Rochdale Pioneers Museum

The Rochdale Pioneers Museum occupies an 18th century warehouse on Toad Lane where 28 people established their first cooperative retail business in 1844. The building presents the story of this early movement through original sources and reconstructed spaces from that era.

The building was originally an 18th century warehouse that local weavers rented to sell basic goods like flour and butter from its ground floor. This modest operation grew into a significant cooperative movement.

The shop interior displays demonstrate how the founders created rules for fair trading, democratic control, and education that influenced cooperative societies across the world.

The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday with free admission, and guided tours can be arranged in advance. Plan your visit ahead to check if special exhibitions or talks are happening during your time.

The ground floor contains an exact recreation of the original shop with period furniture, scales, and products that show what retail life was like in the 1800s. This reconstruction gives visitors a direct sense of how ordinary people shopped and traded during that time.

Location: Rochdale

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible

Operator: Co-operative Heritage Trust

Phone: +441706524920

Email: museum@heritagetrust.coop

Website: https://co-operativeheritage.coop

GPS coordinates: 53.61863,-2.15942

Latest update: December 12, 2025 09:06