Manchester

The Science and Industry Museum in Manchester is a place full of amazing objects and world changing ideas. Visit the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway station and the world’s first railway warehouse, built in 1830. Find out how our revolutionary railroad changed Manchester and the world forever. Be inspired by the wonder of science, enjoy live demonstrations of historic working machinery, take part in fun science shows and lots more.

The Stoller Hall offers an unrivalled acoustic and a stunning visual backdrop for live music, conferencing and performance. Based within Chetham’s School of Music just metres from Victoria Station, it offers a completely new audience experience in the heart of the Medieval Quarter. The Stoller Hall’s public performance programme combines classical and contemporary performance, chamber music and recitals with comedy, spoken word and debate. There’s something for families, musicians, and adults who want to do more than just watch. There’s jazz, world music and masterclasses, and there are inspiring performances by the students of Chetham’s — the only specialist music school in the north of England. From free daily Lunchtime Concerts throughout the school term to full Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, they bring the freshest new musical talents to the city’s newest stage.

From gallery to screen via cafe bar and bookshop, HOME redefines the contemporary arts centre, creating a space where ideas, hopes and moments of wonder ricochet off walls and lodge themselves in the headspace of audiences old and new. Manchester's new centre for theatre, film and visual art has opened its doors to great fanfare and acclaim in 2015. Formed by the merger of the city's best-loved arts organizations, Cornerhouse and the Library Theatre Company, there's something for everyone here.

Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre Company transforms the way people see theatre, each other and the world around them. Its historic building, was taken over by artists in 1976. Today it is an award-winning cultural charity that produces new theatre in-the-round, in communities, on the road and online. Their niche is brand new drama and reinvigorated classics, the boldest artists and a company of highly skilled makers — all brought together to trade ideas and experiences with the people of Greater Manchester (and beyond). The Theatre is a spectacular seven-sided, glass-walled capsule, suspended in the centre of the historic Cotton Exchange. This unique design means all seats are less than nine metres between you and the circular stage.

The Working Class Movement Library, built on Ruth and Edmund Frow's personal collection, archives over two centuries of working-class campaigns for social and political reform. The library hosts thousands of books, pamphlets and archives alongside a rich array of visual media — everything to shed light on the stories of change-makers, from Peterloo to the 'right to roam' ramblers. It also features tales of WWI conscientious objectors, volunteers from the Spanish Civil War, and the 10,000 Salfordians who demonstrated during the last Great Depression. Free to all, the library welcomes visitors for individual or group tours by appointment.

Contact is Manchester's provocative and innovative performance venue situated in the heart of the city's busy Oxford Road Corridor. The theatre is the national contemporary arts organisation that places young people's decision-making and leadership at the heart of everything. Youngsters aged 13+ work alongside its staff in deciding its programme of theatre, dance, spoken word, music, comedy and visual art. The result is a remarkable, diverse and exciting programme for everyone. The venue's distinctive towers make it one of Manchester's most unique architectural gems and the interior includes a 300 seat main auditorium, a 70 seat flexible studio, rehearsal and gallery spaces, and a cafe bar.

Gallery Oldham offers a variety of exhibitions and activities that cater to all ages. Showcasing both Oldham's diverse collections and new commissions, the gallery's current and upcoming exhibitions fuse international works, touring exhibits, and community-produced pieces. Besides its vibrant displays, Gallery Oldham also offers regular talks, tours, art and craft workshops, school collaborations, and artist residencies. The permanent exhibit called Oldham Stories showcases eclectic artefacts and specimens. The gallery also displays work from notable local and British artists, including Helen Bradley, William Stott, L. S. Lowry and John William Waterhouse, as well as an ever-growing collection of studio pottery.

For over 150 years, this house has been associated with its most famous resident: the novelist, Elizabeth Gaskell, who lived here from 1850 to 1865. Thanks to a major £2.5m project, the restored House is now open to the public. Visit the house museum to find out about Elizabeth and William’s work, explore the lives of their daughters and servants and discover the Manchester that the Gaskells knew. Knowledgeable volunteers will show you around and will invite you to take a seat in one of the four Victorian period rooms and learn about the painstaking restoration process. See where Elizabeth would have written her famous novels and stroll around the beautiful recreated gardens imagining yourself in Victorian Manchester. The house also has two exhibitions and a tea room in the old kitchen and servant’s hall, serving up delicious cake and hot drinks in dainty china cups and saucers.

The collections at the Manchester Museum number almost six million specimens and objects of anthropological and natural history interest. It is also home to one of the largest and most important collections of ancient Egyptian artefacts in the United Kingdom. It even has a Botany collection, live animals at the Vivarium and an Archaeology collection.