Categories > Guides and Tips

coronation-street-experience

Your Guided Tour Around The Coronation Street Experience

| Last Updated: September 2025

Whenever I tune in to the latest episode of my favourite show on the telly, there’s always one thing I think about–what would it be like to be in the show? And I’m not just talking about being an actor, I’m talking about being a character in the show’s world!

Well, for Coronation Street fans, you don’t have to wonder about that anymore! The Coronation Street Experience is one of many attractions in Manchester, and this one takes you through a guided tour of an exhibition modelled after the show.

So thanks to this tour, you can experience the world of this beloved soap opera with your very own eyes and feet! Each step through this tour will make you truly feel like a character in the show.

But if you’re wondering what exactly to expect on this tour, then good thing I’ve made this guide! Read on and see just what’s in store for you at The Coronation Street Experience.

What is Coronation Street?

– Media from: @Coronation Street

In case you’ve been living under a rock this whole time, here’s a fairly quick rundown about the show that The Coronation Street Experience is based on!

Coronation Street is the longest-running soap show that’s on the air, with the first episode airing on December 9, 1960. You’ll notice that I said “is” and not “was”, and that’s because it’s still ongoing, now having over ten thousand episodes!

The show takes place in the fictional town of Weatherfield, which, in-universe, is located in Greater Manchester. As for the plot itself, it revolves around the everyday lives and struggles of the working-class community living in Weatherfield.

Each episode is somewhere between 30 to 60 minutes, with the ten thousandth episode airing in 2020. And here’s a fun fact: 2020 was when the show celebrated its 60th anniversary!

One huge draw point for the show, besides portraying the lives of the working-class, is the blend of humour and realism. Coronation Street is probably one of the most beloved examples of shows inspired by ‘kitchen sink realism’. 

In fact, it’s so beloved that fans have even taken to affectionately calling it “Corrie” for short! A good indicator of just how dedicated a fanbase is, if you ask me.

What is the history of the Coronation Street set?

Another huge draw point for many Mancunians is that the show is also filmed right in Greater Manchester! The first filming location was Granada Television, a studio in central Manchester, where it was filmed until 1982.

Then, from 1982 to 2013, filming was on a new set – one that Queen Elizabeth II herself helped open! This second set was located in the backlot of Granada Television’s studio and was divided into multiple sets and stages.

Around 2010, however, plans were made for another set to be built on Trafford Wharf, to be managed by ITV Studios. This set is currently the show’s filming location at this time of writing. 

The announcement for this plan was made in December 2010, and construction started in September 2011. The new set was finished in 2013 and was unveiled to the public on November 29 of that year. 

What is the Coronation Street Experience?

– Media from: @coronationstreetexperience

The Coronation Street Experience is a guided tour of the current filming location and set of the show.

That’s right, this is the very same set where numerous episodes have been filmed, and where the cast and crew have worked to continue making this beloved masterpiece! 

Things to Know about The Coronation Street Tour

You can find the tour in ITV Studios, Trafford Wharf Road, Trafford Park, Stretford. The tour is open every day, but it’s occasionally unavailable during Bank Holidays. Here’s a schedule for the opening times:

Weekdays10 AM-3 PM
Weekends9 AM-6 PM

If you have any concerns or inquiries, you can always contact the team behind the tour either through their email, [email protected], or at 0113 430 1243.

There are three main types of tours you can take: an Exhibition Only tour, a Full Experience tour, and a Star Tour. Keep on reading for our detailed explanation of the tours in another part of this guide, so hold your horses! 

How to Get to The Coronation Street Experience

Via tram: Get off at the Imperial War Museum stop. The entrance to the tour should be just to the left of the museum’s stop. 

Via bus: You can take the one that stops just 5 minutes away. This bus should be a Stagecoach one, specifically the bus that follows route X50 from the City Centre.

There’s a nearby carpark in the Imperial War Museum where you can park while taking the tour, but do note that there are NCP charges for this.

Tour/Ticket Types

There are three main tour types that you can book via their website. Here’s a description of each type.

Exhibition Only

– Media from: @coronationstreetexperience

The Exhibition Only tour is the cheapest option among the three main types. It’s usually available on weekdays. 

This tour will guide you through replicas of the Roy’s Rolls and Rovers Return sets, while also offering a look at iconic props and costumes from the show. Aside from that, you can even get a souvenir from the exclusive Coronation Street Gift Shop!

Plus, you also get to watch highlights of the show over 60 years of its run!

Full Experience/Street Guided Tour

– Media from: @coronationstreetexperience

The Full Experience tour is usually available on weekends, and it’s a good choice if you want a more detailed experience without splurging on a tour. 

You can expect all the usual benefits of the Exhibition Only tour, but with the now-added bonus of a guided tour of the sets themselves! For 90 minutes, you’ll be led around the cobbles and external sets. Overall, a good treat if you feel like going on the set itself.

Star Tour

– Media from: @coronationstreetexperience

Now this is for the mega fans who have quite the money to spare! 

The Star Tour is available only during special weekends (ie, holidays, events, etc.) and has the added benefits and highlights of the two previous tour types. But here’s the kicker: you get to meet a member of the cast in the flesh!

That’s right, the Star Tour includes a meet and greet with a surprise cast member, and with a photo to boot! 

Other Tour/Ticket Types

Aside from the three main tour/ticket types, the website also lists three more special gifts and ticket types that you can purchase.

Guided Tour – Flexi Ticket

– Media from: @coronationstreetexperience

This ticket offers the usual sights, benefits, and highlights from the Exhibition Only tour. But with, as you might’ve guessed from the name, added flexibility! 

With this ticket, you can change your booked timeslot, as long as it’s done 4 hours before the original scheduled tour! You can even change it as many times as you want, so there’s quite a bit of freedom with this ticket.

Coronation Street Gift Vouchers

– Media from: @coronationstreetexperience

Have a special someone who’s a Corrie fan that you also want to treat? Then you can purchase one of the gift vouchers on their website! You’ll get the choice between a voucher for a Guided Tour, or a voucher for a Star Tour.

Plus, the Coronation Street Experience occasionally gives away discounts and offers for these vouchers!

Coronation Street Experience & Emmerdale Village Tour Bundle

– Media from: @coronationstreetexperience

Thinking of also paying a visit to Emmerdale Village? Good thing they have this bundle ticket available! You can get a nice combo of the two experiences with this ticket–with the Coronation Street half of the bundle, including a guided tour. 

Once you book this ticket, you’ll get a confirmation from whichever website you used for the booking process, followed by a voucher for the other attraction. 

So if you purchase the bundle via the Coronation Street Experience website, you’ll receive a booking confirmation at the checkout page and a voucher for the Emmerdale attraction. Take note, though, that the voucher needs to be booked separately!

What facilities are in the Coronation Street Experience?

The Coronation Street Experience has toilets and disability access available on-site, but there aren’t any luggage facilities nor parking on site. Do note that the attraction only accepts a limited number of mobility aid users, in consideration of safety concerns.

The recommended nearest car parks, besides the one in the Imperial War Museum, are in MediaCity (a 5-minute walk from the attraction) and Quayside Shopping Centre (7-minute walk from the attraction).

Notable Attractions in Coronation Street

Rovers Return

– Media from: @coronationstreetexperience

Many fans might feel a sense of nostalgia seeing the familiar brick-and-green pub that’s been featured in numerous episodes. 

The iconic Rovers Return pub is open onsite and you can even ring the actual bell–just like in the show! And if you want proof that you got to ring the bell, then you can take a picture behind the bar too, so you can brag about it to your mates.

Roy’s Rolls

– Media from:@coronationstreetexperience 

The Roy’s Rolls café replica is a one-to-one recreation of the one on set. It’ll feel like the real thing once you step in! You can get a feel for the ambience of the scenes set in the iconic café, so come take a seat in this familiar, welcoming café.

Plus, the immersion is elevated by familiar sounds playing in the background, not unlike a scene in an episode!

The Kabin

– Media from:@coronationstreetexperience 

Of course, even The Kabin gets its own replica set in the Coronation Street Experience! Walking down the cobbles of Coronation Street, you’ll find the familiar newsagents, complete with the iconic Weatherfield Gazette stand at the front!

It also might just bring a tear to the eyes of long-time fans who’ve missed The Kabin after the infamous tram crash.

Tips When Doing the Coronation Street Experience

So you think you’re ready to have the full experience? Well, here are a few more things you’ll need to keep in mind before booking your tour–you’ll be grateful for them if you do!

> Bring smaller bags with you. They don’t have any luggage facilities or any other kind of storage for bags, so you’ll be carrying your bag with you throughout the whole tour.

For that reason, it’s best to have easy-to-carry bags with you, such as backpacks or belt bags.

> Go there via tram or bus. It might be far more convenient for you if you take the tram or bus to get to the attraction. After all, even if there are nearby car parks elsewhere, they still have the usual NCP charges.

> Pair this up with another visit. There are lots of nearby attractions and sights like MediaCity, The Lowry or the Imperial War Museum. It’ll be fun visiting them all on the same day!

> Dress suitably for the weather. There might not be any dress code for tours, but do note that they’ll hold tours in almost any weather condition. So it’s best to be prepared, you don’t want to be sweating buckets or chattering your teeth!

FAQs about Coronation Street Experience

Related topics