Guru/Manchester/With kids
Things to do in Manchester with kids
The Science and Industry Museum and Manchester Museum are the wet-day bankers, the football stadium tours are the treat, and Heaton Park has room to run.
11 picks that fit, best first. The order follows the live forecast and the time of day.
Science and Industry Museum
Castlefield
Working engines and the world’s first passenger railway station, free to enter.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Manchester Museum
Oxford Road
Dinosaurs, Egyptian mummies and a vivarium of live frogs, free, on the university campus.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Mackie Mayor
Northern Quarter
A restored Victorian meat market turned food hall, with long tables and a dozen kitchens.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. On today.
- Under £10
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
The Whitworth
Whitworth Park
A glass-walled gallery that opens onto its own park, with a strong textile collection.
Mostly under cover. Free.
- Free
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
- Good with kids
Old Trafford stadium tour
Trafford
Behind the scenes at Manchester United’s ground, from the dressing room to the dugout.
Mostly under cover.
- Over £25
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
- Good with kids
Imperial War Museum North
Trafford Wharf
Libeskind’s shattered-globe building with hourly 360-degree projections, free.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
The Lowry
Salford Quays
Theatres, a free Lowry gallery and the quayside at MediaCity.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Gallery free; shows ticketed
National Football Museum
Cathedral Gardens
The story of the game in a glass wedge by the cathedral, with penalty shoot-outs to try.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter.
- £10 to £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Free for Manchester residents
Etihad Stadium tour
Eastlands
Manchester City’s stadium tour, with the tunnel walk and the trophy room.
Mostly under cover.
- Over £25
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
- Good with kids
Trafford Centre
Trafford Park
A vast, over-the-top shopping centre with a cinema, a Sea Life aquarium and Legoland Discovery inside.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Free to enter; attractions ticketed
Heaton Park
Prestwich
Six hundred acres of parkland with a hall, a boating lake, a farm and a tram stop at the gate.
Wet right now, so save this for a dry spell.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Good to know
What is there to do in Manchester with children?
The Science and Industry Museum and Manchester Museum are the wet-day bankers, the football stadium tours are the treat, and Heaton Park has room to run. This list keeps 11 places that work with kids and moves the indoor ones up when it is raining.
Which of these are free for families?
Look for the "Free" label. Most cities have at least a couple of free museums and a big park on this list, which makes a cheap day out easy to put together.