This book presents, for the first time ever, an accessible guide to the collections and activities of the Manchester Museum, which is the UK's largest university museum and one of the most significant museums in the country. It sets out the history of the Museum, from its beginnings as the collection of the Manchester Society for the Promotion of Natural History, through its transfer to John Owens College, to its current position as a major asset of the University of Manchester. Separate sections show the growth and highlights of each collection area which collectively make up the approximately 4.5 million objects and specimens in the Museum, ranged across nature and culture. Initially consisting of the donations of the large collections of Victorian and Edwardian amateurs, they subsequently developed through a combination of continued donations and fieldwork research around the world by academics and curators. In addition, the book discusses some of the activities undertaken by the Museum, both in public and behind the scenes. It shows why the vast majority of the Museum's collections are in storage, and what uses are made of this material for research and teaching. The Museum's award-winning work with schools and colleges, and its wider work to engage its many communities, are also highlighted, together with a final section on the increasingly varied ways in which digital communication is enhancing the visitor's encounter with Museum objects.