[1] The building, which was designed by the architect Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas in the English Baroque style, was opened by the then Prince and Princess of Wales on 7 July 1908.

[7] The civic collection of silver, some of which dates from the 15th century, lines the wall of the corridor outside the chamber.

[7] An imposing Italian marble entrance leads to the Edwardian Ballroom, which former poet laureate Sir John Betjeman described as "magnificent".

[8] The ballroom has a Wurlitzer Publix One theatre organ with four manuals and 20 ranks of pipes, specified by Jesse Crawford.

[10][11] The town hall, which as the home of Stockport Symphony Orchestra, hosts classical concerts on a regular basis,[12] has been nicknamed "the wedding cake".