13th time lucky for Portland Basin Museum

Portland Basin Museum is celebrating after being awarded a 13th consecutive Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award.

Tourist attractions need to average customer reviews of at least 4.5 out of 5 stars, which puts the Ashton site in the top 10 per cent of places to visit in the world. 

The 200-year-old former warehouse reopened as a free museum in 1999, focusing on the culture and history of Tameside, and brings in more than 100,000 visitors per year. 

“Thirteen is supposed to be an unlucky number but retaining our Travellers’ Choice award was nothing to do with luck,” said Cllr Sangita Patel, Tameside Council’s assistant executive member for heritage, culture, participation and sport. “It was down to Portland Basin being such a great place to visit and the hard work of our staff. 

“All of us at the council are extremely proud of the museum which offers so much for the entire family. I congratulate the staff on doing such a superb job and maintaining their high standards over so many years.” 

As well as temporary exhibitions, the museum features a full-size replica of a 1920s-style street, while the lower level concentrates on Tameside’s rich industrial heritage. 

There are also boat trips available to book from the marina, which travel along one of the three canals that meet at Portland Basin. 

“Travellers’ Choice honours businesses that consistently demonstrate a commitment to hospitality excellence,” said Tripadvisor’s Chief Growth Officer, John Boris. “It means you have made such a memorable impact on your visitors that many of them took the time to go online and leave a great review.  

“We hope this recognition continues to attract people to Portland Basin in 2024 and beyond.” 

The museum is open from 10am to 4pm on Tuesday to Sunday.