Attractions in and around Manchester city centre

Located at the heart of Manchester, Urbis is an exhibition centre focusing on city life. Urbis' exhibition programme explores the culture and dynamism of cities around the world, covering photography, design, architecture, music, contemporary art and much more. We run thought-provoking events, which include tours, talks, workshops and family activities, and the building is also home to a shop packed with original gift ideas and the Social, our stylish café bar.

G-Mex
Created out of the former Central Railway Station, G-Mex is one of Europe's most exciting exhibition and events centres. It plays host to a whole programme of shows, sporting events and sell out concerts.

Museum of Science and Industry
The museum is partly based in the buildings of the oldest passenger railway station in the world. The huge, 7½ acre site has five historic buildings packed with fascinating exhibitions, hands-on galleries, historic working machinery and superb special exhibitions.

The Lowry
Set in a magnificent waterside location at the heart of the redeveloped Salford Quays in Greater Manchester, The Lowry is an architectural flagship with a unique and dynamic identity. Rising from the regenerated docklands, it is a welcoming building, designed to reflect the surrounding landscapes and flourishing waterways, in its glass and metallic surfaces.

Bridgewater Hall
This magnificent concert hall was built at a cost of £42 million pounds, and is the home of Manchester’s world renowned Halle orchestra. The award-winning design was described as ’a magnificent statement on the role of music in the cultural life of Manchester and contributing a new focal point to the city. The hall holds 250 concerts ranging from The Halle to blues and jazz. It also houses the Charles Halle restaurant, which has attracted glowing reviews.

Central Library Manchester
There has been a public library service in Manchester since 1852, when the Manchester Free Library was opened in the Hall of Science in Campfield. It was well into the twentieth century, however, before the City was able to build a Central Library fit for the great collections of books, periodicals and other materials that had been assembled by successive librarians and housed in a variety of locations. The Central Library is one of Manchester’s most famous and best-loved landmarks.

Contact Theatre
A radically designed frontage, demonstrates a theatre that has come a long way since it began as simply part of the Manchester University campus. It is a venue that prides itself on putting on a wide variety of drama, dance, music, and comedy, as well as having a very active involvement with art in the community, providing workshops, and many different opportunities for participation.

Cornerhouse
Situated in a converted department store the Cornerhouse is the foremost arts centre in Manchester; it boasts three screens which show a range of arthouse and more mainstream films from UK and abroad. It also houses two galleries which feature a constantly changing roster of touring exhibitions. It has two bars, offering a good selection of beers and wines. The Cornerhouse bookshop offers a wide range of greetings cards, as well as art-related books and a good selection of the more esoteric magazines.

The Gallery of Costume
Housed in Platt Hall, The Gallery of English Costume boasts one of the UK’s finest collections of fashion, and is a must–see for the serious student of fashion. The collection covers the changing trends in fashion from the 17th century until the present day. The collection also includes textiles and fashion accessories. Researchers and students can, by prior arrangement, also have access to its extensive library of fashion and design books, magazines catalogues and prints.

The Green Room
Situated near the Cornerhouse, and located in a railway arch, the Green Room has developed into one of the leading centres in contemporary performance in Europe. It stages a wide range of types of event: visual performance, live art, contemporary art, and comedy. It also has a commitment to participation in the arts, and has a resident artist and artist associates. The Green Room offers many opportunities for those interested in participating in the arts.

Life Café Bar
Established in Manchester in August 2000, and situated near the Great Northern Bar, a collection of bars under one roof, Life Café is a large venue, which also has a night club, and spacious bar. One interesting feature is that during the day the dance floor is flooded to form a water feature for the restaurant! Life Café is aimed at the 30 plus club goer and puts on live music regularly, which tends towards dinner jazz.

Manchester Academy
This rather utilitarian building is Manchester Academy 1, a part of the Manchester University Students Union. Academy 2 and 3, which are located in the main student union building and The Academy 1, are all open to non-students. All three are important venues for touring acts. For those musicians wishing to follow in the footsteps of Oasis, Radiohead, Coldplay and The Darkness, Academy 3 offers the opportunity for unsigned acts to perform on their unsigned nights.

Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery houses one of the countries finest art collections in spectacular Victorian and contemporary surroundings. Highlights in the collection including outstanding Pre-Raphaelite paintings, crafts and design and early 20th Century British art. Superb visitors facilities include a café, a large shop and full disabled access throughout. Enjoy some family run in the Clore Interactive Gallery with lively exhibits and multi-media facilities, or take part in a wide range of events from talks & tours to hands on activities for children and adults. An exciting special exhibitions programme brings the best in visual art and design to Manchester.

Manchester Cathedral
Although the cathedral may appear to have a relatively modern exterior (in church terms, at least!), there is evidence that there has been a place of worship on this site since 900 AD. As well as the magnificent building itself. The cathedral has a collection of some of the best Misericords in Europe. It has a visitors centre, a gift shop, a licensed restaurant in the basement, and an exhibition area with hi-tech interactive displays. Admission is free and services are held regularly.

Manchester Museum
Part of the University of Manchester, this Museum was purpose built in 1888. It now houses over six million specimens and objects, which are divided into different collections: the Humanities, including Anthropology, Archaeology, Archery, Egyptology and Numismatics and the Natural Sciences including, Botany, Mineralogy, Palaeontology, Petrology and Zoology. It also has a constantly changing range of temporary exhibitions, as well as a full programme of events for youngsters of all ages!

MEN Arena
Welcome to the Manchester Evening News Arena. With a seated capacity of 19,500 it’s hardly surprising that the Arena has attracted such internationally known names such as Phil Collins, Tina Turner, Luciano Pavarotti, Shirley Bassey and Rod Stewart, plus the much publicised, recent and controversial return to the ring from heavy-weight boxer Mike Tyson.

Old Trafford
Old Trafford, also know as the ’Theatre of Dreams’ is the biggest football club ground in England. It is therefore both a popular tourist attraction and, of course, a regular retreat for keen followers of Manchester United Football Club. A statue of Sir Matt Busby, a Manchester United legend, watches proudly over the Old Trafford forecourt.

The Opera House
This beautifully restored building stages a large and varied repertoire of live events throughout the year. These include classic opera, light opera, musicals, dance spectaculars, bands, tribute bands, comedy, psychics and mediums, shows for the children. It is well located in the centre of Manchester with plenty of parking close by as well as a wide range of bars and restaurants within easy reach. Its website gives you a virtual tour of the theatre.

Palace Theatre
The Palace Theatre is well located in the centre of Manchester close to the Cornerhouse, The Green Room, and only a stone’s throw from the Bridgewater Hall. It stages a large and varied repertoire of live events throughout the year, including classic opera, light opera, musicals, dance spectaculars, and shows for the children. There is plenty of parking close by. Its website gives you a virtual tour of the theatre.

Platt Fields Park
Platt Fields Park consists of 70 hectares and is considered as one of Manchester Leisure’s major outdoor sites, having been bought by the city of Manchester for £59,975 in 1907! It offers a wide variety of facilities including: a boating lake, tennis courts, basketball court, roller hockey court, and five-a-side football pitches. There are a number of different themed gardens in the park including ferns, roses, heathers and a Shakespearean garden. Platt Hall, which stands on the edge of the Fields, is home to The Costume Museum.

The Ritz Ballroom
The Ritz Ballroom was built as a traditional ballroom complete with a properly sprung floor for ballroom dancing, and a magnificent mirrored glitter ball suspended above it. The interior is large with two separate floors joined by sweeping staircases, and several bars. It now offers wide range of events with a many different types of music: the weekday crowds being younger and the weekends attracting an older crowd.

Royal Exchange Theatre
Housed in the Victorian Cotton Trading Hall, the theatre is a modern construction which gives a unique and intimate experience of theatre in the round. It stages a wide range of plays, and musical events, and the company has a long-standing commitment to new writing for the stage. In the theatre hall, there is also a craft shop, which showcases work by new and established makers, and a restaurant which prides itself on its cuisine with a new menu to coincide with each new production.

The University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is one of the biggest academic institutions in the country with more full time students than any other in the UK. The university's Students' Union represents many of the city's students, including those of the former UMIST. They have their own music venue, the Manchester Academy, which hosts many leading bands. Outside of Manchester, other university buildings include the Cheshire stately home, Tabley House, and the Jodrell Bank Observatory

Whitworth Art Gallery
Founded in 1899, the Whitworth Art Gallery, which has been a part of the University of Manchester since 1958, takes its name form a Stockport engineer, Sir Joseph Whitworth. It houses a large collection of paintings, drawings, modern art, sculpture and watercolours. It is also home to the largest collection of wallpapers and textiles outside of London. The Whitworth draws on this vast resource to offer constantly changing exhibitions as well as hosting touring exhibitions, and providing practical workshops and talks.

Places to Visit in Manchester Centre