest working medieval building in the north of England. We are the original medieval quarter of Manchester and yet most Mancunians have either never heard of us or never been through our doors before, which is wild. It's the most common thing that people say: ‘I've lived in Manchester my whole life, never been in’.

Photo showing Siân-Louise Mason, Visitor Services Coordinator, with a book in front of a book stack inside Chetham's Library. — Siân-Louise Mason, Visitor Services Coordinator, Chetham's Library

“National Lottery Open Week is great fun for us because normally when visitors want to come see the library, they have to book onto a guided tour. This is unguided, so a great opportunity for visitors who've never been before to explore the building and learn about the history of this place at their own pace.” Chetham’s is the oldest public library, in use, in the English-speaking world. No wonder Chetham’s own website includes a listing of over 100 of their favourite treasures.

Read about Chetham’s offer for National Lottery Open Week, an open afternoon on Saturday 14th March, 1pm-4pm with last entry at 3pm. Entry is free for one adult and up to two children under 16 with a valid National Lottery ticket.

An unusual bust of Karl Marx who's quoted on the wall: "Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point is to change it." — An unusual bust of Karl Marx who's quoted on the wall

2. Working Class Movement Library (WCML), Salford

“We're one of the very few places that are dedicated to working class history, in particular: political movement history,” says Belinda Scarlett, Library Manager at WCML.

The building is home to tens of thousands of books, pamphlets, papers and posters. Three floors full of reads, objects and artefacts.

The variety is awesome, as Belinda explains, “I think people think about working class history and they automatically just think about sort of men working in factories, or 19th century labour history. We have masses of material that relates to that history.”

Photo showing Belinda Scarlett, Library Manager, sat at her desk inside the Working Class Movement Library — Belinda Scarlett, Library Manager, Working Class Movement Library

“Then we have women's suffrage, we have anti-racism campaigns. We have pretty much any social justice campaign in internationalism that you could possibly imagine that's taken place in the past 200 years.”

This library is full of life, too: people studying in side rooms, meeting, engaging with the exhibition spaces. As Belinda sums up, “ the majority of our stuff is paper based, but we have a lot of artwork, sculpture, posters and photography.”

Read the Open Week offer details for The Working Class Movement Library - Offer valid 11th – 13th March 2026, and Belinda adds, “Friday 13th March 2026 at 2PM there's a free tour of the library and you get to access the whole building.” (The ground floor and toilets have disabled access but contact in advance if you have specific accessibility needs).

While Elizabeth Gaskell's writings have stood the test of time, a volunteer at Gaskell's House explains that this photo shows teh view from Mr Gaskell's writing desk, a pen and quill to one side. — While Elizabeth Gaskell's writings have stood the test of time, a volunteer explains that this is the view from Mr Gaskell's desk

3. Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, Victoria Park, Manchester

”One of the best things about Elizabeth Gaskell's House is it's hands-on and experiential,” explains Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd, Director of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House.

“You are not looking around the house, you are in the house: you're touching the books, you're sat on the chairs, you're listening to music. It is that feeling that the family have just popped out and you've visited.”

The house’s many rooms across several floors make for a fascinating time capsule, so be sure to look out for hidden gems before resting in the basement café.

Sally notes, “Look out for the servant's bells and give them a ring. See if you can hear them ringing. Lots of people miss them, so that's something to look out for.” And to listen out for.

Listen to Sally describe how a love letter was found hidden in the eaves during renovation work, in the ‘Hidden Gems’ section below.

Photo of Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd, Director, inside Elizabeth Gaskell's House — Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd, Director, Elizabeth Gaskell's House

Gaskell herself got out into the real world, to see it, to write about it. You can take a leaf out of her book in National Lottery Open Week by getting out to visit the house she lived in. And you’ll leave with a unique gift...

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is offering visitors, who show their National Lottery ticket, a free book - it's various works by young writers that have been recently based at Elizabeth Gaskell's House. Offer available throughout National Lottery Open Week, 7-15 March 2026.

Sidenote. If you’re visiting Elizabeth Gaskell's House: It’s located just minutes away from the Pankhurst Centre, as well as Victoria Baths (neither participating in Open Week 2026). Like all other HiDDEN Network members, both these near neighbours have received National Lottery funding since 1996. And both are well worth a visit.

Picture of a mock-up of a Rochdale Pioneers shop at the museum — A mock-up of a Pioneers shop at the museum

4. Rochdale Pioneers Museum, Rochdale (owned by HiDDEN Network member, The Co-op Heritage Trust)

“It is an important venue for a few reasons,” says Liz McIvor, Co-Op Heritage Trust Manager. “It's important to the Cooperative Movement – they're the organization that have preserved the building on behalf of the movement and the members.”

“It was first a museum in 1931, and it was opened really to explain to people how a group of ordinary working class people were able to use their limited capital for their own benefit and the benefit of their community.”

That is the essence of the original Cooperative Movement as Liz explains: “ It's this idea of people helping each other out and using their resources and their talents for the benefit of others, not just themselves.”

Photo of Liz McIvor, Co-operative Heritage Trust Manager, Co-operative Heritage Trust, owners of Rochdale Pioneers Museum — Liz McIvor, Co-operative Heritage Trust Manager, Co-operative Heritage Trust & Rochdale Pioneers Museum

The building and the original street outside are well worth visiting. “ It's an important place,” Liz says, “because of what it represents. It's an old wool warehouse, but it symbolizes the use of an industrial building for another purpose. Recycling, if you like, the premises to do a different job.”

Likewise, the museum’s info tells much of Rochdale’s spirit and why it’s known as the ‘home of cooperation’.

“The museum’s a symbol of the success of this society,” Liz sums up. “Not because of heroes, nor a revolutionary invention, but the power of humans to work together for the good and positive outcomes, even in the face of huge challenge.”

Read about the two offers from Rochdale Pioneers Museum:

National Lottery ticket holders can join a craft session at 1PM on Saturday 7th March 2026. (Paid entry but the ticket has 12 months free return entry).

Also 7th March: Special talk marking International Women’s Day at 2PM. (Paid entry but the ticket has 12 months free return entry).

The view from behind the Judge overseeing the court, originally in Denton, moved here with the help of a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund (Photo: GMPM)

5. Greater Manchester Police Museum

”The richness of this museum,” says Charlie Southerton, Curator at The GM Police Museum, “is that we have a historic building, now preserved with three impressive rooms that can't really be found anywhere else in the country. Also there’s such a strong supporting group of volunteers who bring everything together.”

“The police museum has been open since about 1984,” explains Charlie. “It was an active police station right up until the late 1970). It's been a Victorian police station, though the building is a bit curious: the rooms you see now have slowly been absorbed by the police station – it’s even been partly a Post Office.”

A stroll through the many rooms, and countless displays, takes visitors on a journey through the history of modern policing from its 1829 start through to recent times. From ‘gentleman Peelers’ and their top hats, reinforced so they could stand on them and look over crowds etc; to the early detective work of Jerome Caminada that’s said to have inspired Sherlock Holmes; the policing of Manchester during World War Two; or weapons confiscated in recent decades.

Volunteers

The museum has hidden gems but Charlie praises other treasures: “ The real treasure of our museum is that we have about 20 or so volunteers. Mostly ex-police officers. They all contribute original knowledge, their own personal history. Some of these objects are theirs. They are always here Tuesdays on our open days. So, you don't just get to look at the museum. The building itself is history, the objects are history but then also the volunteers: they're not history, they're great stories. They're great people to talk with.”

Volunteers are driving forces at many of the other HiDDEN Network’s venues: a friendly face, a helping hand, an insightful story.

Charlie Southerton, Curator, pictured in one of the atmospheric cells that visitors can experience at Greater Manchester Police Museum

Cells and court

Two of the standout experiences here are the original prison cells that you can step into it and learn about, and the court upstairs – preserved and moved here from Denton with a National Lottery grant.

“ It's pretty much authentic," Charlie explains. "We've got the crest up above and we have the authentic windows that even say ‘DPC’ – 'Denton Police Court'.”

“When visitors come for National Lottery Open Week,” says Charlie, “there'll be a special focus on the courtroom. We're looking into having some sort of supporting material on the tables – like a Bible which people would swear on, perhaps subpoenas, requests for witnesses and booking reports.”

Two deals for National Lottery Open Week offered by Greater Manchester Police Museum on 10 March & 12 March:

10 March - Open Day - Museum opens at 10:30am, last admission is at 3pm, and doors close at 4pm. Booking in advance is not required.

12 March - Guided Tours - bookable guided tours on Thursday 12th March, for a more direct and personal experience of the museum's incredible spaces and historical objects. Tours take place at 10am or 1pm, approximately two hours each.

To book for 12 March. Please email police.museum@gmp.police.uk with the number of slots you require.

Support these HiDDEN venues with a visit in National Lottery Open Week 2026 and you will not be disappointed. Check out all deals and venue details, to plan your visit, at the Open Week website.

Hidden Gems

Click on the cards to hear from all five venues - short clips that reveal more of their hidden gems. And listen to HiDDEN's Co-Chairs Judith Ozkan and Martin Gaw speaking about the Network - 'the de facto Museum of Greater Manchester'.

The HiDDEN Timeline

All 13 network members offer a wonderful web of buildings, ideas, movements that shaped modern history. And all 13 are very much alive today, awaiting your visit.