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One of the largest industrial, cultural and educational centers in England, the birthplace of computer programming and the city where the first railway station was built – all this is Manchester. It is never boring here day or night, and in terms of the number of tourists it consistently ranks among the best in the country. People come here not only to watch the match of the legendary Manchester United football team, but also to visit numerous museums, see cathedrals and architectural monuments. The sights of Manchester will be of interest to both adults and young people, who, in addition to exciting excursions, have a lot of nightclubs and discos. Even if the trip is short, the city will make an indelible impression.
While traveling around the UK, one cannot help but look into this industrial metropolis, which, nevertheless, pleases with a large number of old buildings, galleries and just picturesque streets. So that you can decide where to go during your visit to the city that has given the world more than twenty Nobel laureates, we have compiled an overview of the most interesting places with descriptions and photos. If excursions in Manchester are too expensive for you, you should not be upset – even without an accompanying person you can have a great time, and a tourist map of the city will help you not to get lost.
What to see in Manchester: 15 most famous attractions
Each travel portal or reputable travel magazine ranks Manchester's most popular attractions. Using these recommendations, a tourist can decide on a route to explore the city on his own or choose which excursions to order upon arrival. We bring to your attention the best sights, according to the reviews of vacationers and experts:
1. Manchester City Hall
Facade of Manchester City Hall
The City Hall is a Victorian Neo-Gothic building, which, thanks to its height of 85 meters, can be seen from different parts of the city. The construction was completed in 1877, and now inside there are halls with luxurious decoration, showing the history of the city through wall paintings, as well as offices. We especially recommend visiting the room with sculptures depicting noble Manchester people.
Official website: http://www.manchester
2. Castlefield area
Castlefield District
Castlefield is an ancient area of the city, where the troops of the fleet of the ancient Romans Mancunium were once stationed. It was here that in the second half of the eighteenth century the only industrial canal at that time was built. After 40 years, the number of canals increased to three, and in the eighties of the last century, Castlefield was recognized as the country's first Municipal Heritage Park.
3. Chinatown
Manchester Chinatown Oliver Dixon
Chinatown – Chinatown is located in the central part of Manchester, opening up to its guests the world of oriental traditions and, of course, traditional Asian food. To get here, just go through the colorful multi-tiered gates, behind which you will find a variety of souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes.
4. Manchester Cathedral
Facade of Manchester Cathedral
The Cathedral is a Gothic temple built in the Middle Ages and more than once subjected to destruction, rebuilding and reconstruction. During the Second World War, a significant part of the cathedral was bombed, and restoration took more than 20 years. The building attracts with its grandiose size and luxurious interior design, which includes stone bas-reliefs in the form of angels, hand-made wooden frames and stained-glass windows, which take your breath away. The temple is also distinguished by 10 bells, the weight of the largest exceeds a thousand tons.
Official website: http://www.manchestercathedral.org/
5. Opera Manchester Theatre
Manchester Opera House Mike Peel
The Manchester Opera House – for the first time received audience here back in 1912, and for a long time exceptional troupes from other cities shone on the stage. Now our own team has been created, which regularly gives performances and makes the theater one of the most popular in the whole country.
Official website: http://manchesteroperahouse.com/
Feel the atmosphere of Manchester in this beautiful video!
6. Palace Theatre
Main entrance to the Palace TheatreRept0n1x
Palace Theater – has the status of the main Manchester theater stage, opening its doors to the audience since the end of the 19th century. The construction and decoration of the building on Oxford Street was carried out by A. Darbyshire, who managed to create a hall with amazing acoustics. The theater acquired its current size (capacity – up to 2.6 thousand people) at the beginning of the 20th century. Theatergoers from all over come here, sometimes preferring Manchester to London.
Official website: http://palacetheatremanchester.net/
7. Theater of the Royal Exchange
Royal Exchange Theater Gidzy
The Theater of the Royal Exchange is the center of modern theatrical art, ready to receive up to seven hundred spectators at the same time. There are art-house performances, comedies, as well as various festivals. Once the building was used as a cotton exchange, but later it was converted for theatrical performances. Representatives of various genres have been performing here for more than half a century, and the number of performances per year exceeds 350.
Official website: https://www.royalexchange.co.uk/
8. Manchester Central Library
Manchester Central Library Ricardo
The John Rylands Library is a beautiful neo-Gothic building that was originally a church but was transformed into a bookstore in the early twentieth century. Today it is part of the university library, it has a huge number of old documents and publications. Visitors are offered the opportunity to see with their own eyes the famous Gutenberg Bible, the first books printed in Europe, ancient manuscripts with illustrations, as well as the correspondence of famous English scientists, political figures, etc.
Official site: http://www.manchester.gov.uk
9. Whitworth Art Gallery
Whitworth Art Gallery
Whitworth Art Gallery is a place where the most extraordinary ideas are embodied in high art. Of particular popularity among visitors are exhibitions of works by Van Gogh, Picasso and other masters of the second half of the nineteenth – early twentieth century. The gallery owes its creation to the man who invented the design of the sniper rifle – Joseph Whitworth, who at one time provided funds for arranging the premises and buying paintings.
Official website: http://www .whitworth.manchester
10. Lowry Concert Hall
Lowry is a theater and gallery complex
The Lowry Concert Hall – erected on the shipping canal, it is designed for ten thousand spectators and is suitable for both small performances and fantastic shows that require the installation of a large amount of equipment for high-quality sound and special effects. Inside the complex there are two galleries: one – with paintings by Lawrence Lowry, and the second – is intended for temporary exhibitions. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2000.
Official website: https://www.thelowry.com/
11. Museum of Science and Industry
Exhibits at Keith Williamson Museum of Science and Industry
The Scientific and Industrial Museum is famous for the fact that it was here that the first railway station in the world was once built. Now the preserved facade and warehouses are part of the architectural heritage of Great Britain. A huge exhibition of objects related to the development of industry, technology and science has made the Manchester Museum the most significant point on the route of the industrial heritage of Europe.
Official website: https://www.msimanchester.org. uk/
12. Manchester Museum
View of the Manchester Museum
Manchester Museum – more than 360,000 visitors come here every year to look at the monuments of archeology, history and anthropology. The museum fund began to form at the beginning of the last century, and is now considered the largest university repository of antiquities, numbering about four and a half million items.
Official website: http://www.museum. manchester.ac.uk/
13. People's History Museum
Bernard Randall Folk History Museum building
Folk Museum of History – visiting this museum, you can plunge into the life and everyday life of workers in various industries. The exhibits are exhibited in a building designed by C. Henry – visitors can view leaflets and posters from the industrial era in the life of the city, see old photographs and diary pages.
Official website: http://www.phm.org.uk/
14. Manchester Arena
One of the most popular and visited venues Will Beardmore
Manchester Arena – known as the largest indoor arena in the country (23 thousand spectators), it has been operating since 1995 and even took part in the UK's bid to host the 2000 Olympic Games. One of the features of the sports complex is the reduced echo, which makes it an optimal stage for enchanting musical performances. More than a million people come here every year, and over the entire period of its existence, the stadium has been renamed four times (the current name has been used since 2015).
Official website: https://www.manchester -arena.com/
Manchester attractions: what else to see in Manchester?
15. Etihad Stadium
The Etihad Stadium is the home of Manchester City Football Club
The Etihad Stadium, also known as the City of Manchester Stadium, is not only the home arena of the local football club, but also an auditorium for 48 thousand people. At one time, such legendary musicians as Bon Jovi and Rod Stewart Red, as well as Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, U2 and many others gave concerts here.
Official site: https://www.mancity.com/
16. Old Trafford
Football match at Old Trafford
Old Trafford Stadium – can take about seventy-five thousand spectators, this stadium has been used by the players of the famous football club Manchester United for eight years, and also has 5 stars according to UEFA classification. The sports facility is second only to Wembley in size, so if you like grandiose buildings or football, you should definitely come here.
Official website: http://www.manutd.com/en
17. Beetham Tower
Skyscraper Beetham Tower – the highest skyscraper in Manchester
Beetham Tower is a unique skyscraper, included in the ranking of the thinnest structures in the world. The building was built in 2006 using the most advanced technologies at that time and was then considered the tallest residential building on the planet (the height of the skyscraper is 168 meters). On almost fifty floors there are luxurious apartments of different layouts and areas. Although only residents are allowed inside, it is definitely worth seeing the building from the outside, especially since guides are not needed for this, so the pleasure is completely free.
Official website: http://www .beethamtower.org
18. Victoria Baths
Victoria Baths – Manchester Water Palace
Victoria Baths is a majestic building built in the first half of the twentieth century. Designed by Heinrich Price, the building immediately catches the eye due to its bright colors (the architect used yellow and red bricks for the facade) and colorful stained-glass windows decorating the window openings. Manchester guides often bring tourists here as part of a sightseeing tour to show an example of an English Baroque building and show the site where the UK's first Jacuzzi was installed.
Official website: http://www.victoriabaths.org.uk/
19. Fletcher Moss Botanical Garden
Fletcher Moss Botanical Garden – a garden created by the famous English scientist Robert Wood Williamson for more than a hundred years. During this time, the garden has grown significantly, turning into a full-fledged entertainment and recreation complex for citizens and tourists. Here you can not only admire the local flora and picturesque views of the forest and the river, but also play rugby, tennis and even football.
Official website: http://www. fletchermossgardens
20. Heaton Park
Autumn beauty of Heaton Park
Heaton Park is an amazing place to spend time with children in the fresh air. The huge park is located away from the bustle of the city (about 20 minutes drive from Manchester), on its territory there is a lake where you can go boating in the warm season. Kids can see alpaca, donkey and other animals up close in their natural habitat, and adults will certainly like Heaton Hall – a building of the neoclassical era, admires the thoughtfulness of the architectural solution.
Knowing what interesting places there are in Manchester, you easily decide what to visit first and how best to plan the time of your stay in order to return home with a lot of pleasant emotions and impressions. And after getting to know this wonderful city, you can go to see other sights of England, which delight with diversity and are found literally at every step.
Official website: http://www.manchester.gov.uk
21. Market Street
Market street is one of Manchester's main shopping areas BetacommandBot
At times, Manchester can leave very contradictory impressions about itself. Its districts differ so much from each other that you might get the impression that now you are walking through a magnificent English park, and half an hour later you are already in the center of a modern metropolis. The image of shopping Manchester is formed by Market Street, along which the most prestigious shops and elite shopping galleries are located. Already from the name it is clear that this is the most important shopping street of the city. For productive shopping, you can head to the nearby Piccadilly Gardens, a green area with fountains in the heart of the city. The second side of Market Street is pedestrian, there are almost no shops, but on this side you can meet a large number of performing artists, street musicians and other creative people.
22. St. Anne's Church
Monument in front of St Anne's Church in Manchester David Dixon
The best examples of British architectural and spiritual heritage include the 15th century Manchester Cathedral, as well as St Anne's Church, Manchester. The origin of the name of this shrine is associated not only with the name of the saint, but also with the patroness of the temple, Lady Anna Bland. The church was erected at the end of the 18th century – at that time it was an impressive building with two towers. Immediately after the construction of the church, its interior was very modest, and only in the 19th century did its appearance noticeably change, colored stained-glass windows appeared in place of glass in the windows. Next to the temple rises a square 42-meter tower with a high spire, on its upper level there is a bell tower with 5 bells. The vaults and walls inside are painted with various episodes from the life of St. Anna. Above the high oak altar are three large stained-glass windows with faces of saints. Every Sunday there are services, organ concerts and events dedicated to classical music in St. Anne's Church.
Official website: https://www.stanns
23. Chatham Library
Holdings of the oldest free public reference library in the UK Mike Peel
The interior of the reading room of the Chetham Library in Manchester
One of the oldest public libraries is located in Manchester – in the building of the 17th century, along with the hospital, there is the Chatham Library, founded back in 1653. In that year, Humphrey Chatham's will bought a building in the very center of Manchester, under the roof of which, along with a library, a hospital and a music school were founded. It should be noted that the library was created on the basis of the richest collection of publications collected by Chatham himself – for this purpose, his 24 executors purchased and collected books and manuscripts in various fields of knowledge – according to the founder's plan, the library was supposed to compete with the collections of Oxford and Cambridge. From the first day, the institution has been functioning as a charitable organization, providing its publications absolutely free of charge. Today, the library collections have accumulated 100 thousand volumes, most of which were published before the 19th century.
Official website: https://library.chethams
24. John Rylands Library
The interior of the John Ryland Library is reminiscent of the medieval cathedral Mdbeckwith
Another of the largest libraries was founded in honor of John Rylands. Today, the characteristic facade of the building, erected in the Neo-Gothic style and standing out against the background of the surrounding buildings, is simply impossible to ignore. The collection of the library, opened here in 1900, was previously owned by a large businessman Rylands. In parallel with his main activity, he also collected rare literary publications – his collection was the reason for the founding of the library. At the time of its opening, the funds contained about 40 thousand books, including the most valuable copies – such as the first book in the history of European printing, the Gutenberg Bible. You should definitely visit the luxurious premises of this library, even if you do not plan to get acquainted with its literature. After all, its Victorian neo-Gothic reading rooms with huge bookcases, carved arcades and massive wooden furniture are just worth it.
Official website: https://www.library
25. Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery in David Dixon's monumental classical building
While British football, the legendary Beatles, Tudor mansions, port facilities are all symbols that shape modern day Liverpool, the sights of Manchester are a number of cultural treasures, national treasures of England. Today, Manchester is dominated by signs with the names of galleries, posters with festivals and other cultural events. One of the main attractions of Manchester and the whole of Great Britain is considered to be an art gallery, founded in 1884. In total, the collection includes more than 25 thousand items of arts and crafts. The collection of works of art here covers a variety of eras and areas of creativity. Thus, the collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings of the 19th century is most valued. The central place is occupied by a collection of fine art – engravings, sculptures, hundreds and thousands of paintings. Of particular interest are collections of clothes, toys, jewelry, silverware.
Official website: http://manchesterartgallery
26. Albert Square
The Albert Memorial with the Royal Albert Hall (concert hall) in the background ChrisO
Albert Square Fountain installed for the Diamond Queen Victoria's Jubilee Mattcoxonline
One of Manchester's squares is named after British Prince Albert. Albert Square is home to historic Victorian buildings and a number of monuments and statues, the largest of which is the Albert Memorial. Another attraction of Albert Square is the fountain installed for the sixtieth anniversary of Queen Victoria.
27. National Football Museum
Urbis is a modern exhibition center inside which the football museum is located User:Olli ruhr
Collection of football memorabilia at the National Football Museum in Manchester David in Lisburn
Manchester on the map of England is a relatively small city in the UK, but it has a large number of historically significant monuments and important places. In order to develop the interest of residents and guests of the city in its history and heritage, Urbis was created – a large exhibition complex. Initially, it was planned as a museum that tells about the life of the city. Alas, the exposition was not attractive to visitors, and the creators had to change direction. Since 2012, the National Football Museum has been located on its territory – for fans of ball sports, this is the best option where to go in Manchester. The main trump card of the exposition is the extraordinary technical equipment that ensures the interactivity of the presentation of information and the “trying on” of the role of one of the world's football stars by visitors. So, anyone here can test their skills – try to make a pass or a certain trick with the ball, take a penalty kick, check the accuracy of the shot and the speed of the reaction, play two on two and even figure out the referee's robe. Those who think that football players have an easy life should visit a special section entirely dedicated to player injuries. The sensor technology system allows everyone to be at the epicenter of football events.
Official website: https://www.national
28. Greater Manchester Police Museum
Former police station converted into Greater Manchester Police Museum Rept0n1x
Helmets and motorcycles on display at the Greater Manchester Police Museum David Edgar
There are also such interesting places in Manchester that are almost unknown in the field of tourism. So, the secret gem of Manchester is the Greater Manchester Police Museum, located right inside the former police station. At the entrance, visitors are greeted by a bright blue sign and a realistic sculpture of a stately policeman. The expositions demonstrate the history of the Manchester police, there is an impressive collection of official and archival documents. In the museum, you can learn a lot of interesting things about police items such as police uniforms, service cars and other thematic attributes. But the most interesting thing for visitors is that you can literally try on some of the exhibits – put on a helmet, figure out a uniform, sit in an old police car, take a photo, which is not allowed in all museums.
Official website: https://www.gmpmuseum
29. One Angel Square Building
One Angel Square is the largest office building in the whole of Great Britain The Co-operative
For those who are interested in the latest achievements in the field of architecture, the One Angel Square building should be included in the walking route. More than 70 meters high, 15 floors, 30.5 thousand square meters of office space – all this combines a modern building in Manchester, built using sustainable building technology. The structure has a solid steel frame, due to which the structure looks almost airy, and the energy-saving technologies implemented in it ensure the economical use of natural resources – heat, light, water. For example, the double coating of the facade leads to minimization of energy consumption for heating, and the rainwater recycling system allows the use of treated water even for food purposes. And the management even encourages everyone who chooses a bicycle as an alternative to a personal car – for this purpose, a bicycle parking has been created next to One Angel Square.
30. Manchester Public Transport Museum
Exhibits of the large collection of vehicles of the Museum of Transport in Manchester Neil Turner
The Manchester Transport Museum was designed not only to develop public interest in the history of the local transport system, but in general – to stimulate the promotion of the transport industry in the North West England region. This is one of the largest museums in Great Britain – its collection contains about a hundred buses, for which the institution has a special large annex. The most valuable exhibits are trams and trolleybuses from the 1900s, once owned by companies such as Ashton and Metrolink. The museum has a large collection of old maps, route schedules, emblems, plans and manuals – documents that are somehow related to the work of transport. The museum of 1979 is still extremely popular today. Every day, work is in full swing here related to the repair and restoration of various models of transport.
Official website: http://www.gmts.co.
Read also about the best sights of London and get inspired for your further journey through England.