The National Football Museum was founded in 2001 to preserve, conserve and interpret several important collections of association football memorabilia. The museum was originally situated outside Preston North End’s Deepdale ground but moved to Manchester in 2012, opening in the former Urbis building at Cathedral Gardens on 6 July 2012.
The move from Preston to Manchester was controversial, with much opposition. However, according to a report (
Link (
Archive Link ) ) in the Manchester Evening News, the museum attracted 100,000 visitors during the first six weeks that it was open; more than visited in a whole year at the Preston site.