The Manchester Museum was opened in 1888, as a result of the transfer of the collections of the Manchester Natural History Society to Owens College (now the Victoria University of Manchester) in 1868; the transfer of the collections was completed in 1873. The collections grew around this nucleus, mainly as a result of donations, so as to include the Humanities. All of the collections are Designated.
From the guide to the The Manchester Museum, Zoology Department Correspondence, 1867-1959, 1867-1959, (The Manchester Museum)