Touchstones is Rochdale's combined art gallery, local museum, and heritage centre, housed in a converted Victorian library building a short walk from the town hall. It holds a permanent collection of art and local history objects relating to the textile industry, the cooperative movement, and the town's social history, along with temporary exhibitions by regional and national artists.
The local history section is particularly good on the mechanics and social conditions of the cotton and flannel trade: the handloom weavers' cottages, the mill system, and the transition to industrial production. There is also a good introduction to Rochdale's famous sons and daughters, including Gracie Fields and the Rochdale Pioneers. The building has a cafe and visitor information centre. Admission is free.