Must-see attractions in Manchester

  • Museum of Science & Industry, Manchester, Greater Manchester, England.

    Science and Industry Museum

    Manchester

    Manchester's rich industrial legacy is explored in this excellent museum set within the enormous grounds of the old Liverpool St station, the oldest rail…

  • People s history museum in Manchester - MANCHESTER / ENGLAND - JANUARY 1, 2019
People's History Museum

    People's History Museum

    Manchester

    The story of Britain's 200-year march to democracy is told in all its pain and pathos at this superb museum, housed in a refurbished Edwardian pumping…

  • The Whitworth Art Gallery is an art gallery in Manchester, England, containing about 55,000 items in its collection.

    Whitworth Art Gallery

    Manchester

    Manchester's second most important art gallery is arguably its most beautiful, following a restoration that saw the doubling of its exhibition space…

  • MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 23:  A general view of Manchester Art Gallery  in the City of Manchester, on June 23, 2014 in Manchester, England.  Chancellor George Osborne announced today the possibility of HS3 high-speed rail link between Manchester and Leeds that would help build a "northern global powerhouse" linking cities in the North of England.  (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

    Manchester Art Gallery

    Manchester

    A superb collection of British art and a hefty number of European masters are the highlights at the city's top art gallery. It's home to the best…

  • Chetham’s Library Manchester England. 18 April 2018. It is the oldest public library in the English speaking world opened to the public in 1653. It is still open to the public. .; Shutterstock ID 1388606738; your: Brian Healy; gl: 65050; netsuite: Lonely Planet Online Editorial; full: Free things to do in Manchester

    Chetham's Library & School of Music

    Manchester

    Founded in 1653 in a building that dates from 1421, Chetham's is the oldest public library in the English-speaking world, a trove of dark shelves lined…

  • People Swimming in the Men's First Class Pool at Victoria Baths in Manchester, which is having an open swim day to raise funds for restoration work. - Image ID: J4XR5T

    Victoria Baths

    Manchester

    Designed to be the grandest baths in Britain when they opened in 1906, this Grade II–listed Edwardian classic retains much of its former grandeur despite…

  • Manchester, United Kingdom - April 22, 2013: People visit John Rylands Library on April 22, 2013 in Manchester, UK. The library opened to public in 1900 and is a Grade I Listed building.

    John Rylands Library

    Manchester

    Less a library and more a cathedral to books, Basil Champneys' stunning building is a breathtaking example of Victorian Gothic, no more so than the…

  • MANCHESTER - October 17th, 2018, Manchester Town Hall and Albert Memorial; Shutterstock ID 1281860161; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Town Hall

    Manchester

    Manchester's most impressive building is the Grade I–listed town hall, completed in 1877 after a design by Alfred Waterhouse. The Great Hall is decorated…

  • Greater Manchester Police Museum

    Manchester

    One of the city's best-kept secrets is this superb museum housed within a former Victorian police station. The original building has been magnificently –…

  • Salford Quays Millennium Bridge

    MediaCityUK

    Manchester

    The BBC's northern home is but one significant element of this vast 81-hectare site. Besides hosting six departments of the national broadcaster (BBC…

  • UK National Football musuem

    National Football Museum

    Manchester

    This museum charts the evolution of British football from its earliest days to the multi-billion-pound phenomenon it is today. One of the highlights is…

  • Manchester Museum

    Manchester

    If you're into natural history and social science, this extraordinary museum is the place for you. It has galleries devoted to archaeology, archery,…

  • Lowry

    Manchester

    With multiple performance spaces, bars, restaurants and shops, this contemporary arts centre attracts more than a million visitors a year to its myriad…

  • Elizabeth Gaskell's House

    Manchester

    The author of Mary Barton and Cranford lived in this elegant Regency style villa from 1850 until her death in 1865. Now a fine museum devoted to Gaskell…

  • Imperial War Museum North

    Manchester

    Inside Daniel Libeskind's aluminium-clad modern building is a war museum with a difference, exploring the effects of conflict on society rather than…

  • Central Library

    Manchester

    Britain's largest municipal library was built in 1934 to resemble the Roman Pantheon. A major refurbishment has seen the addition of a wonderful Children…

  • Midland Bank

    Manchester

    The year 1935 saw the opening of Edwin Lutyens' stunning art-deco Midland Bank, now home to a branch of Jamie's Italian – even if you don't eat there it's…

  • Alan Turing Statue

    Manchester

    A statue of the noted mathematician, code breaker and gay martyr Alan Turing, who taught at the University of Manchester from 1946–52, when he lost his…

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