There are signs of its industrial past at every turn, but working-class principles are also surprisingly visible in the huge amount of art you can see for free in Manchester. Surprising too is the vast amount of green space to be found in this North West metropolis, where the city’s radical spirit resounds even in the birdsong. Protest the usual price tag of a city break with these 10 brilliant budget-saving activities.
Manchester Museum
Free
Think like a palaeontologist, discover how the ancient Egyptians prepared for the afterlife and dig into archeological discoveries made right here in Manchester. All this and much more is on offer within the neo-Gothic walls of Manchester Museum. The Manchester University institution is situated on Oxford Road, right in the academic heart of the city. The 130-year-old museum has a 21st century approach to its exhibitions after a significant refurb that was completed last year. Galleries explore Chinese Culture, South Asia, Natural History and there’s even a vivarium housing many critically endangered species. The best bit is it’s completely free to enter!
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Castlefield Viaduct ‘High Line’
Free
From Manchester’s Roman beginnings to the hub of the city’s industrial revolution, Castlefield Viaduct has been given a new green future as the city’s first ‘sky park’. Once the site of a Roman fort, the viaduct itself was built in 1892 and was used to transport goods into the Great Northern Warehouse. But Manchester’s industrial past meant little green space in the city centre – until now. The 330-metre-long steel structure has been planted with trees, flowers and shrubs, creating a space to unwind and learn more about this urban park’s rich heritage.
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Guided tour of the Victoria Baths
£8 pp
It took decades of campaigning, fundraising and painstaking work to restore Victoria Baths to their former glory. Today the 1906 Grade II-listed baths are finally back in use and an annual heritage swim is a key event on the calendar. In the post-war years the baths were home to dances and today the pools are floored for everything from gigs to weddings. This architectural gem is brought to life by experts who will show you the Turkish suite and point out many decorative features. Expect colourful stained glass windows, intricate mosaic floors and beautifully glazed tiles.
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Manchester Art Gallery
Free
Entering through the grand porticoed entrance of Manchester Art Gallery is completely free – a principle at the heart of this 200-year-old building. When Manchester was a hotbed of commercial entrepreneurship and radical politics, a small group of reformers pushed for the creation of a free public art gallery. It was intended to provide a refuge from the toxic effects of life and work and a moral education for the city’s working classes. Today those principles hold true, even as the gallery houses a collection of 46,000 pieces of fine art, decorative art and costume.
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Hire a bike at Sale Water Park
£10 pp
A short drive south from the bustle of the city centre, Sale Water Park is a 152-acre hidden oasis. The 52-acre lake at its heart was made by flooding a gravel pit excavated to build the M60 – but this is an area best explored by bike. Hire one from the nearby Velo Times, making sure to stop and take in the enchanting scenery and wildlife. If there’s still some pedalling in you, you can access canal routes as well as the nearby Dunham Massey and its roaming herd of fallow deer.
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Check out the Vimto Monument
Free
John Noel Nichols mixed his first batch of Vimto at 19 Granby Row in 1908. A clue to its origins is in the name – it was designed as a tonic to give the drinker vim, but marketed as a cordial from 1913. This 1992 wooden sculpture was made by artist Kerry Morrison and stands proudly on Granby Row within the University of Manchester grounds. It may have been proven to have no medicinal value, but if you visit in winter, why not take a flask of hot Vimto? It’s still the best tonic on a cold day!
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IndieFlicks Monthly Film Festival
£10 pp
With festival-quality short films from around the world, IndieFlicks invites every viewer to become a critic and vote for their favourite on the night. Running on the first Sunday of the month, screenings are held at the MiniCine, found within the imposing Ducie Street Warehouse. Street food and a bar are both on site – offering laidback indie vibes. Q&As with special guests and discussions about the films make it a great place to socialise with fellow film buffs. The night is rounded off with a Director’s Choice – a slightly longer short, selected by a judging panel.
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Fletcher Moss Park & Gardens
Free
The natural wonders on offer in this green haven owe much to its history as a private estate. Fletcher Moss himself had a keen interest in natural history and wildlife. The croft in the heart of the estate was later owned by the Williamsons, who were keen botanists. When denied membership to the all-male British Ornithologists’ Union, bird lover Emily Williamson founded the women’s-only Society for the Protection of Birds – now the RSPB. Meetings of local, like-minded women took place in the croft to protest the use of birds for fashion. Be sure to think of this pioneer as you listen to the birdsong.
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Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester
£6 adult, children free
Manchester is the home of industry and a pioneer in transport. Step inside a 1930’s bus garage and discover Greater Manchester’s public road transport heritage. From horse-drawn omnibuses to modern Metrolink trams, there are over 70 vehicles on display alongside transport memorabilia. A working museum – meaning many vehicles are in full working order – you can hop aboard many of them and travel back in time. You can also take a heritage bus ride from the depot for free before relaxing in the traditional tea room to complete this budget-friendly nostalgia trip.
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Imperial War Museum North
Free
IWM North was the first UK building designed by Daniel Libeskind – the architect behind Berlin’s Jewish Museum and the Ground Zero masterplan in New York. Imposing and unsettling, the aluminium-clad building with jutting angles was built on a bombsite in Trafford – the main target of the Manchester blitz. Purpose-built to tell powerful stories of over a century of war, IWM North makes full use of its extraordinary architecture to deliver an immersive experience. There’s some cold, hard history to take in here but also some incredible and uplifting stories of human resilience.
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*all prices correct at time of writing