Attractions in Manchester
Creative TouristLooking for Manchester attractions? The city is studded with gems, from the sprawling museums and galleries to world-class concert halls, intimate stages and family friendly fare.
Looking for Manchester attractions? The city is studded with gems, from the sprawling museums and galleries to world-class concert halls, intimate stages and family friendly fare.
IWM North was designed by Daniel Libeskind, whose beautiful waterfront building was based on a globe shattered by war and houses a permanent collection, special exhibitions and events that consider the many ways conflict shapes society.
The Whitworth underwent a £15m redevelopment in 2015, which saw it double in size; the gallery now juts out into Whitworth park, seamlessly transitioning from old to new. It’s been met with national and international acclaim – for its new architecture and for its brilliant exhibitions programme.
John Rylands Library houses a collection of rare books that spans five millennia – including an original Gutenberg Bible – in a neo-Gothic building that took nine years to build.
The Science and Industry Museum is housed in the buildings of the world’s first inter-city passenger railway; this sprawling, interactive land of scientific exploration includes a working steam train.
Manchester Art Gallery houses 25,000 artefacts across six centuries and contemporary exhibitions by world-leading artists in a beautifully-restored neo-Classic gallery, slap band in the city centre. The architect also designed Highclere Castle (or Downton Abbey).
Manchester’s new, £25m arts complex boasts 500 square metres of gallery space and five cinema screens as well as its 500 seat theatre; host to UK premieres, visiting companies and internationally focused work, the offering at HOME is as ambitious as it gets.
The national museum of democracy, couldn’t have a better home than Manchester, the birthplace of the British Labour Party and universal suffrage.
Manchester Museum boasts six million pieces in its archive, an impressive Egyptology collection and new discovery space The Study all in one gothic, Grade II*-listed building.
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House has been lovingly restored; you can now sit at her desk, see where Charlotte Brontë hid behind the curtains, and have tea in the downstairs café.
This former trading hall underwent a £32m redevelopment after being severely damaged by the 1996 IRA bomb in Manchester’s city centre – and has been delivering stellar productions from its unusual seven-sided glass and steel theatre-in-the-round (the biggest in the UK), and smaller (but still excellent) studio, ever since. Productions here are renowned – both Vanessa Redgrave and Helen Mirren have graced the Royal Exchange’s stage.
Ducie Street Warehouse’s new menu is full of hearty dishes, large and small.
Offering a packed schedule of events and things to do, HOME Manchester is one of the city’s leading hubs for arts and culture.
Billing itself as Manchester’s home of cult films, video games and cool nerd stuff, Cultplex is a small cinema offshoot of indie street food destination Grub Manchester.
Established in 1914, Altrincham Garrick Playhouse presents a variety of performances and screenings, as well as hosting term-time drama classes and a popular summer school for young people.
Altrincham’s Everyman is a supremely comfortable boutique cinema showing all of the latest blockbusters, independent hits and big screen events.
Experience luxury moviegoing at this three-screen boutique cinema and bar located close to Spinningfields.
Located within the historic Grade 2 former railway goods distribution warehouse, the Odeon Great Northern is a 16 screen multiplex cinema.
Formerly run by Odeon, Vue Manchester Printworks is the biggest cinema in Manchester with a whopping 23 screens capable of seating 4,472 people. The programming covers all of the latest…
A mainstream chain cinema showing a mix of new releases and blockbusters. Located in The Great Northern Warehouse complex.
With only 11 screens (only!), this is one of the smaller multiplexes in Greater Manchester – but its advantage is its location in the lush surrounds of Didsbury, not far from a roster of good bars, cafés and restaurants.
Volunteer-run cinema
Presenting the best walking tours in Manchester for history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and those looking to scratch beneath the surface of the city.
The Grade 2 listed Great Northern building is one of the calmer spots around the Deansgate strip, but that calm exterior is home to a vast array of places to eat and...
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Take me thereIf it's inspiring, inclusive events and avant-garde, experimental afternoons you're after, look no further than live literature this spring – we've got you covered.
Make the most of the springtime sun with some of the North's best bars and restaurants.
Crocodile-themed Easter egg hunts, sense-sational museum trips and more this Easter!
From precarious ceramics to photography festivals, spring is here and brings with it a breath of fresh air in visual art and exhibitions.
Dynamic dance, party-performance, high-energy stand-up and a site-specific show set in a pub. All this and more in our newest theatre guide.
Boozy tours, art workshops and a 'hobby house' that champions all things DIY, get the creative cogs whirring with our latest batch of tours and activities.
The outsiders, the oddities and the outrageous – we’re keeping it weird with a hot new batch of underground gigs about to hit Manchester, Leeds, and Liverpool.
Vintage Alfred Hitchcock and a family friendly film festival are amongst our highlights this May.