Old Trafford is the UK’s second-largest football stadium after Wembley Stadium. Known as the Theatre of Dreams, it has been the home of Manchester United football club since 1910 (although the club shared Maine Road with Manchester City between 1941 and 1949 after Old Trafford was bombed during the Second World War).
In addition its role as Manchester United’s home ground, the stadium has hosted FA Cup semi-finals, England matches, the 1966 World Cup, Euro 96, 2003 Champions League Finals and 2012 Olympic Games football matches plus rugby league matches including the annual Super League Grand Final.
Visitors can take a tour of the stadium and also visit the Manchester United Museum.
Note: the Old Trafford football stadium is not to be confused with the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground, which is a different stadium, a 10-minute walk away.
What to see at the Manchester United Museum and Old Trafford football stadium tour
In addition to actually watching a football match at Old Trafford, it is also possible to take a tour of the stadium and visit the Manchester United Museum.
Old Trafford football stadium tour
A tour of the stadium is a must for Manchester United fans and football fans in general. The 80-minute tour lets you see parts of the stadium that are normally off-limits to the public including access to the players’ dressing room, the tunnel, players’ dugout plus the press room and VIP room.
Areas covered by the tour are subject to change as this is a working football stadium and the tours need to fit in with match preparations and the stadium’s maintenance schedule.
Manchester United Museum
Stadium tours also give you access to the Manchester United Museum. The museum has displays depicting the club’s history and the tour allows you to go behind the scenes at Old Trafford stadium.
Visiting Old Trafford football stadium
Old Trafford is located immediately south of Salford Quays and 4.8 km (3 miles) southwest of Manchester city centre.
Stadium tour tickets include admission to the Manchester United Museum and it is not possible to buy a ticket to just visit the museum without also taking a tour.
The Old Trafford Experience is a premium package that includes the stadium tour and museum admission as well as a meal at the stadium’s Red Cafe.
The Legends tour is a much more expensive option where you take the tour with one of the team’s legendary players who can give you inside information and answer questions about the team.
Even if you haven’t booked an Old Trafford Experience ticket, you are still able to have a bite to eat at the Red Cafe on the third level of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand. The cafe is open to the public throughout the year, and not just on match days.
Visitors to the stadium are also able to visit the 1,580m² (17,000 sq ft) Megastore, which has a huge range of Manchester United merchandise with over 800 different product lines. On match days over 10,000 people pass through the Megastore, although it will be less crowded if you visit after your tour.
Stadium tours last for around 80 minutes, although you should also allow extra time to visit the museum. Most people allow around two hours for their visit.
Stadium tours do not operate on match days.
For the full Manchester football experience, also take a tour of Manchester City’s stadium and visit the National Football Museum in Manchester city centre and why not stay at Hotel Football, which is right next to Old Trafford.
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