About Macclesfield Silk Museum
Macclesfield Silk Museum
The Silk Museum in Macclesfield is a premier visitor attraction and accredited museum located on Park Lane, Macclesfield.
Free to enter, the museum houses an extensive collection of historic machinery, 19th-century pattern books, and archives detailing the town’s rise as the world’s silk capital. The Silk Museum also houses part of the old West Park Museum collection of Ancient Egyptian artefacts.
Part of the Silk Museum, and sited just next door, Paradise Mill offers a unique ‘factory-floor’ experience, featuring 26 restored Jacquard looms. It remains one of the few places in Europe where visitors can see the intricate process of silk weaving exactly as it was performed during the Industrial Revolution.
Visitors can explore the Mill via a guided tour or by self-led exploration. Tickets start from £6.50.
Open Wednesdays – Sundays, 10am – 4pm
Tickets and Visitor Information: www.thesilkmuseum.co.uk
Social Media Profiles:
www.facebook.com/SilkMuseumMacc
www.instagram.com/silkmuseummacc
COMING UP HERE
What’s on at Macclesfield Silk Museum
Monday 9 November 2026 · Until 21 November 2026
Postcards from the Silk Road: Hidden Codes and Connections — 4–21 November 2026
See Macclesfield’s silk heritage through a contemporary artist’s eyes. In Postcards from the Silk Road: Hidden Codes and Connections, local artist J R Oatts places colourful abstract works alongside objects…
Monday 9 November 2026 · Until 18 December 2026 · From 9.00am
Have a Dabble at The Silk Museum, Macclesfield — Friday Art and Craft, November–December 2026
Friday art-and-craft classes with Julie at The Silk Museum, through 23 October 2026. 9am–noon or 1–4pm, £15 per session.
Monday 9 November 2026 · Until 19 December 2026 · From 10.00am
A Paradise of Woven Colour — photographic exhibition — 22 October–19 December 2026
Close-up photographs reveal silk and synthetic fabrics woven at Macclesfield's Paradise Mill, showing how its designers created detailed woven motifs. The exhibition draws on the Cartwright and Sheldon archive and…
View all events at this venue
Tuesday 10 November 2026 · From 1.00pm
Dorset Buttons Workshop
Learn how to make beautiful embroidered Dorset buttons at The Silk Museum on Tuesday 10 November 2026. This two-hour afternoon workshop runs from 13:00 to 15:00 at the museum on…
Saturday 14 November 2026 · From 2.00pm
Postcards from the Silk Road — artist's talk
Macclesfield artist J R Oatts discusses her exhibition Postcards from the Silk Road: Hidden Codes and Connections in the Silk Museum classroom. She will explain her art practice and the…
Saturday 21 November 2026 · Until 12 December 2026 · From 10.15am
Meet Father Christmas! at The Silk Museum — selected dates
A Father Christmas visit with a little Victorian playtime: the Silk Museum’s Machine Gallery becomes a festive Winter Wonderland, complete with a grotto, traditional toys and historical costumes to try…
Wednesday 2 December 2026 · Until 18 December 2026 · From 10.30am
Christmas Crackers! at The Silk Museum — 2–18 December 2026
Christmas Crackers! is a private small-group festive experience at The Silk Museum, available on Wednesdays to Fridays from 2 to 18 December 2026. Groups receive an exclusive Paradise Mill tour,…
Saturday 5 December 2026 · From 10.00am
Welsh Conversation Group at The Silk Museum
An informal gathering for anyone interested in practising or developing their Welsh. Some participants also move into the gallery afterwards for optional Welsh-language singing.
Saturday 5 December 2026 · From 10.15am
Christmas Recorder Concert — Society of Recorder Players
The Concert Group of the Macclesfield Branch of the Society of Recorder Players brings a varied programme to the Silk Museum. The music ranges from traditional tunes and carols to…
Saturday 5 December 2026 · Until 12 December 2026 · From 10.30am
The Snowman and The Snowdog Film Screenings — Macclesfield 2026
Step into a cosy Christmas film moment at The Silk Museum in Macclesfield. Families can watch The Snowman and The Snowdog in the museum classroom on two December Saturdays, with…
Tuesday 26 January 2027 · From 1.00pm
Macclesfield Buttons Workshop — Silk Museum
Make your own interpretations of traditional thread buttons in a workshop led by Catherine Bailey of History Hunters and Ann Gibson of Creative Textiles. The museum traces Macclesfield button making…
